Ban wind power? In the middle of hurricane season?

Don't you wish you had one of these right about now?

More than a few people might be wishing right now that they had a wind turbine in their back yard to draw some power from while they wait for National Grid to restore their electric service. Except that the town is poised to ban all forms of wind power outright, for everyone everywhere within the town limits. 

Right smack dab in the middle of hurricane season. And just in time for winter storm outages as well.

Does this make any sense at all?

I've already written about my objections to the wind power ban from a renewable energy standpoint, as have Will and Tom, so I won't rehash them. You can review the entire Progressive Charlestown wind power opus by clicking the "hot topic" link in the right sidebar or from the topic list at the top of the home page. 

But what about wind power as a backup source of energy? Our town nanny, Planning Commissioner Ruth Platner, is of the opinion that we don't get enough wind in Charlestown for homeowner use, but (a) we won't really know that until all the MET tower data are in, will we, and (b) it's not for her or the planning commission to decide what amount of wind power is sufficient for any one individual's needs.

Maybe you wouldn't be able to draw enough power from a wind generator cheaply enough to make it worth the investment. But factor in how much food you end up throwing away whenever the power goes out. Does it start to make a little more financial sense then? Did you end up staying in a motel because of lack of electricity at home? That's another cost to add onto the National Grid column. Gas to run a generator? Ditto. Are you going over your allotted airtime on your cell phone because you can't use your home phone? Ditto. Are you and your spouse heading to divorce court after being cooped up in the house for days on end with no electricity? Ditto. Are you about to sell your children for medical experiments because they're driving you crazy without Spongebob or the Wii to keep them occupied? Ditto.

Then there's the issue of not being able to draw water from your well without electricity. To me, the psychic costs of being unable to shower or bathe are incalculable.

I urge everyone to write to the town council* to oppose Ordinance 341 as I've already done. Also, be sure to attend the public hearing at 7:00 p.m. on September 12 to voice your objections. If you're unable to attend the hearing, you can submit written comments to Town Clerk Amy Rose Weinreich. I'd suggest that those who lost power in Irene save up their rotten vegetables to throw at Councilors Tom Gentz, Dan Slattery, and Lisa DiBello, who voted "yes" when the proposed ban was first read, except that would violate the "no throwing" ordinance. 

*Thomas B. Gentz, President—he voted yes for the ban on first reading
152 Sea Breeze Avenue
Charlestown, RI 02813
401-527-7181
tom.gentz@charlestownri.org

Daniel J. Slattery, Vice President—he voted yes for the ban on first reading
24 Watchaug Lane
Charlestown, RI 02813
401-213-6182
dan.slattery@charlestownri.org

Lisa A. DiBello—she voted yes for the ban on first reading
35 Morley Street
Charlestown, RI 02813
401-213-6729
lisa.dibello@charlestownri.org

Gregory J. Avedisian—he voted NO on the ban on first reading
354 West Beach Road
Charlestown, RI 02813
401-212-0078
greg.avedisian@charlestownri.org

Marjorie F. Frank—she voted NO on the ban on first reading
4700 Old Post Road
Charlestown, RI 02813
401-364-6645
marge.frank@charlestownri.org

Author: Linda Felaco