Windmills on the horizon

They are no longer the "windmills of your mind." They're the windmills of reality. And last week Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., dedicated the latest "wind farm" at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon, praising the ability of the nine turbines to provide power to 6,000 homes.

"Wind farm" is a bit of a misnomer, of course. The term was concocted — like "growing" a business — to give an organic feel to a man-made endeavor. Windmills are actually ancient contraptions, retooled for a world awash in technology.

And the retooling has been very successful. Like the lines of classic sports cars or jet planes, the turbines have a sleek and handsome look that adds a touch of art to a landscape. Form has followed function and the form is pleasing. And the fact everyone knows the turbines could be removed in short order if need be keeps them from becoming a scar of any sort. Also, their spinning propellers lighten the hearts of young and old.

It's easy to romanticize a windmill as we've done here, of course. The country of Holland has been doing so for decades to attract tourists. And where would Don Quixote be without his mighty windmill? Like overshot waterwheels, the inventions harken to a time when the world worked on a more human scale, when industry could be both attractive and clean.

Windmills are both touches of antiquity and harbingers of what may well be our future.

In that respect, the new farm in Spanish Fork Canyon is more than just an energy source. It serves as a symbol of what people should strive for — a clean, efficient, economical approach to life.

Fortunately, others have caught the vision as well. Money was recently allocated by Congress for renewable energy credits in the "wind industry." The Kansas "wind belt" is being expanded. Several cities — including Denver, Cleveland and Wichita — are hosting workshops and symposia on wind power this fall and an Associated Press story on Oct. 7 tells of New Jersey tripling the amount of wind power it uses as the state strives to become "a world leader in the use of wind-generated energy."

At the dedication in Spanish Fork Canyon, Huntsman said, "This is the kind of thing that people a generation ago never would have thought possible in our state, and here we're making some radical breakthroughs in terms of powering our future."

Much indeed has been done.

More needs to be done.

We tip our hat to those doing it.

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