Critics say wind power turbines atop 400-foot towers are unsightly on Maine’s undeveloped mountains and that they produce just a fraction of the electricity of oil- and coal-fired and nuclear plants. But those concerns are trumped by the fact that wind farms are Maine’s best current energy alternative with a potential to remake and boost our electricity portfolio.

On Monday, the Land Use Regulation Commission deliberates on applications for two wind power projects, on Kibby and Black Nubble mountains in northern Franklin County. The Kibby project is proposed by TransCanada Maine Wind Development Inc. If its request to rezone 2,908 acres is approved, the 44-turbine wind farm would produce 132 megawatts at peak operation. The Black Nubble project as proposed by Maine Mountain Power LLC needs LURC to rezone 487 acres. That project would bring 18 turbines on line, producing 54 megawatts. Together the projects represent a small portion of the renewable energy Maine needs to meet climate change goals, but they would be a welcome addition to the state’s growing wind energy portfolio.

Compared to many energy-related developments, such as LNG terminals, oil refineries, coal gasification and nuclear power plants, wind power is more benign. If the towers did not need to be located on ridges and mountains, wind farm proposals might elicit the same low-level opposition seen with cell phone tower proposals. Those who study wind power’s evolution in the U.S. have found that when located in urban settings, there is little opposition.

And there are opportunities to locate them near population centers. Schools are likely sites; the University of Maine System is encouraging investigating wind power development at its campuses, and Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport erected a tower to test the feasibility of developing permanent towers. Other public buildings should be investigated, which is one of the initiatives outlined in Gov. John Baldacci’s State of the State address Wednesday to make wind and other forms of renewable energy more viable.

Maine is said to be the 16th-windiest state in the U.S., so the potential is significant. But potential doesn’t turn on lights or power computers, so Maine, as Gov. Baldacci reiterated, must find ways to turn that potential into electricity. Rewriting rules to make wind power development easier, while protecting the landscape where needed, may be one answer. And it isn’t all about generating power. In addition to being businesses themselves, wind farms may spur other development seeking to use the electricity, bringing new revenue and jobs to the state.

In weighing the future of wind power, aesthetics and preserving landscapes and wildlife should be put on one side of the scale. On the other side is a measure of energy independence and all that entails: reducing the chance of war in the Middle East, cutting air pollution and combating global climate change, and creating new business opportunities. In the case of the two projects before LURC, the scale tips toward energy independence.