By midsummer, the first of 19 400-foot-tall windmills will stand atop Allegheny Mountain, producing enough electricity to power 12,000 homes. The 38-megawatt project, including a substation to connect with a nearby power line, should be up and running this autumn.

Some Highland County residents oppose the windmills, saying they will endanger wildlife and spoil the area's natural beauty.

Wind turbines in the United States produce about 35,000 megawatts of electricity each year.

Read more in The Roanoke Times....