In the past year or so, we’ve seen plenty of evidence that wind power has its detractors. Whether the subject is bird or bat deaths, siting of wind farms, or claims that wind power is more hype than substance, the industry has its share of critics. In response, the American Wind Energy Association has announced the formation of “a broad national coalition of wind energy advocates that is intended to be the largest pro-wind energy development organization of its kind in the United States.” Whatever your position on wind energy in general, or on more specific issues of environmental impact, you’ve got to admit that AWEA has brought together an impressive group:
The initial organizations in the coalition include a diverse array of national, regional and local environmental, agricultural, economic development, faith-based and wind and renewable energy advocacy groups. Members include: Earth Policy Institute, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Izaak Walton League of America, Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Corn Growers Association, the American Corn Growers Foundation, Prowers County Development, Inc., and The Regeneration Project/Interfaith Power and Light. Wind and renewable energy advocacy organization members include: AWEA, Renewable Energy Long Island, Western Resource Advocates, the Renewable Northwest Project, Wind Power New York, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), The Wind Coalition, Green Energy Ohio, Wind on the Wires, the Interwest Energy Alliance, Clean Energy Partnership, Renew Wisconsin, West Wind Wires, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3), and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. This initial group will be supplemented over time by an even broader set of national, regional, state and local organizations.
Will this coalition between the wind energy industry and very reputable non-profit groups silence the critics. I doubt it, but their fight just got more difficult.
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