The Editor,Sir:

Dear Hon Audley Shaw, Hon Michael Peart, Hon Peter Bunting, Dr Herbert Thompson, Ms Sally Porteous.

All the best to you eminent sons and daughter of Manchester. You may have noted in the Sunday Gleaner of July 6, Dr Raymond Wright, our renowned energy scientist, extolled the endowment of Manchester in wind-energy potential. I have, in the past, also sought to bring this fact to decision makers' attention, as well as to the public, with much less success.

However, while I concur with the venerable Dr Wright, wherein he states, "There is probably 30-40 megawatts in the great valleys south of Wigton (southwest Manchester)", I would also proffer that a similar amount of potential wind energy exists in the hills of NW Manchester and should also be slated for exploitation.

Similar potential

Anecdotally (I am too poor to do proper empirical studies), I live in direct line of sight of Wigton wind farm (SW Manchester), in NW Manchester, where for over a year or so, I have observed wind blowing off our hill while the wind turbines at Wigton are not turning, or hardly, suggesting more, or at least similar, potential.

As a minimum at least, I am suggesting the study of wind profile in NW Manchester to verify potential for exploitation, both for addition to the national power grid, and to provide energy for desalination of sea water for Mandeville, as well as for the bauxite/alumina facilities in Manchester and St Elizabeth.

It is my express hope that you eminent leaders of Manchester champion my vision of Manchester being the wind-energy capital of Jamaica with huge implications for Manchester and Jamaica.

I am, etc.,

TREVOR BOGLE

trevorbogle@yahoo.com