Editor:

With regard to the recent opinion article by Michael Fry ("Wind power threatens future of sage grouse," Nov. 5), a few important points should be kept in mind:

First, it's very difficult to unravel wind's effect from many other human activities that are intruding on grouse habitat, such as roads, ranchettes, agriculture, oil and gas development, and so on, and to make sure that wind is treated fairly.

Second, because it emits no carbon, wind power helps combat climate change, which threatens many hundreds of species with extinction by destroying their habitats.

Third, wind power uses no water, unlike fossil-fueled or nuclear power plants. This makes it one of the best options for generating electricity while at the same time conserving scarce water supplies in the windy, arid states of the Plains and Intermountain West.

Finally, on one particular point, the opinion article is flat wrong. It states: "[R]epresentatives from the wind industry sitting on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wind Advisory Committee have agreed to recommend large 'no go' buffer zones around sage grouse and prairie chicken breeding grounds."

This is not true. The committee of environmental group representatives, industry representatives, and government representatives has not made its final recommendations yet. Until its report goes to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, nothing has been "agreed to."

LAURIE JODZIEWICZ, Washington, D.C.

Manager of Siting Policy

American Wind Energy Association