To the Editor:

Currently, Jackson County’s Green Energy Park is not self-sustaining. Neither are parks and public schools. Perhaps if all children were homeschooled, the county could save millions of dollars. But they add intrinsic value to the community just like GEP.

GEP needs money from the county because the original plans were never realized. There were only two spaces available for artists for the majority of GEP’s existence: the metal shop and the glass torch studio. On a very limited budget Timm Muth was able to split off part of the metal shop to create a stained glass studio.

Had the original plans been adequately funded perhaps we would be welcoming more artists, tourists, and community members. Luckily the support of the current county board can help finish what was started years ago. 

Expanding GEP is feasible. It’s also an efficient way to recycle the methane gases from the landfill. We are ready to establish a board full of professionals — engineers, attorneys, accountants, and others — for the non-profit GEP so that we can apply for federal grants to make the GEP self-sustaining. 

We plan to investigate grants to place solar energy panels on the landfill and sell the extra energy to Duke Energy. Further, it’s better to convert the methane into usable energy instead of burning it off and adding to our greenhouse problems.

The potential of GEP will only be realized when given the resources to shine. With the support of the current county board, now is the time to finish what was promised over a decade ago.

Robert Estep

Whittier

(Editor’s note: Estep has been both a teacher and a student at the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro)