Cool Cities Endorses Bent Mountain Wind Site

The Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition has issued a release saying it supports “approval and completion of the wind energy project on private property on bent Mountain … as described in the Invenergy ‘Project Overview.’”

Invenergy plans to install 18 wind turbines that could, according to estimates, reduce carbon emissions by 98,000 tons a year (about 20,000 cars’ worth). Diana Christopulos, president of the Cool Cities Coalition wrote, “I am pleased to report that our board of directors voted unanimously ... to support the wind power project on Bent Mountain proposed by Invenergy. Support is contingent on compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements. This action occurred after a site visit and several discussions with the project representative.

"We believe that this step is central to our mission of reducing carbon emissions caused by activities in the Roanoke region. We hope that [organizations will] support the project and help begin moving our region away from its reliance on coal for almost 90 percent of our electricity. Use of mountain top coal as an electricity source causes massive environmental damage, creates major human health problems, and is a leading contributor to global climate change.”

Cool Cities officials say “almost 90 percent of its electricity from burning coal, a nonrenewable resource whose use has profound negative effects both at its source and hundreds of miles away … While wind power is generally preferable to coal, not all sites are appropriate for wind generation. The Cool Cities board visited the proposed site on Bent Mountain … The board deemed the Roanoke County site reasonably appropriate, given what is currently known.”

"Since our inception in 2006, this organization has been advocating a major reduction in carbon emissions that are known to be fueling global climate change," says Christopulos. "We support conservation, energy efficiency, and clean, renewable energy. This is the first utility-scale proposal for renewable energy in our region and we enthusiastically support it."