Because Marylanders have cried out "Not In My Back Yard!"

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) announced yesterday morning that he will bar commercial wind turbines from state-owned land, satisfying Western Maryland opponents of the turbines but disappointing supporters of the wind energy industry.

Speaking at a scenic overlook in the Savage River State Forest in Garrett County, O'Malley said the state remains committed to exploring renewable energy sources but said the wind energy industry should look to other land for large-scale wind farms.

"While we must continue to explore and make progress on creating a more sustainable and independent energy future for Maryland, we will not do so at the expense of the special land we hold in the public trust," he said.

The decision primarily affects one project, a proposal by Pennsylvania-based U.S. Wind Force to build 100 wind turbines, each 400 feet tall, in two state forests in Garrett County. The company had asked to lease state land for the project.

Clean, renewable energy is what liberals cry for -- until it might inconvenience them by cluttering their view. Energy independence is a burden for someone else to bear, they argue, because it will require building roads to get to the best available sites. In one case, Ted Kennedy and his fellow fat-cats got a project side-tracked for years because they might be able to see the towers from their vacation homes -- as a smudge on the horizon five miles away.

Just wait -- next they'll be looking to ban the projects on private lands on the argument that the turbines make noise, kill birds, or are unsightly. Those have been the tactics of the anti-wind NIMBYs elsewhere.

Posted by: Greg at 01:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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