Tux Turkel of the Portland Press-Herald, who has (a) the second-best byline in New England* and (b) a long history of reporting intelligently about alternative energy in Maine, writes a good piece in the Sunday paper about one town’s decision to place restrictive zoning on wind power after a few turbines had gone up. This isn’t rich city folks wanting to protect views from their summer cottage, this is a small suburban/rural town that has changed its mind about nearby wind power.

From the story:

A recent string of bad-news stories about wind, including the delay of a controversial project near Rumford and turbines that didn’t work in Saco and Kittery, have given ammunition to emerging citizen groups that are against virtually all land-based wind development. Opponents are benefiting from other factors as well. Falling petroleum prices during the recession have dampened the public’s sense of urgency around energy. Media stories about the potential for wind power far offshore, and energy imported from Canada, also create the sense that local wind projects aren’t really needed.

* The Globe’s Hiawatha Bray, of course.

Tags: wind farm, wind power, wind turbine