I have been involved with wind turbine engineering for the last ten years. I believe we need wind generation, and other renewables, in the generation portfolio. However, Jack's Mountain and the attached ridge is a unique soaring treasure, and I fully support efforts to have this project, as well as others on critical soaring ridges, to be rejected. There are good places and bad places for wind turbines; this is a BAD place.

However, the soaring interests will have a greater chance for success if we don't flail irrelevant or poorly substantiated arguments. One of these distracting and irrelevant arguments is the fact that wind turbines "suck" power from the grid when the wind speed is below, or above, the operating range. The amount of energy consumed for standby auxiliary power is trivial; yaw motors do rotate the nacelle into the wind, and lube oil heaters keep the lube oil from turning solid in the winter. And, where do you think the power comes from to light the aviation warning lights? Should we eliminate those? Plus EVERY power plant sucks power from the grid when it is not generating, and many fossil-fueled plants operate much less frequently than wind plants, and consume far greater auxiliary power.

Bird kills from wind plants are a fact, but as previously posted, cars and building windows kill far more. However, the ridge lift that attracts us also attracts soaring birds, and I believe that focusing on the unique risks to birds of this location on Jack's Ridge will do us far more good than striking out on wind turbines everywhere.

We should focus on the unique soaring treasure that this mountain and the ridge provides, and the economic benefits of our time and expenditures in the region Let the locals fight the visual impact, sound, and other similar issues. Let the bird and bat people handle their own turf, they have much better info than we do, and PLEASE, don't throw out b.s. that is totally irrelevant that discredits the soaring community. Also, let's not get into the middle of the global warming fight...