Progressive attitude in wind

Iowa has a lot of positive things going for it right now, especially in the areas of ethanol production and renewable energy.

I attended the Clean Line Energy Partners open house May 31, and was surprised by how many area residents packed the conference room at King's Pointe. I left 15 minutes after the public open house started, but there were at least 50 people in the room, with more lining up in the hallway. And they were not just there for the food.

Clean Lines representatives did a great job of presenting the Rock Island Line project with easy-to-understand materials. Those who attended were toured around the room by a representative, who also answered questions.

Well-designed informational packets were also distributed; and, if you really wanted one, buttons and bumper stickers in support of the project were free for the taking. Who knew wind turbines and power lines could be designed in such a cutesy manner?

The tables where the proposed corridor maps were laid out were the most popular area. Residents chatted with representatives, pointed where they lived and where their farmland is.

I saw caring and kindness from the representatives, as they took time with each individual and showed them how the project may affect their land.

Area residents who I talked to were thrilled about the project. I expected apprehension, like, "Who are these people and why do they need to build this on my land?" All I heard was tremendous support for Clean Line and the Rock Island Line project.

One man who attended smiled as I talked with him, hardly able to contain his enthusiasm.

Although change is sometimes hard to swallow, the message of lessening dependence on foreign oil and decreasing environmental pollution seemed to win area residents over quickly.

Oh, and, of course, the thousands of dollars from tax revenue for Buena Vista County and the potential creation of a hundred new jobs.

Many who attended the open house were from the World War II generation, who know a thing or two about being thrifty. Conservation always makes me think of my 90-year-old grandma's adage of "waste not, want not."

We might have to waste some of our windpower since we do not have the capabilities to harness all of it, but when the Rock Island Line is completed in 2016, we will be securing a clean future for the next generation with this project.

* Ashley Miller is a new addition to the news staff. Reach her at amiller@stormlakepilottribune.com.