A commentary by Steve Clark (BDN, Jan. 30) failed to point out the enormous benefits of developing wind power in Maine, a clean, renewable form of energy that will help reduce our dependence on oil from unstable foreign countries.

The three biggest environmental problems we have in Maine are global warming, mercury deposition and acid rain. All three come from burning fossil fuels. Every kilowatt from wind power we add to the electrical grid will replace a kilowatt produced by a fossil fuel plant. As long as they are burning coal in the Midwest we should be building windmills everywhere we can.

The single largest environmental benefit of the proposed Redington wind farm will be the tremendous amount of pollution that will be prevented from the use of wind power. The Redington project will prevent more than 800,000 pounds of pollution per day from existing power plants in New England, not to mention the avoidance of “collateral” impacts from fossil fuel use, including mining, drilling, pipeline construction, oil spills, wars and fuel transportation. You’d have to burn 50,000 gallons of oil a day to produce as much power.

Clark’s main argument against the development of wind power on Redington Mountain and Black Nubble Range is that construction of the turbines would “industrialize” the Maine woods. It should be pointed out that within a few miles of the proposed site are two major ski areas (Sugarloaf and Saddleback), a biomass plant, a Navy training base, a large recreation area, miles of logging roads and, most important, a large power line capable of carrying a lot of electricity.

True, the project will extend the existing logging roads and clear sites for the 30 turbines. On the mountains, above 2,700 feet, the wind farm will utilize approximately 135 acres. For the whole project, the company expects to use a total of about 300 acres (most of this is for the power line, out of sight in the valley). This is about three one-thousandths of 1 percent of the North Maine Woods. On the mountains, power lines will be buried to minimize the visual impact. Two-thirds of the cleared area will be allowed to re-grow after construction. The other 700-plus acres of land will be preserved in its natural state.

Many people – including many hikers and environmentalists who say they support the project – will agree that producing enough electrical power for 44,000 homes and reducing pollution by 800,000 pounds each day using the equivalent of just 60 house lots is a good use of a relatively small amount of land.

The minimal blasting required for the construction will not alter the ridgelines as Clark contends. But again, not installing wind farms like Redington will do more harm to mountainous regions. In West Virginia, nearly a quarter of the mountaintops have been “removed” (with tops put in the valleys) in order to get at coal, which is then burned in power plants that foul our air.

The development of nonpolluting, sustainable and renewable energy by harnessing the power of the wind represents a true turning point for this state. It is the right choice for our environment and our energy future in the 21st century.

Steven Katona is president of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor.