December 29, 2011
From Our Email:
I recently visited my sister in Ohio. I was amazed by the huge field of wind turbines I drove by on my trip. Why hasn’t BPW gotten a wind farm set up in Holland? If I remember correctly BPW spent a large sum of money exploring wind generation – what ever happened with that?
Side note: (It)seems like BPW is becoming a bit too political – why did you need a new website and all of the fancy mailings…just fix the problem and produce GREEN energy. Stop wasting money along the way – just get the work done!
Thank you very much for your email, we will share your thoughts with our Board of Directors. Yes, the Holland BPW is currently researching a possible wind farm inAlleganCounty. We have studied the wind in the area for the last year for a good fit – we need to find an area that will provide a steady source of wind, and provide enough generation to help meet our needs.
A wind farm directly in Holland is problematic because the airplane flight restrictions around the wind turbines would affect Tulip City Airport. We are also required to study the impact on birds, bats, and other species that fly or live in the area. Also required is a transmission study to see how connecting a wind farm to our electric grid system will affect the stability and performance of the grid. This is important work and we are hopeful to have some positive data to present to our Board of Directors on the studies in the near future.
Thank you also for your comment on the P21 communications. The decisions we need to make in the next few months will affect the residents and businesses of Holland for decades to come, and we feel a deep obligation to keep our stakeholders informed about the issues and the process. The website and mailings are intended to generate a public discussion of power generation and ensure that people have an opportunity to express their thoughts on the best possible solution for Holland.
