The Man From NIMBY

Wind-resistant senator owns land near proposed Mass. wind farm

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has been blowing hard against wind power, a position that's mystified both his Senate colleagues and wind-industry advocates. Alexander introduced an energy bill earlier this year that included grants for solar and other sources of clean power, as well as incentives for "clean coal," but left out wind, which he alleged is costly and unreliable. He also demanded that the Tennessee Valley Authority declare a two-year moratorium on new wind projects -- to which TVA replied that it had none in the works anyway. But yesterday, when Alexander filed financial disclosures required of all senators, it emerged that he owns valuable undeveloped land in Nantucket, Mass., near the site of a proposed 130-turbine offshore wind farm. The senator has made it no secret that he fears a visual blight of wind farms on the ridges of Tennessee's Smokey Mountains, but he claims there's no link between his opposition and his Massachusetts asset.