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I think opposition to this issue has confused the need for green energy with the location of the windmills.

I'm sure that people support the reduction of coal and oil-fired generating plants and the resulting improvement in air quality and the environment.

But does it need to come at the expense of a precious natural heritage along our waterfront?

The construction cost of these windmills is estimated to be approximately $30 million each and the plan calls for up to 60 of them to be placed between the Leslie Street spit and Ajax. I believe that constructing and placing them in the water is making the initial costs and presumably the operational costs more expensive than if they are placed on land.

Additionally, the research shows that windmills only produce electricity on average about 30 per cent of the time. Based on these estimated costs and the low return on the dollar, are we willing to sacrifice 100 per cent of our natural shoreline beauty for only a marginal improvement in green electricity production?

If continuous winds are the issue for better green electricity production, why not place them on the highest ground around, like the Oak Ridges Moraine or even the Niagara Escarpment?

Fred Bate