I was excited to read that Duke Energy and UNC-Chapel Hill are moving forward with placing a few wind turbines in Pamlico Sound. A few years ago, we visited the southern coast of Spain. Near the coast we saw a wind farm. It enhanced the natural beauty of the area because it showed a respect for protecting our environment by using natural elements to generate electricity.
Those who argue that windmills will spoil their scenic views and deter tourists to the Outer Banks may be some of the same people who use large amounts of coal-generated electricity in their own homes and businesses. Sounds like some of the arguments we have heard against cell phone towers. Almost everyone has a cell phone, but many people do not want to have towers spoil their view of the scenery.
If we continue to use large amounts of electricity for our daily comforts, we need to actively pursue clean alternative energy sources. We are fortunate in North Carolina to have sufficient natural resources and dedicated researchers to explore and act on wind as an option to help meet our energy demands.
