To the editor:

Salem has a huge opportunity to harness its wind resources safely and beautifully, despite what a small group of neighbors in the Willows and a handful of wealthy folks across the harbor in Marblehead claim.

Winter Island is the only city-owned site that combines excellent wind resources and adequate distances from residences. Unlike other towns such as Hull that had several potential locations to choose from, Winter Island is the only one in Salem. Fortunately for us, it is also an ideal site for many reasons.

As was requested in the letter published by Kevin Harvey a few weeks ago, I urge my fellow citizens to consider the following facts:

The wind turbine being proposed would stand 380 feet tall to the tip, which is more than 100 feet lower than the taller smokestack at the power plant.

It would become a new symbol for Salem and show how our city is returning to its historic roots of harnessing the wind for economic benefit.

The wind turbine would generate between $500,000 and $600,000 in annual revenue for the city.

It would have an eight- to nine-year payback (maybe faster if energy prices keep going up) and provide the city with a stable and predictable income stream at the very time when our largest taxpayer, Salem Harbor Station, is closing down.

The sound emitted by this wind turbine would not have an adverse impact on nearby residents.

In most instances, residents on Winter Island Road would not even hear the unit operate when outside. They would never hear it when indoors.

While some have expressed concern that the sound of the turbine would more easily travel over water, we forget that this only occurs under certain weather conditions, when the water is calm and there is little or no wind. Under those conditions, the turbine would not be spinning nor creating any sound.

In addition, the seasonal variation in winds indicates that the unit would operate much less during the calmer summer months and much more during the windier winter months. As a result, it would complement how Winter Island is used by Salem's residents very well.

Six households from Salem and six households from Marblehead have hired a lawyer and sound consultant to oppose this project. Mr. Harvey and others like to point out that a recent study recommends a 1.25-mile "sound buffer" around a wind turbine. What they don't tell you is that this "report" is by the same sound consultant they hired and that this distance far exceeds the state's and other communities' recommendations.

The closest residential structure to this proposed unit would be more than 1,400 feet away, The Plummer Home.

Those of us who went on the tour to Hull saw residences 650 to 800 feet away from their 1.8-megawatt unit. These people happily live near a turbine larger than what is being proposed here in Salem (1.8 MW vs. 1.5 MW) with no ill consequences or concerns and no apparent impact on their property values.

Anyone who doubts this is invited to take a drive to Hull and talk to some of these folks. That's what some of us did.

While flicker is a concern on many wind projects, at Winter Island it is not. (Flicker is the shadow effect created by the sun shining through the turbine as it spins during certain times of the day and year.)

The feasibility study conducted by Meridian Associates estimated that there would be a total of 18 hours of flicker a year mainly concentrated along the Fort Avenue area. This is a very low number. All of it would occur during the winter months between 6:30 and 8:30 in the morning and only when the sun is shining.

Is this something people in Salem could live with if it meant reducing our tax burden? I think so.

The opposition likes to focus on the Falmouth wind turbines since their lawyer represents one of the residents there. (Falmouth has two wind turbines on the property of its sewage treatment plant.) Meanwhile, other, more comparable projects are ignored because they demonstrate how a single, community-scale wind turbine can be successfully sited in a densely populated, coastal community.

Take a look at the two units operating at either end of Hull (one right next to the high school and the other within 700 feet of houses), or take a drive down to Portsmouth, R.I., and see the 1.5 MW unit making money for the town at the back of the high school.

Mr. Harvey described the proposed wind turbine at Winter Island as a "monstrosity" in his recent letter. I respectfully believe that he and his fellow opponents are wrong.

Harnessing the wind to generate power at Winter Island is a win-win-win: It is a win for the city since Salem can reduce its energy expenses; it is a win for taxpayers looking for some help as the largest taxpayer shuts its doors; and it is a win for future generations. The real monstrosity here is doing nothing while Salem faces mounting financial challenges and the world faces the dire prospect of climate change. Salem deserves better than a group of 12 wealthy households in the Willows and Marblehead opposing progress in the name of "not in my backyard."

Jeff Barz-Snell

Member, Renewable Energy Task Force

Co-Leader, Salem Alliance for the Environment

Salem

"The meeting with the Winter Island Road residents was very encouraging. Here was a group of diverse citizens of all different ages and interests — none of whom initially had known anything about turbines — who had done their homework, visited actual operating turbines, and developed a clear and accurate understandings of the issues that are typically raised when the machines are being considered anywhere...."

http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x1607581940/Nothing-to-fear-plenty-to-gain-from-Winter-Island-wind-turbine