In a few days, hopefully every reader who has not voted early will head to the polls to cast their ballot.  If you’re down to the wire and still looking for an issue to help you decide, check the candidate’s position on industrial wind.  Don’t be deceived into believing wind is a party line issue.  It’s not even a liberal/conservative thing, in spite of what you might have heard.  Industrial wind is, if anything, an emotional issue unless, of course, you focus on the science.

Industrial wind is supported by some “environmentalists” while other “environmentalists” find wind plants a horrible choice for the environment.  Even some organizations which support industrial wind, don’t support industrial wind!

Energy suppliers have a bi-polar view of industrial wind, often dismissing it as a silly proposition while simultaneously including industrial wind in their energy portfolio.  Sure, misguided politicians created some of this by their asinine renewable energy goals but, I believe it’s safe to say, industry typically goes where the cash is!

So, as if anyone cares what I think, here are a few thoughts that helped me choose among my local candidates.  By asking myself how the candidates stacked up against these measures, even if they didn’t necessarily see it my way – 100%, led me to a comfortable choice of the candidate most likely to make good decisions for the community.

• If the candidate confuses industrial wind with private or “farm” windmills, not a good choice!
  • They either don’t understand the difference or don’t want you to understand the difference.
• If the candidate supports industrial wind based on the promise of greenhouse gas reduction, not a good choice!
  • This is a clue to the candidate’s curiosity – blindly accepting AWEA boilerplate or actually willing to consider that the emission reduction benefit touted may be minimal, if it exists at all.
• If the candidate believes that industrial wind is a reliable, cost-effective base load producer of electricity, not a good choice!
  • The candidate has not done the homework necessary to earn your vote.
• If the candidate claims to be a “fiscal conservative” yet supports taxpayer funding (e.g. stimulus funds or state tax credits) of industrial wind developers via huge subsidies and tax benefits, not a good choice!
  • You just can’t have it both ways.  Providing tax dollars to subsidize a business which cannot survive without subsidies creates an “industrial welfare” condition and is not my definition of “fiscally conservative.”
• It the candidate believes that we should mandate industrial wind goals in the energy mix, not a good choice!
  • Again, not a very responsible position if you believe in giving the consumer a product choice in a free market.
• If the candidate blindly accepts that the community will benefit long term from the temporary jobs provided during a wind plant installation, not a good choice!
  • Very few permanent jobs remain and, unfortunately, most of the manufacturing supported by stimulus funds benefited foreign companies.  A horrible return on taxpayer’s investments!
• If the candidate exploits “individual property rights” rhetoric while expecting the taxpayers to subsidize profits to be made by the individual landowner, not a good choice!
  • Not only does this position minimize the complexity of the discussion communities must have to find balance between individual rights and community benefits, it borders hypocrisy.  Basically, it’s a lazy talking point!
    

On the other hand:

• If the candidate remains a healthy skeptic to the propaganda published by the industrial wind lobby, an excellent choice!
  • We need folks who have an interest in challenging the massive push of industrial wind developers.

We need elected officials who don’t assume they have all the answers or worse, are too intellectually lazy to pursue the science behind the hype.

We need elected officials who will doggedly search for the best answers and not roll over to industry tactics.

As I’ve said before, Allegheny Treasures does not endorse candidates.  We don’t suggest you vote for a wind skeptic if the candidate fails on all other issues.  We do, however, suggest you make a sincere effort to determine if, all else equal, the politician you will ultimately choose to represent your interest will, if elected, scrutinize the wind business for what it is … a business.

In other words, all else being equal, vote for the skeptic of industrial wind.

Be sure your candidate actually understands there is “real science” beyond the wind developer’s “promises.”  That candidate would be an excellent choice!