Bev Norwood: A wind-wind farm

Regarding the July 14 news article “Amazon backs N.C.’s 1st large wind farm”: The proposed wind farm to be built in Perquimans and Pasquotank counties is a win-win project. Providing sustainable energy to power the Amazon web services helps decrease dependence on other energy sources and can benefit the “desert” area in eastern North Carolina as well as educate the public about the benefits of wind power.

Waterfowl and migrating birds need not be in harm’s way as the technology has improved so that sensors can detect motion and turn off as birds migrate. The endangered bat can be monitored as well. The turbines take up only a small portion of land, less than an acre including turbine and access paths for maintenance, so farming and other activities can continue. The yearly payments to land owners could make a difference in “saving the family farm.”

Wind farm developers provide property tax to the counties. Some complain of the aesthetics of towering turbines, but in my opinion, they are no more an eyesore than cell phone towers or power lines.

This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Bev Norwood: A wind-wind farm."