EDITOR:

I’m writing in response to Stuart Craig’s letter titled “Wind Farm Concerns” that was recently published. Once again HSE finds itself defending against the uninformed or intentionally misinformed.

We have, on more than one occasion, told the community we will not use eminent domain for transmission lines. It is our very strong desire to work with the community officials and land owners to get the power lines constructed legally and safely.

We have said we were working with Cloverland. We have definitely said we are talking with Cloverland and investigating a possible shared use scenario where HSE and Cloverland would share power poles in certain areas. This was to keep from having double power poles and stringing our 138kv lines overtop of their lines — a better look for the area. We have met face to face with Cloverland on 2 different occasions and have spoken with them on the phone on many others.

I’m always confused when people decide to come up with their own ideas on our wind parks and the proposals. They ask for information, we give it to them, to the best our knowledge, every time, with complete transparency. Yet we’re constantly accused of being misleading, unhelpful, damaging to the community, called liars, etc. The anti-wind group Concerned Citizens of Delta County frequently accuses us of dividing the community which isn’t only hurtful, it is also untrue. They need to look no further than their own Facebook page where they posted 40 plus leaseholders names from Fairbanks. What is the intention there? What is the purpose of doing that?

HSE is not big wind. Whatever your image of HSE is, I ask that you erase it. This little company is doing everything we can to actually help make the world a better place. We don’t have high rise offices with windows overlooking the city. We don’t all drive around in Porsches. This isn’t “all about the money”. This is about a better future for our kids, grand kids, and all future generations.

Bart Hautala

Operations Manager

Heritage Wind Energy