After many months of study, the wind farm proposal of Mainstream Renewable Energy appears to be a good thing for the Sauk Valley’s slowly recovering economy. Local governments, especially public schools, also would benefit.

Even after the emotional arguments are heard and the anecdotal evidence is considered, the obvious conclusion is that the wind farm proposal now being considered would be good for the economy in Lee, Whiteside and Bureau counties.

You might want to argue bigger questions that are playing out in Washington and elsewhere, such as the wisdom of using tax dollars to subsidize the wind energy business, and the role of wind power in the nation’s search for clean, alternative forms of energy.