On the Maryland Senate floor this morning, Senate Minority Whip Steve Hershey (36 -R-Upper Shore) introduced Senate Bill 938 providing the Kent County Commissioners with approval authority for a land-based wind project within the county. Hershey said, “The state’s public utility laws provide local governments with limited input in the Public Service Commission’s approval process for electric generation facilities. As the Apex Wind Project will span hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of Kent County, it makes sense that the Commissioners should have a say.”
Over the course of the last two weeks, Senator Hershey and Delegates of the 36th District have met with Kent County Commissioner Bill Short, representatives of the Public Service Commission, and Apex Wind. “Through these meetings, it became abundantly clear that we needed to protect the interests of, and the rural nature of, Kent County.” The Upper Shore Senator continued, “The best way to do that was to include the Commissioners in the process.”
Explained the Minority Whip, “Maryland created the approval process for electric generation plants long before a commercial wind-project of this size was viable. Historically, traditional generation plants powered by coal or natural gas required much smaller footprints, tens of acres, not thousands. So, to accommodate the broader public needs, it made sense for the state authority to preempt counties in the approval of such projects. Never did crafters of this policy envision that it would be used for the approval of a large-scale wind project such as this.”
“Furthermore, under current law, the whole project will be decided by appointed Public Service Commissioners in Baltimore City, with little say from local elected officials. This is no longer the best way to make policy. Senate Bill 938 will include the Kent County Commissioners in the decision-making process. I believe this will yield the best policy and outcome for Kent County,” concluded Hershey.
Donald Basile says
I am firmly in favor of Senate Bill 938 which provides our ELECTED LOCAL OFFICALS a voice in the approval process of Wind Turbines in Kent County.
They are the OFFICALS who are most knowledgeable of the local conditions and how projects of this magnitude will alter those conditions.
Our Commissioners are the most knowledgeable representatives concerning the sentiment of the people affected by such a project to the visible and ecological landscape of Kent County. Our Commissioners know the financial impact such a project will have on homes, businesses and farm values in Kent County.
They were ELECTED to do what is in best interest of KENT COUNTY RESIDENTS. They are the ones I want making decisions that affect the charm and character of Kent County not some appointed official that is not invested in the same way as an elected resident whose home, livelihood and way of life will be affected by the approval and installation of such massive Wind Turbine project.
joe diamond says
could you identify the thinking of the elected official who has any experience with energy technology. The commissioners are fine representatives of county residents….but no real experience, training or education that would qualify them as anything but an interested amateur is the specific fields we are looking upon.
Don’t get me started upon the sins of elected politicians, please.