With President Trump taking aim at the wind energy industry in his first days back in office, the South Shore Press Man on the Street asked residents what they thought about it.
“Windmills are very expensive when you consider the amount of energy they produce. The ratepayers won’t be able to afford it. They are spending a fortune building these things, and that money will come right out of our pockets.”—John O’Rourke, Center Moriches
“These gigantic turbines out in the ocean are not a good idea when you start to see the impact on sea life. There have been a lot of whale deaths in the areas where they are going up, and they are hazardous to birds. Given the environmental problems and the high cost, they’re not worth it.”—Savannah Votino, Sayville
“You can’t convince me that wind energy is cost-effective. They expect the ratepayers to pay for construction and also give them a profit. Yet, they don’t tell us how much they are spending and how much our rates will go up.”—Gerry Sapanaro, Center Moriches
“No matter how much the politicians want windmills, they’re not a good idea. The construction costs are just way too high, and that doesn’t even take into account maintenance and disposal costs. These things are so huge and environmentally hazardous that we are facing massive bills in the future just to get rid of them.” William Graham, Bay Shore
“Windmills went out with Hansel and Gretel. While the technology has improved, their ability to provide energy at a reasonable cost was disproven years ago. The Sunrise Wind turbines require a 123-mile cable across the ocean. They are massive and are experiencing cost overruns. The company building them is taking billions in losses. You can’t tell me this is an effective way to meet our energy needs.”—Frank DeNatale, Shirley
“Wind turbines are very high maintenance, and, quite frankly, l don’t think they could survive a hurricane. We’re hearing about whales dying, birds getting killed, costs going up, plus they are ugly. There are concerns about massive disposal costs and the materials being hazardous. It's no wonder President Trump is against them.”—Edward Denton, Center Moriches