Letter: Not all wind projects are alike

To the Editor:

I believe the article in the Jan. 6 publication regarding the decision the Goodhue County commissioners will have to make concerning “wind farms” needs some clarification.

Calling the wind projects proposed for the rural Goodhue area “wind farms” is a misnomer. These projects will be nothing like the “wind farms” that can be seen farther south or in western Minnesota.

The density of farms and rural residences here will require the turbines to be sited helter-skelter wherever spots can be found with proper set back. From Featherstone to Zumbrota, and from Goodhue to Bellecreek, our landscape will be blighted by 40-story tall turning turbines. This area encompasses approximately 75 square miles, in parts of five townships, where hundreds of people and thousands of farm animals live.

Some studies have shown that large turbines can have an adverse effect on the health of some people and some animals.

Opposition to these projects is not opposition to harnessing wind energy but opposition to the projects as proposed.

Richard Reese

Red Wing

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