Wind turbine ban debated

The winds are blowing up a storm over the future of wind turbines in the mountains.

A rapidly changing bill to permit wind turbines in the mountains was altered by several co-sponsors to now feature a ban on all wind turbines in western North Carolina.

The bill is in committee today before going to a Senate vote.

The original bill introduced on March 31, co-sponsored by N.C. Sen. Steve Goss (D-Watauga), was designed to set up a permitting process for wind turbines and to specifically exclude them from Ridge Law provisions.

However, the bill was altered by several senators on its way to the Senate Agricultural, Environment and Natural Resources Committee to effectively ban all wind turbines on ridge tops.

Dennis Scanlin, who oversees wind research at Appalachian State University, said the proposal threatened not only future wind-energy development but a project installed two weeks ago on the university campus that is one of the largest wind turbines in the Southeast.

"Their stated intent is to ban all wind development in western North Carolina," Scanlin said. "I think we need to control and regulate all technology. I think the original bill protected against inappropriate development. I haven't seen anyone opposed to small wind turbines. I don't think these senators are in touch with their constituents."

Goss said he was surprised by the changes, as the original version of the bill introduced on March 31 made minor changes to the Ridge Law.

He said he favored county governments developing their own regulations, such as has been done in Watauga and Ashe counties.