NC wind farms deserve support

One farmer who’ll get over $50,000 a year for hosting wind turbines on his property in northeastern North Carolina calls the wind a “cash crop.” The Amazon Wind Farm, funded by the online retailer, will furnish energy for Amazon’s data centers in Virginia. The farm is under construction and, thanks to a recent ruling by Judge Melissa Owens Lassiter of the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, will proceed.

The project has been under a challenge from a Perquimans County couple who live near the farm, which is in Perquimans and Pasquotank counties. The challenge has been not coincidentally strengthened by the backing of the Civitas Institute, a conservative advocacy group.

Wind farms are seen by some conservatives as part of a conspiracy driven by tree-hugging liberals. Oil companies, needless to say, aren’t crazy about them, either. That’s one reason some Republican legislators continue to try to block wind farms through ridiculous special interest legislation.

The truth is, farmers benefit from wind farms, and rural land that might go unused becomes profitable.

North Carolina has some of the best winds on the East Coast in terms of the potential to develop wind farms. The Amazon project may well be a model for future developments, which could make North Carolina a pioneer in alternative energy.

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 5:49 PM with the headline "NC wind farms deserve support."