Probe Wind-Developers Tactics

To the Editor;

On July 29, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo issued a subpoena to Reunion Power “as part of an ongoing investigation of the wind industry.” Allegations of widespread corruption and conflict of interest by town officials in regards to wind power projects all across the state prompted this crackdown.

Shortly after being served, company executives at Reunion decided to sign on to the Attorney General’s Wind Industry Ethics Code, something that they previously elected not to do. I guess they figured better late than never.

The very fact that this course of action is necessary is in itself an indictment of industrial wind and the people who promote it and brings to mind the old adage “buyer beware.”

Although this is a good start, it does not go far enough because it does nothing to mitigate the damages these out-of-control companies have inflicted on many people in Western New York, where folks are being driven out of their homes by excessive noise and low-frequency sounds.

Wind companies, to maximize profits, jam as many turbines into a given area and hope for the best and when things go wrong as they frequently do, the victims of their greed have nowhere to turn.

One solution would be to require every wind developer in this state to issue a “buy out agreement” to all homeowners within a two-mile radius of any project, this would insure honesty an accountability and force this industry to put their money where their mouth is. Another suggestion would be to have a “Bill Of Rights” for all non-participating property owners, who could object to that?

As this investigation moves forward, it will be interesting to see what tactics the developers will use to derail the process.

Will they create subsidiaries that will not sign the code of ethics and continue to do business as usual? Or will they use their army of lobbyists who are swarming around Washington and Albany like flies on a cow pie to apply political pressure on the Attorney General and his staff to get them to back off.

If this investigation goes nowhere, then you will know that the power lies not with the people but with those who subscribe to the golden rule that states: “He who has the gold makes the rules.”

JACK PALMINTERI
Cherry Valley