Sierra Club should push for hydro power, not industrial wind turbines

Editor:

The recent endorsement of Apex’s proposed Lighthouse Wind by the Sierra Club, Atlantic Chapter, is ill-timed, ill-conceived, self-serving, highly biased and smacks of elitism.

The Sierra Club has clearly joined the Apex propaganda blitz in the hope forcing the Somerset-Yates community to accept a project that has already been resoundingly rejected by those that must live among the proposed industrial wind turbines. This endorsement was not unexpected, however it was exceptionally premature as the information presented at the October “forum” upon which the endorsement was based, was preliminary in nature, and by Apex own admission, left much yet to be disclosed.

It is also at variance with what was presented to the Yates Town Board on October 11 in a written statement from the Sierra Niagara group, which read in part “Sierra Club will not endorse or approve any large-scale project until a site plan is finalized presented and can be reviewed.” Apparently, this decision is not as unanimous as we were led to believe.

With respect to the project itself, the power is not needed. Western New York is not short of power. The Niagara hydroelectric power plant is under-utilized. An examination of the record reveals this. With a source of clean renewable power at our door step, why is Lighthouse Wind and other industrial wind turbine projects even being considered?

It seems as though the Sierra Club with its historically deep involvement in environmental issues would be aware of this underutilization of a clean renewable power source and promote its full use. Sadly, the Sierra Club has aligned with Big Wind and Big Government, a convenient alignment that will assure them of financial and political support in the future.

Sierra Club!! Rethink your support for Lighthouse Wind. The proposed 47 industrial wind turbines at 590 feet in height would be scattered along 12 miles of the pristine Lake Ontario and be an environmental disaster.

In addition, those most affected are being neglected. Help promote the clean renewable energy we are blessed with in Western New York. Sierra Club! Regroup! Help us in Yates and Somerset reject proposed Lighthouse Wind and send  Apex “Clean Energy” home.

James C. Hoffman

Somerset