Radio & Television Interference

According to the American Wind Energy Association wind turbines can cause interference to received television, radio and cell phone signals, particularly when the turbines are located between the transmitter and receiver. There are many homes that would be affected by this interference.In this area, we receive television and radio from Erie PA, Buffalo and Canada and the line of turbines that is being proposed would be between many homes and the transmitters in Buffalo, Erie, Hamilton Ontario, London Ontario, Toronto and Kitchener. The American Wind Energy Association suggests that cable or satellite would be reasonable alternative but, in some locations, neither of these is possible because the area is not serviced by cable and there are line of site issues with satellite. (The designer of this web site lives in one such place and there are others) Aside from these issues, Chautauqua Wind Power LLC and the American Wind Energy Association are saying that I should have to shell out $30 or more per month to maintain my quality of life so that they may or may not make a profit or receive tax breaks.

Why should individuals have to pay a new bill to maintain what they already have so that a corporation can profit?

The issue of cell phones also presents a potential safety hazard. People have grown to rely on their cell phones for safety. With winter the way that it is around here, we use our cell phones to call tow trucks, emergency crews or just to let our families know that we're held up a half mile from home because of the weather. Many of the areas near the proposed turbine sites are already in fringe areas for cell phone reception If there should be a turbine between an individuals location and the cell tower which is very possible since many of the cell sites are along the interstate at the bottom of the ridge and many of us live above the ridge line, cell phone service would be obliterated. The solution that the American Wind Energy Association suggests for this problem is that providers install relays and repeaters so their signals are routed around the turbines.

It seems that the suggestions and solutions put forth by the American Wind Energy Association shift some of the costs associated with wind power away from the developers. Individuals having to pay cable or satellite television bills if those are even an option and cell phone companies having to pay for relays and repeaters as well as even more towers in an area that would be cluttered with wind turbines.

Why should an industry be allowed to shift some of the costs of their business to others?

Public Safety

Radio interference can also pose a public safety hazard in the areas of Westfield and Ripley. We are served by a totally volunteer fire department. The firefighters, ambulance drivers and attendants are dispatched using special pagers that operate in the VHF band, like television. These pagers receive a signal from the fire hall or some other central location. It is very possible that in the event of a fire call, the interference from the turbines could cause problems with the firefighters' communication systems. The possibility that an ambulance driver might miss a call because Chautauqua Wind Power LLC wanted tax concessions is not a comforting thought.

Public safety should be first and foremost.