For anyone wishing to educate themselves about Industrial Wind, beyond the information made available by the wind industry’s well financed AWEA (American Wind Energy Association), there are excellent sites which continue to provide news, information and studies.  These are operated by serious, well-informed and respected individuals who provide daily updates about national and worldwide issues.

The ever increasing number of grass-root groups formed to protect their communities from wind developers are very well served by the information provided by web resources such as two of my “go to’s'”  The Wind Action Group and National Wind Watch.

On the community action front, many grass-root groups have banded together to form alliances in order to bring numbers to issues to challenge the heavily funded wind profiteers.  I’ve linked several on the AT home page.  I recommend interested readers search out alliances which best serve your particular needs.

The one which most closely meets my regional needs is the Allegheny Highlands Alliance, an “alliance of organizations and individuals committed to protecting the mountain resources of the Allegheny Highlands.”  AHA counts among it’s membership organizations from West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

It is important to note that the opinions/commentaries expressed at the Allegheny Treasures blog are not written, directed or approved by the Allegheny Highlands Alliance.  All commentary written by “morgan” for Allegheny Treasures is solely the opinion of the author.

I began Allegheny Treasures as a local blog because I felt ill served by my local news services which, in my estimation, provided a promotional view of the industrial wind project marching toward the ridges above my West Virginia home.  I wanted to learn more and persuade a few of my fellow residents to consider the information available beyond our local press articles.

Originally a supporter of the technology I became a convert to the opposition moved by the information I found, particularly as it related to the product’s poor performance, environmental destruction and broken promises made to communities.  I was particularly offended by what I felt was the profit-based developers attempt to masquerade as the community’s best friend only to later move on to the next target.

Defining myself as a pessimist and, in spite of our opposition, we lost the battle.  The placement of the 23 turbines of Pinnacle, stretching across the Allegheny ridge line above Keyser, WV is history.

After the project was completed, I felt it important to learn from that history and share what we could learn from this project to other communities within our region.  I wrote an open letter to the politicians and appointed officials who supported and/or permitted the installation with hopes that Pinnacle would serve as a “teachable moment” to other communities who face the difficult decision whether to allow or fight turbines in their communities.  Of course, the perpetually vocal supporters were suddenly very silent.  There was no response to my respectful request to measure promise against actual delivery on said promises, an opportunity the Pinnacle project easily afforded.

Over the past months this blog has been in Rip Van Winkle mode as I decided to focus on local/regional issues.  I admit to hitting the slumber button a few times over the past months but a few issues are causing the alarm to ring louder and can no longer be ignored.

While I will, to a lesser degree, point readers to items of national and international interest, I will leave full explanation to the much more effective sources, The Wind Action Group and National Wind Watch, and the other organizations which I link on the AT home page.  I will instead focus my efforts on the Appalachian region with particular attention to the efforts of wind developers who wish to bring industrial wind to our communities.

I welcome constructive and civil comments to my posts and will not screen based on differing opinions.  I will continue to refuse to post obscenity laced comments which, believe it or not, some individuals actually believe will bolster their argument.

I make every effort to be accurate and will quickly remedy any oversight or error, as long at the respondent provides evidence supporting the challenge.

With all that said, time to get to work.