Many lawmakers, both Republican and Democratic, around the country see wind power as a clean, safe alternative to other sources of electricity.
But dont tell Sen. Lamar Alexander.
The Tennessee Republican has been furiously opposing wind power as the Senate debates sweeping energy policy legislation, saying federal subsidies for wind energy waste money and that the turbines clutter up scenic views such as the ones Alexander grew up near in the Great Smoky Mountains.
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Critics also see the possibility of a conflict of interest. Senate financial disclosure forms released this week show that Alexander and his wife own undeveloped land worth between $1 million and $2 million on Nantucket, Mass., near the proposed site of a controversial offshore wind farm that has drawn fierce opposition from residents. The 130 turbines would each be 420 feet tall.
Joined by Reps. Bart Gordon, a Murfreesboro Democrat, and John Duncan, a Knoxville Republican, Alexander has introduced legislation to ban federal tax credits from being used to pay for windmills in national parks or highly scenic areas such as seashores. It would also give local communities more say in whether big wind projects are developed nearby.
