Editorial: A Good Wind Blowing
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorialized on April 20 in support of an installation of two turbines on the Mequon campus of the Milwaukee Techncial College:
At a time when the price of fuel is rapidly increasing, questions about alternative energy sources have become much more urgent.
AdvertisementA partial but encouraging answer to some of these questions has been supplied by Milwaukee Area Technical College, in the form of a wind turbine it proposes to build at its campus in Mequon.
Let’s hope officials in Mequon recognize this good thing for what it is.
Specifically, MATC hopes to build two structures on its 172-acre campus at 5555 W. Highland Road: a 160-foot-tall wind turbine and a 164-foot-tall meteorological tower to collect temperature and wind data that would help the turbine run efficiently.
Earlier this month, Mequon decided to hire a consultant to evaluate the project. But at this point, it seems like a no-brainer. MATC officials said the turbine could generate enough electricity to meet 10% of the Mequon campus’ needs. It will also provide an educational benefit for MATC students, since the structures are part of the college’s Renewable Energy Technological Center.
An MATC spokesman said the turbine will cost about $135,000, with about $45,000 to be supplied by Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. He said MATC will foot the rest of the bill, adding that when it is operating, the turbine will create no more noise than an ordinary conversation between two adults. And the turbine was carefully designed so that it won’t be an eyesore.
Kim Tollefson, Mequon’s assistant director of community development, explained that state regulations governing alternative energy sources require that the wind turbine project be evaluated by the Common Council only on the basis of whether it constitutes a safety hazard – whether, for example, the towers might blow down in a storm or whether one of the turbine’s three rotating blades might fly off.
If these fears can be allayed, there seems to be no good reason to reject the project and several reasons to approve it. No one can realistically argue that, at the moment, the wind and the sun can supply all our energy needs, but alternative sources such as these do constitute part of the answer.
