In the not-too-distant future, an area known as “the desert” that connects Perquimans and Pasquotank counties should be sprouting 400-foot-tall wind turbines. Eventually the horizon west of U.S. Highway 17 Bypass could resemble the landscape from some science fiction novel — dozens of the tall, shiny structures topped by giant spinning blades.

The national, make that global, emphasis on developing alternative energy resources has come calling in northeastern North Carolina with the proposed Desert Wind Energy Project. Atlantic Wind, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, a leader in wind energy production, has made its case for development of a 20,000-acre wind farm in the desert. It would include a total of 150 turbines that will produce 300 megawatts of power.

Atlantic Wind, which wants to put 88 of the vertical powerplants in Pasquotank County, has applied for a conditional use permit from the county. Last Monday, the company dispatched a contingent of their own officials and experts to Pasquotank for a hearing to convince the county commissioners to approve the permit.

Another hearing, attended by the same Atlantic Wind experts and officials, was held Wednesday in Hertford.

Testimony at both hearings — each lasting more than five hours — left little about the proposed wind farm and wind energy operations undiscussed. The few questions that were asked were efficiently answered by the Atlantic Wind team.

In addition, farmer and former Pasquotank County commissioner Horace Pritchard, who will benefit from leasing his property for the wind farm, testified that wind energy appeals to farmers for all the right reasons. For instance, the Desert Wind Project allows the land to remain under cultivation, and it creates what farmers would call revenue “diversity” by adding a new stream of income from the lease agreements. These lease payments will total about $1 million to landowners. Wind generation is also environmentally friendly to the property.

Also good for the region and its residents, about 300 temporary jobs will be created during construction stage. When completed the project will result in improved local roads — required for maintenance of the wind turbines — and will use only 1 to 2 percent of the land for the wind farm.

Residents can also relish the thought that while these turbines are turning wind energy into electricity to power homes and businesses, the investment by Atlantic Wind will make it the largest taxpayer in Pasquotank and Perquimans counties.

Granted, the project would be much less appealing if all of those benefits came at a price likely to render 20,000 acres unusable, chase residents and businesses away or do other long-term and potentially irreversible damage. It won’t, but wind generation does have its downside, which Atlantic Wind has been equally upfront about discussing.

For instance, the imposing size of wind turbines can transform the horizon of a community. With 150 of these units on 20,000 acres in operation, a sizeable tract will be affected.

Additionally, wind generation, produced by rotation of giant blades, makes noise. It’s not like jet noise or even prop aircraft noise, but the sound of wind moving turbine blades can be heard. Large turbine blades also can cause a phenomenon called “shadowflicker” which occurs when the sun reflects off the turning blades and causes an off-and-on glare that may affect homes and businesses.

The upside of both of these conditions is that the Desert Wind project is located away from residential and business developments.

Convinced after several hours of testimony that the Desert Wind Energy Project is a good investment for the county, the Perquimans County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the conditional use permit. Pasquotank commissioners, however, tabled their decision until Monday. Citizens can only assume that Pasquotank officials want time to study the project and testimony a little longer. On Monday, however, we urge the board to pave the way for the Desert Wind Energy Project by approving the permit.