We've been paying the extra monthly amount for wind energy development ever since the program started, so I'm concerned about the Xcel repair delay on a nuclear leak detector ("Xcel chided for nuclear plant lapse," March 28).

I'm sorry to say that we signed on to the wind energy program hoping that's what the money was really going for. Few people realize that their property insurance will not pay for damages caused by a nuclear power plant disaster.

So why are we still focused on such a dangerous energy source? For that matter, why does the media instead fixate on the danger to birds from wind-generator blades? Why do most of us know nothing of the government being the main insurer for nuclear-power-related disasters?

I suspect a life or health insurance policy for a few birds would cost a lot less than caring for thousands of people harmed by power plant leaks.

LARRY JOHNSON, Golden Valley