Wind turbines soon a reality in Albemarle?
By Brandon Shulleeta
| 978-7245
Four to six months from now, Albemarle County will probably allow homeowners to have wind turbines on their property, said Mark Graham, the county’s director of community development.
Wind turbines currently aren’t permitted in the county’s zoning ordinance. The height and unattractiveness of the structures are seen as negatives. However, members of the Albemarle Planning Commission considered allowing residents to have small personal turbines at their meeting Tuesday.
“I think in this county, more often than not, it will be used [by residents] as an experiment to see if it can reduce energy costs,” Graham said.
As energy costs have seen a drastic spike this year, some homeowners and farmers have considered wind turbines as a way to generate power on their properties.
Wind turbines could be used to help generate power for houses, barns or greenhouses, for example, Graham said.
Planning commissioners raised doubts about whether wind turbines would be cost effective for residents to use. However, the idea of permitting them in the county to those willing to make the investment on their own accord was left afloat.
Commission Chairman Calvin Morris said that, regardless of the cost effectiveness of erecting a wind turbine and using it to generate power, he hopes “the county doesn’t prohibit it.”
Graham noted that the county has an aggressive goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
However, commissioners showed clear interest in the planning staff continuing to research wind turbines and looking at where structures should be allowed and with what restrictions.
Graham said that Albemarle would not permit massive wind turbines that are grouped together similar to ones that exist in some West Virginia localities. Commissioners shot down the idea of allowing commercial/utility wind turbines at a May 13 meeting.
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Reader Reactions
I would have never guessed you weren’t allowed to have them in the first place, at least a moderate-sized one.
Personal wind turbines may work for a few circuits in your home, but the first thing that gets your attention is the cost to purchase and install the equipment. Next, these devices require regular maintenance; so who is going to climb up there and grease the generator everytime it starts to squeel? We need a modern approach to generating power for consumers on their home property.
Hopefully, this will be a case where the feds will step in as they did with satellite dishes and decree that a property owner can have as many turbines as they need with no intervention from the locals. Energy independence and generating clean energy need to be a national priority - way too important to leave such decisions to any County Board of Supervisors or City Council.
Are they an eyesore? Not to me. To some I’m sure they are. To some, the plume of coal smoke wafting from a smokestack is an eyesore - and to others it’s a thing of beauty.
80% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2050! Are they expecting a reduction in population by 80%? I am all for reduced waste and conserving but this seems like something that sounds nice and green but there is little to back it up. Exactly how much greenhouse gas emissions do we create in Albemarle 2008 so I will know when we hit that goal in 2050?
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