"They have a chokehold on us," Bowman said. "There's got to be an alternative so we're not working to pay BGE. ... We have to start looking to the future. We have to start looking at alternatives."
She has sought information from the state energy administration and hopes to find out whether the wind on her 3.5-acre property blows fast enough.
Unlike Carroll's modified ordinance, zoning regulations in most area counties don't address wind turbines. In Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties, a windmill is considered an accessory structure, subject to the same restrictions as objects such as sheds. Property owners usually have to get a variance if the turbine surpasses regulation height - 15 feet in Baltimore County, 25 feet in Anne Arundel.
In Frederick County, the planning division is expected to present a proposed amendment on wind energy systems in about six months, officials said.
The Abeys estimate that their electricity bill has gone down by one-third. And Paul Abey doesn't complain about the wind quite as much these days.
"Finally, now I'm getting something back out of it," he said. He expects the turbine will pay for itself in four or five years. "I can't see how we can lose on it."
arin.gencer@baltsun.com
Wind energy sources
For more information about wind and other energy sources, visit these sites:
American Wind Energy Association
awea.org
Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
www.dsireusa.org
Maryland Energy Administratio n
www.energy.state.md.us
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
www.nrel.gov
