I hope more people will think hard about the downsides of the proposed wind farms in the Western Maine hills.

It’s not just that the structures are huge and ugly; they kill migrating birds; they involve huge swathes of clearcuts; and they also require huge transmission lines across the countryside – maybe right in front of someone’s home. Who knows? Those lines aren’t just ugly, there are well-known health dangers to those forced to live near them.

People are supposed to be public-spirited and accept those downsides because of problems with other means of producing power. I don’t hear much about conservation, which would make these wind farms unnecessary. And I don’t hear much about putting them out near where the population centers are. There is lots of wind at the coast.

Think of the huge savings there would be if developers chose that area.

It’s very clear that developing wind power is not about “green power,” it’s about making money for the developers. I thank the voters of Byron who have resisted the wind farm there.

I read somewhere recently that the developers are trying to get a bill through the Legislature to deny the people of Maine the right to reject these huge developments.

That’s outrageous – not to mention a very questionable precedent.

Sally McGuire, Dixfield