Wisconsin State Journal Editorial -- 
   March 27, 2000

As gasoline prices soar and the nation is reminded about its
dependence on imported oil, most Americans should welcome solutions
that make better use of clean, renewable energy.

 The Wisconsin Wind Energy Project in Washington County is just such
a solution.

A company called FPL Energy Wisconsin has plans to build a ''wind
farm'' about four miles west of West Bend, in the Washington County
town of Addison. Tall and graceful turbines will catch the wind that
blows almost constantly through the area and generate about 72
million  kilowatt-hours of energy each year -- enough to power about
12,000 homes.

Power from the wind farm will be sold to Wisconsin Energy and
Alliant Energy, which are trying to meet the demands of state law
and consumers to provide more power that comes from ''renewable''
sources such as wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar.

The most readily available resource in Wisconsin, however, is wind.
It's free, plentiful throughout the year and doesn't come attached
to any environmental problems. So why not harness the wind when we
can?

The FPL Energy Wisconsin project is trying to do just that. A site
has been secured on a working farm that will continue to be a farm
as the 150-turbines turn majestically in the background. Local
government gets some extra revenue, local contractors will help
build the turbines, and engineering steps have been taken to
eliminate any stray voltage concerns.

Despite those steps and more, there are some people in the
neighborhood of the wind farm who oppose it. Why? They think it will
alter the landscape too much for their liking.

This is just the latest example of chronic NIMBYism (''not in my
backyard'') in Wisconsin when it comes to expanding the state's
supply of energy. The same people who are using more power by the
day are often the first to line up in opposition to any project,
even something as benign as a wind farm.

The energy trends in Wisconsin are alarming. Unless the state does a
better job of increasing its energy supplies for all sources --
renewables, in-state generation, and new transmission and
distribution systems -- its economy will suffer. Important decisions
must be made in the next few years.

''We're already at a point in this state where we're counting
megawatts, one megawatt at a time,'' said Alliant spokesman Dave
Giroux. ''Making use of renewable energy sources, such as wind, is a
part of the answer.''

Utility customers everywhere have a stake in seeing the West Bend
wind farm become a reality. Don't let the NIMBYs among us take the
wind out of this project.