Residents Tell Borough to Act on Lease

On April 22, Tyrone Borough residents made an important decision --- as a community --- to be a leader in helping to shape America’s clean energy future. By a wide margin, voters turned out to show their support for Gamesa’s proposed Sandy Ridge wind farm, a 50-megawatt renewable energy project designed to produce enough electricity to power 15,000 homes.

Nearly three months later, however, Tyrone Borough Council members still haven’t acted on the proposed lease that 55 percent of voters said they wanted. The lease offered by Gamesa would pay the borough as much as $150,000 each year, or between $3 million and $5 million, including royalty payments, over the 30-year life of the project.

Moreover, wind energy annually can offset tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide, which are produced by traditional energy-generating sources. That’s like planting a forest each year, and it helps us achieve our goal of improving air quality and reducing the harmful effects of global warming.

Keep in mind that Tyrone Borough Council asked for the survey. Residents did their part by turning out to vote; it’s time that council does its part, too.

The next council meeting is July 14. Please contact your borough council members and urge them to vote on the lease --- just as you asked them to do April 22 --- so that we can create a stronger economy, a safer world and a cleaner environment by supporting energy that is domestically produced and less polluting.