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Israel
01 Sep 2008
Afcon to build wind farm on Gilboa
Mountaintops are certainly windy, and Shlomo Shmeltzer’s Afcon Industries plans to take make hay while the gusts rage. Afcon is in advanced discussions to build a wind turbine farm on the famed Gilboa mountains in the lower Galilee. General terms of agreement have been reached with the kibbutzim Degania, Ma’aleh Gilboa and Beit Zera, to build 30 wind turbines on two sites on land belonging to the agricultural collectives. The sites are on Ramat Sirin, west of Lake Kinneret, and ...
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Massachusetts
01 Sep 2008
Turbine touted for Nauset district
Consultants recently told the Nauset Regional School Committee that the district will be able to pay off a proposed $2.7 million wind turbine at the high school in less than three years. But others with knowledge in the field say that is way too optimistic. Under the best of scenarios, the proposed turbine at Nauset Regional High School would start turning a profit in just over two years. But that estimate was made before the state awarded a $400,000 design ...
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Massachusetts
01 Sep 2008
Developers plot MMR’s future
Don’t expect to see a 12-screen cineplex or a Wal-Mart on the Massachusetts Military Reservation, but there is a real possibility wind turbines and solar arrays will eventually dot the landscape. MassDevelopment, using a $1 million grant secured through Senate President Therese Murray’s office, continues to look at possible redevelopment options to shape the base’s future. One of the things MassDevelopment is looking at first is base efficiencies, said retired Brig. Gen. Samuel Shiver, point man on the project for ...
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England, Letters
01 Sep 2008
Missing paragraph caused confusion
SETTING IT STRAIGHT: Following my letter in The Sentinel on August 8 regarding wind farms and Judith Oppenheimer’s response of August 21, I would like to set the record straight. Unfortunately a vital paragraph in my original letter was omitted which resulted in a personal attack on myself. The paragraph should have read: “Wind farms cast a shadow on home prices”. In the first legal ruling in the UK it was stated that home owners living near wind farms could ...
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Minnesota
01 Sep 2008
Wind Turbine could produce green energy for City of Granite Falls
The ‘Energy Game’ is not a game that municipalities like to play. In the ‘Energy Game’ two questions have to be answered: 1. Where are we going to get energy? 2. How much will it cost? The Utilities Commission is looking for a way for the city to play the game and come out a winner. The way the City of Granite Falls is playing the ‘Energy Game’ right now, City Manager Bill Lavin doesn’t see the City coming out a ...
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U.S.
01 Sep 2008
Experts wary of Pickens’ clean-energy plan
T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oilman turned clean-energy crusader, knows how to grab the spotlight. He did it last week at the Democratic National Convention, where he pushed his proposal to spread high-tech windmills across the Great Plains and fuel many of America’s trucks and cars with natural gas. He plans a repeat performance this week at the Republican National Convention, corralling any party officials and journalists willing to listen. He’s already had face time with both parties’ presidential candidates, Republican ...
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New Zealand
01 Sep 2008
Contact seeks consent for Hawke’s Bay windfarm
New Zealand’s largest energy company has applied for resource consent to build a 177-megawatt wind farm near Waitahora, southeast of Dannevirke. The Contact Energy project would include up to 65 turbines and be located on part of the Puketoi Ranges in southern Hawke’s Bay. It would generate enough renewable electricity to power about 86,000 houses a year. Contact Energy says the site is ideal for a wind farm and is very remote. Last week Contact announced another windfarm project ...
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England
01 Sep 2008
Councils’ views set to be blown away
Council bosses could be forced to withdraw their objections to a planned wind farm. Berwick Borough Council had intended to try to block a proposal to erect turbines at Wandylaw, near Chathill. But the council could decide to withdraw its objection less than a fortnight ahead of a public inquiry. RidgeWind Ltd wants to build 10 turbines at the site. But the council refused the application last October by eight votes to two on the basis it would harm the ...
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U.S.
31 Aug 2008
Wind, solar energy built on temporary tax breaks
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress is putting the short-term future of renewable energy companies in jeopardy even as the presidential candidates and most lawmakers hail windmills, solar panels and biofuels as long-term solutions to high gasoline prices and global warming. Some $500 million in investment and production tax credits will expire Dec. 31 unless Congress renews them. Without that help, solar and wind power companies say they will reverse planned expansions and, in many cases, cut payrolls and capital investment. Schott Solar has ...
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Hawaii
31 Aug 2008
Lanai windfarm plan fights local currents; Plan to transform Lana’i into the ‘Power Isle’ has some residents set to fight
Plans to build the largest wind farm in the state on Lana’i are part of a vision to make the island a model of renewable energy, but the project is encountering some headwinds in the form of community concern. Not all Lana’i residents are pleased with the plans of David Murdock, the billionaire who owns 98 percent of the island, to develop a $750 million wind farm for exporting power to O’ahu via undersea cable. The proposed wind farm, envisioned ...
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Michigan
31 Aug 2008
Results for wind testing bode well for project
BLISSFIELD, Mich. — Two months of recording wind data ...
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New Zealand
02 Sep 2008
Mighty River seeks to have wind farm project called in
State-owned Mighty River Power is asking the Government whether its application to build a wind farm development at Turitea near Palmerston North can be fast-tracked by being called in. The environment minister can call in a proposal if it is deemed to be of national significance and direct the matter to either a board of inquiry or the Environment Court. Last week Environment Minister Trevor Mallard announced he was calling in Contact Energy’s proposal for a 180-turbine 540-megawatt (MW) wind ...
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New Zealand
02 Sep 2008
Locals against call-in application
Manawatu locals are worried they’ll lose the democratic process if Mighty River Power’s application to “call-in” the proposed Turitea Wind Farm goes ahead. But, Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says the public’s input won’t be compromised if the ministerial intervention happens. Last week, the Palmerston North City Council received notification of the power company’s application to have the ministry take over the decision-making process, taking the power out of the council’s hands. Instead, a call-in would see the application heard by ...
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New Zealand
02 Sep 2008
Turbines imminent
The Puketoi ranges are a step closer to sporting wind turbines, with Contact Energy lodging a resource consent application for its Waitahora farm at the Tararua District Council yesterday. In a press statement, Contact Energy Chief Executive David Baldwin said the site was chosen because it was very remote, minimising visual impact, and was a good wind resource. “This is a very good wind farm project that will provide clean, renewable energy for current and future generations, as well as ...
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Australia
02 Sep 2008
Interest grows in Smeaton wind farm
The Tuki Wind Farm could see more than 50 turbines across the Smeaton landscape - well up on the original 19 proposed for the area. Wind Power engineer and community consultant Ross Richards said this week that the wind farm, named because it would include turbines on the Tuki Trout Farm, had received plenty of interest ...
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New York
03 Sep 2008
Energy East conditions after 1st ruling-source
A ruling by regulators expected on Wednesday on the planned acquisition of U.S. company Energy East by Spain’s Iberdrola will not include details of any eventual conditions on the deal, a source close to the Spanish utility said Wednesday. “The most that can be expected today is a short statement saying whether the deal has been approved unconditionally, with conditions or rejected outright,” the source said. “If the deal is approved with conditions, these won’t be released until later in ...
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England
03 Sep 2008
Wind farm plans rejected
A bid for a wind farm has been dramatically thrown out by councillors. Nuon UK Ltd’s plans for seven 110-metre high wind turbines at Woore on the South Cheshire border were all set to be approved after planning officers recommended the go-ahead. But, in front of 400 residents in a packed hall set out for 250, North Shropshire District Council’s planning and development committee last night (Tuesday), refused the application by a majority of 13-3. Cllr John Beckett, portfolio holder ...
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Ireland
03 Sep 2008
Edenderry residents up in arms over wind turbines
Residents of the Francis Street area in Edenderry are up in arms over the proposed construction of two wind turbines at the rear of their homes. A meeting was organised last Wednesday night in Byrne’s Bar in Edenderry and over 60 people were in attendance. Another meeting is organised for this Wednesday night. Residents are objecting to the construction of the turbines on the grounds of noise, safety and the potential decrease in value of their properties. They claim that ...
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England
03 Sep 2008
Wind turbine scheme halted
A Norfolk community preparing to fight plans for a 12-turbine wind farm is celebrating after landowners pulled out of the scheme. Airtricity Development had faced strong opposition to plans for the 125m turbines in Mosseymere. After an action group was formed, two local landowners involved in the project have withdrawn. Fenland Citizen3 September 2008
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England
03 Sep 2008
Windfarm triumph for campaigners
Proposals for seven giant wind turbines have been thrown out by councillors amid concerns they would “devastate” the landscape near Market Drayton. About 300 people applauded yesterday after North Shropshire District Council’s development control committee voted to refuse plans for Nuon Renewables to put the turbines on Lower Farm, Bearstone. Councillors said the turbines, each measuring 110m, would spoil the landscape and be detrimental to people’s wellbeing. About 20 members of VORTEX (Veto on Rural Turbine Expansion) were outside The ...
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Colorado
03 Sep 2008
Silence surrounds CSU wind farm plan
There’s been little apparent action or urgency since Colorado State University with great hoopla announced plans for a wind farm on its sprawling Maxwell Ranch property. The university in March 2007 proudly proclaimed that an array of towering turbines would harness the wind to power its entire Fort Collins campus, and that CSU would sell excess power to bring in some green to support the university. At the same time the Green Power Program would provide a unique outdoor research laboratory for ...
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England
03 Sep 2008
Wind turbine proposal turned down
Plans which would have seen seven 360ft(110m) wind turbines built have been turned down by councillors — despite having officers’ backing. North Shropshire District Council’s planning committee said the plans for the wind farm near Norton-in-Hales were not in keeping with the local area. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council refused an application over access to the proposed site, near Market Drayton. Nuon Renewables is expected to appeal against the decision. The company had said the turbines would produce enough energy to power ...
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New Zealand, Press releases
03 Sep 2008
Crown makes submission on Meridian Energy’s North Island wind farm proposal
The Crown has made a submission on Meridian Energy’s wind farm proposal in the Central North Island, Environment Minister Trevor Mallard said today. Since changes were made to the Resource Management Act in 2005, the Crown has been able to make a submission on an application for a resource consent that the minister considers to be of national significance. This allows the government to have input into local decision-making processes, while leaving the decision and hearings to be made locally. ...
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England
03 Sep 2008
Bearstone windfarm plan rejected; 300 residents applaud axing of wind farm
Proposals to build a wind farm have been rejected after thousands of residents bombarded planners with letters of objection to the scheme. The controversial plans for seven wind turbines on land in Bearstone, near the Staffordshire-Shropshire border, had attracted 2,300 individual letters of opposition. North Shropshire District Council’s planning meeting, held last night, pulled a crowd of more than 300 people who burst into spontaneous applause and cheers when councillors voted 10 to three against the application. Co-ordinator of opposition ...
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Wyoming
03 Sep 2008
Commission stands firm on turbine locations
GREEN RIVER — There will be no late changes to current plans to construct a 36-turbine wind farm on top of White Mountain, Sweetwater County commissioners told the project’s developer Tuesday. Commissioners said they might, however, be willing to reconsider the developer’s request to relocate some of the planned wind turbines — after a commission replacement is selected for a vacant seat on the three-member board later this week. The two Sweetwater County commissioners stood firm during a meeting Tuesday morning ...
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Letters, Wales
03 Sep 2008
Ignoring what we wanted
I am writing to draw readers’ attention to the bizarre game of hokey cokey played by the council’s development control committee in its recent decision-making. One minute, a planning application was out, then it was in again! I am referring to the decision in July to refuse planning permission for the Maerdy Wind Farm above Treorchy and the overturning of this decision in August. The July discussion occurred after the applicant and members of the public were given an opportunity ...
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U.S.
03 Sep 2008
Wind power may gain footing off coast of U.S.
Federal government prepares to lease tracts for turbines Amid a national debate over offshore oil drilling, the federal government is preparing to unleash development of another offshore energy source: wind. The Interior Department, the agency that handles oil-and-gas leases in U.S. waters, is preparing to lease swaths of the outer continental shelf to companies that want to erect massive wind turbines. With the public-comment period for the proposal scheduled to end Monday, competition is heating up to develop wind ...
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Michigan
03 Sep 2008
Planners give OK to wind turbine project
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP — Two 50-kilowatt wind turbines planned near soccer fields at a township park won’t generate much more noise than that made by cars and other nearby sources, Zeeland Board of Public Works officials assured township planners Tuesday. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to give the BPW the ability to erect the 145-foot turbines at Helder Park off Quincy Street and 104th Avenue. The utility needed a special land use approval ...
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Letters, Scotland
05 Sep 2008
Scotland’s wild places must be protected
The points made by William Thomson (Letters, September 3) about encouraging energy production at a local level are very pertinent if we are at all concerned about cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But this is not going to happen to a large enough extent while most effort and funding is currently directed towards large-scale onshore wind farm development. Energy conservation is the poor relation in the public debate about reducing emissions. There is no end of talk about how much good ...
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New York
05 Sep 2008
Wind panel corrects errors; No turbines will be allowed in lakefront, riverfront districts
CAPE VINCENT — There will be no wind turbines in the riverfront and lakefront districts. Town Supervisor Thomas K. Rienbeck began the wind law committee’s meeting on Thursday afternoon by clearing up some mistakes and misconceptions about the draft amendment to the zoning law.“No one was ever interested in it being in anywhere but the agricultural-residential district,” he said. To that end, the committee agreed to add a setback ...
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New Zealand
06 Sep 2008
Wind farm appeal may be resolved without court hearing
Trustpower’s appeal against the resource consent for its $380 million wind farm near Gore was likely to be resolved without going to an Environment Court hearing, Gore district planner Keith Hovell said yesterday. However, Mr Hovell declined to comment on whether that meant Trustpower would not be paying a development levy. The levy, which was set by the Gore District Council’s consent panel at 0.2 percent of the project’s cost, or about $760,000, was one of three consent conditions Trustpower ...
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Illinois
06 Sep 2008
Opposition group offers deal to Horizon Wind
Horizon Wind Energy is still waiting in the wind in Logan County. And the opposition group is staying somewhat quiet about its intentions. The period for Union Ridge Wind to appeal the zoning board of appeals’ decision to grant Horizon a conditional use permit for the construction of 29 wind turbines in northern Logan County expires Oct. 15. Rick Porter, attorney for URW, said he is aware of the deadline but will not give a definitive answer on the group’s ...
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Oklahoma
06 Sep 2008
Geography, location play role in helping wind energy projects become profitable
Location can make or break any good business, and a wind farm is no exception. Put one in the right location, and it’s a cinch it will be built. But a poor choice can just as quickly kill a project. “Make no mistake, this is all about the production and the money,” said Greg Adams, a technical consultant who develops wind farms for Edmond-based Chermac Energy Corp. “I can build a wind farm anywhere in the state of Oklahoma. To ...
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Texas
06 Sep 2008
New Mesa Transmission plan sounding better to residents
VERNON (Special) — Area residents seemed to be more receptive to presentations made by representatives of Mesa Transmission LLC at a local meeting held Thursday evening than in previous meetings. Many property owners were outraged earlier in the summer when letters ...
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New York
08 Sep 2008
PSC tacks conditions onto approval of Iberdrola’s bid for Energy East
Spanish utility Iberdrola SA will be allowed to purchase Energy East Corp., provided it agrees to dedicate $275 million to reduce future rate hikes and invest $200 million in new wind-energy projects. The state Public Service Commission on Wednesday ended a year-long process when it voted 4-0 to approve Iberdrola’s $4.5 billion proposal to take over Energy East (NYSE: EAS). Iberdrola will review the PSC’s order, which is expected to be finalized in a few days, before it accepts or ...
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Estonia
08 Sep 2008
Wind power parks may render defence radars useless
Officials of the Ministry of Defence are worried that new wind power parks could affect the work of expensive defence radars. Eesti Päevaleht writes that, more specifically, they are worried about the impact of the Paldiski wind power park to the radars of Ämari airfield and say that the Lake Peipus wind power park could block the work of defence radars directed towards Russia. “The problem is very real. There are new wind power parks springing up in East ...
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Ohio
08 Sep 2008
Plan for wind turbine at fairgrounds causes concern
Middleburg Heights — High above the Ferris wheel, a wind turbine may someday help to power the Cuyahoga County Fair. But a local mayor is worried about the turbine, with its 200-foot-tall tower and its blades rising another 50 feet. “It’s going to be located next to a nursing home, a hospital and highly concentrated residential areas,” said Middleburg Heights Mayor Gary Starr, who governs the part of the fairgrounds where the turbine would stand. “You have to wait ...
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England
08 Sep 2008
Wind turbine plans at Avonmouth
Bristol City Council is seeking planning permission for two new wind turbines just north of Avonmouth to generate renewable energy. The authority spends more than £4 million a year on electricity alone. It hopes the new 131-metre turbines will supply a fifth of its energy needs. The turbines will be put up at a former Shell Oil storage site now owned by the council off Severn Road. With easy connection to the National Grid, no homes within a third of ...
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Editorials, New York
08 Sep 2008
Leaders must be beyond reproach; Government officials must work to avoid wind-power conflicts
Nothing damages the public’s trust in government more than the possibility that elected and appointed officials are benefiting personally ...
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England
09 Sep 2008
Developers pull out of windfarm scheme
Opponents of a controversial windfarm yesterday breathed a huge sigh of relief as it emerged that the developers have pulled out of the scheme. Hundreds of worried residents had voiced concerns about Lowestoft-based SLP Energy’s proposals to build seven 125m high turbines at the former Pulham Airfield site, near Diss, during a series of public meetings last year. An action group fighting the development claimed the rural community was totally unsuitable for a windfarm, and that it would create a ...
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New Hampshire
09 Sep 2008
Locals split over proposed Upper Valley wind farm; 80-ton windmill parts shipped to New Hampshire
CLAREMONT, N. H. — People are preparing for a new wind farm in the Upper Valley, but not everyone is excited. Parts of a windmill that weigh 80 tons were loaded onto a truck at the Claremont train station on Monday and hauled off to Lempster Mountain in New Hampshire, where a new wind farm is scheduled to be up and running by November. “We are in the final stages of moving parts of these windmill components called nacelles,” said Kathy ...
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Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island
09 Sep 2008
Delaware leads race to build offshore wind farm
Visitors to Rehoboth Beach, Del., soon may be greeted by more than sand dunes, seagulls and beach umbrellas. If offshore wind advocates have their way, scores of 140-foot blades will be spinning in the ocean breeze nearly a dozen miles away, barely visible to the sunbathers. Offshore wind has taken a back seat to offshore drilling for oil and natural gas in the current energy debate. But those wind-driven turbines probably will be operating long before oil platforms appear off ...
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Ohio
09 Sep 2008
Help not gone with wind; State details how it will assist with turbine farm
CONNEAUT — Whichever way the wind blows regarding Conneaut’s two competing alternative energy proposals, the state stands ready to assist, officials said. Dueling wind turbine farm concepts pitched to City Council in recent months prompted Monday’s informational meeting, featuring experts ...
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England
10 Sep 2008
Windfarm plans to be aired to community
Public exhibitions about a proposed windfarm between Dalton and Ulverston are set to take place this week. The company hope to replace the existing five turbines at Harlock Hill with three turbines and build a further seven at Standish Cote. Draft plans will be on show, as well as photomontages of how the company think the wind farm will look. Members of the project team will also be on hand to listen to comments and answer questions. The project is also set to ...
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Iowa
10 Sep 2008
County to consider wind tower rules
Catherine Bruess, sanitation and zoning director, will offer Fayette County Supervisors sample ordinances to govern wind turbines. Bruess said there are test turbines in the county now and an ordinance should be put in place before the turbines go up in large numbers. Bruess said there are three wind testing towers placed by Invenergy, north of 90th St. Another wind tower, for Renewable Power Market Access, is located about two miles west of Hawkeye. Bruess said the wind gauges are ...
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Iowa
10 Sep 2008
RPMA meets with potential Bethel Wind Farm participants
The skyline west of Hawkeye may soon look quite different. The flat prairie land could be sprinkled with large turbines ready to harness the mighty power of wind. Renewable Power Markets Access, Inc. (RPMA), formerly named Midwest Renewable Energy held a meeting Thursday at the Hawkeye Community Center for landowners in Bethel Township. RPMA, of West Des Moines, started measuring wind conditions in the area nearly five months ...
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Pennsylvania
10 Sep 2008
Mehoopany signs BP pact
MEHOOPANY — Supervisors on Friday approved a ‘Voluntary Host Community Agreement’ that could provide the township with more than $50,000 for being home to parts of a wind energy facility. Under the agreement, the township will receive a one-time $50,000 payment and $26,000 annually for a wind facility BP Alternative Energy hopes to have in operation in the southern part of Wyoming County by the end of 2009. “I’m in favor of this, right or wrong,” Supervisor Eloise Day said. ...
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Idaho
10 Sep 2008
Cows killed: Local rancher targeted
Supporters of a highly controversial wind farm project believe they’re being targeted and have now become victims of ruthless crimes. Over the summer, the Thompson family found nine cows, the most they’ve ever seen, shot and killed on their property. This, after they got the green light to plant 66 turbines on about 5,000 acres on their private ranch just east of Shelley. It’s hard to imagine someone deliberately killing someone else’s livestock. But that’s exactly what’s happening on the ...
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West Virginia
10 Sep 2008
Massey awaits permits that would doom wind project
Massey Energy does not yet have several key approvals needed before it can begin blasting apart a mountain where environmental groups had hoped to instead encourage construction of a large wind-power operation, officials confirmed Tuesday. “If they blast, they do so illegally in our opinion,” said Randy Huffman, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection. Massey had announced late last month plans to begin blasting at its Bee Tree Surface Mine in Raleigh County as early as sunrise today, ...
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Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
10 Sep 2008
Green groups divided on power line project; Environmentalists, citizens worry about cost, scope of Xcel-led plan
A major high-voltage transmission project that could help bring more electricity — including wind-generated power — ...
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Scotland
11 Sep 2008
Giant-windfarm electrical grid to cross Lochs
Concerned villagers heard about plans to erect hydro poles and overhead lines across the Lochs moor for giant windfarms at a public meeting in Laxay on Tuesday night. Scottish Hydro-Electric Transmission (Shetl) wants to build the new electrical transmission network across the north Lochs moorland. It would link planned connections ...
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New Zealand
12 Sep 2008
Protest gathering traction
A protest to stop the proposed Contact Energy wind farm on the Puketoi ranges is fast gathering power. A group of locals dead-set against the $500 million wind farm on the ranges east of Pahiatua are demanding the Tararua District council take their objections seriously. They want an open forum held to discuss wind farms, and are challenging claims that farms will bring local benefits. Newly formed Waitahora-Puketoi guardians group deputy chairman Stuart Brown - a third-generation Waitahora Valley Road ...
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England
12 Sep 2008
Developers talk to town council about wind farm plan
A wind farm planned for land near Biggleswade could produce enough power for the town’s entire population twice over, according to developers. Rob Ellis of the Co-operative Group - which is proposing the wind farm, and Peter Hinson for development consultant EMP Squared turned out to a Biggleswade Town Council meeting this week to outline the plans. They say the proposed 16 100m tall turbines, which would last for 25 years and cost around £2million each, could provide ...
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England
12 Sep 2008
New windfarm site earmarked
Another Cumbrian site has been earmarked for a windfarm. Renewable energy company Community Windpower have begun an investigation into the possibility of constructing 12 new turbines near Stainmore, east of Brough. The company claims that the turbines, pencilled in for construction on a hill called Moudy Mea, would “significantly contribute” to the overall renewable energy targets for the county. But Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean, who is among those opposing the scheme, described the plan as “vandalism”. He added: “I am ...
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New Zealand
12 Sep 2008
Wind farm bid may breach council contract
Mighty River Power’s application to call in the proposed Turitea Wind Farm could be in breach of its contract with the Palmerston North City Council. Council’s legal counsel, John Maasden, told the council this during Wednesday’s extraordinary council meeting.“It’s arguably in breach of contract,” he said of the application, which calls for Environment Minister Trevor Mallard to take over the resource consent process. The council and Mighty River Power (MRP) have an agreement where council will lease land to MRP for the ...
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California, Opinions
12 Sep 2008
Other alternatives to energy sources than windmills
Growing up on the Great Central Plains of this country, I thought the ubiquitous windmill on old farms was quaint. Nevertheless, it did pump the water ...
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New York
13 Sep 2008
Legislators agree to hearing on tax issue; Confusion lingers on energy matters
LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County legislators agreed Wednesday to go ahead with a Sept. 23 public hearing, but some said they’re still confused by a proposed local law governing local taxing authority for alternative energy systems. The law is intended to maintain some tax revenues for the towns, schools and the county by removing solar, wind and farm methane energy systems — both private and commercial — ...
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Letters, Scotland
15 Sep 2008
Windfarm decision
Last year Sutherland councillors questioned the competence of the Gordonbush windfarm planning hearing. Since the original application was lodged, many changes in standards and expectations, and in personnel both within Highland Council and community councils, had taken place. They questioned whether it represented good practice to consider the application at that time without further consultation. In addition to this, councillors requested a local public inquiry by a vote of 1-3. However, the Scottish Government had “set time limits and procedures ...
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England
15 Sep 2008
Wind farm fight: ‘Plans would be far too close for comfort to vilage homes’
A major rural campaign group is fighting controversial wind farm plans for an East Yorkshire village. The East Riding group of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has thrown its weight behind opposition to the scheme at Withernwick, near Hornsea. Energy business Energiekontor UK Ltd wants planning permission to build nine wind turbines on arable farmland in Aldbrough Road on the edge of the village. Parish councils in the area, including Withernwick, Aldbrough, Hatfield, Ellerby and Sproatley, have also ...
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England
15 Sep 2008
Wind farm approved ‘without consultation’
Plans for a four-turbine wind farm have got the go-ahead despite claims by residents that they were not consulted. The Galsworthy Farm project near Stibbs Cross in North Devon will see four 100m-tall turbines erected across 1,400m of agricultural land. The proposals were approved by members of Torridge District Council’s plans committee yesterday. But the decision has angered nearby residents, who say it will ruin their views and even have negative effects on local tourism. Laura Holt ...
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England
16 Sep 2008
New windfarm proposal
Energy giants npower renewables have filed a planning application for another wind farm on the outskirts of Doncaster. Countryside to the south-east of the village of Hampole and to the west of the A1(M) has been identified as a suitable site for five 125m-high wind turbines. The wind farm, were it to be given the go-ahead, would be the second of its kind in the area after Banks Developments were granted permission ...
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New Zealand
17 Sep 2008
Defaced painting highlights campaign’s aims
Prints of a vandalised Grahame Sydney painting are proving lucrative for the Central Otago artist’s umbrella group Save Central, as requests for signed copies mount. Mr Sydney, who opposes the development of large-scale energy production within Central Otago, defaced a copy of his painting Timeless Land to draw attention to the group’s national campaign. He said about 98% of print orders were for signed and inscribed copies, each costing $50 including postage. More than 300 orders have been made through ...
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U.S.
17 Sep 2008
Senate energy tax deal trims credits on renewable energy
Senate negotiators made significant cuts in proposed extensions of tax credits for wind and other forms of renewable energy in order to reach a bipartisan compromise that is expected to pass the Senate this month. The new Senate energy tax legislation, details of which were released Wednesday afternoon, would extend tax credits for wind energy production for one year only, through 2009. Tax credits for geothermal, biomass and other renewable energy sources eligible for the production credit would be ...
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Minnesota
17 Sep 2008
Semis carrying turbines involved in fatal St. Cloud crash
Officials are investigating a fatal accident along Highway 15 and 2nd Street South in St. Cloud Wednesday morning. Police have rerouted traffic while the Minnesota State Patrol is reconstructing the accident that occurred shortly after 11 a.m. According to witnesses, a series of semi trucks carrying wind turbines hit a minivan. Investigators have been mum on details, and the number of vehicles and victims involved has not been released. By: Nicole Muehlhausen, Web Producer kstp.com17 September 2008
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New York
17 Sep 2008
Lawsuits blown away: Steuben judge dismisses Cohocton Wind Watch efforts to halt $230 million First Wind project
Cohocton town officials are breathing a sigh of relief today after three legal challenges to the $230 million wind turbine development in the town have been dismissed. Steuben County Supreme Court Judge Marianne Furfure sided with Cohocton town officials, developer First Wind and leaseholders Tuesday morning, dismissing three lawsuits filed by local advocacy group Cohocton Wind Watch to halt work on the 50-turbine wind development in the town. According to Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus, Furfure made her ruling ...
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Pennsylvania
19 Sep 2008
Commissioners to consider wind turbines agreement
A stipulation agreement that includes scrapping two proposed sites for wind turbines that were opposed by neighbors of the South Chestnut Windpower Project for Wharton, Georges and Springhill townships is slated to appear on the agenda of this month’s Fayette County commissioners meeting. Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said he plans to place a motion on the agenda to consider the stipulation agreement between officials of the wind turbine developer, the county commissioners and two property owners who previously opposed ...
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U.S.
19 Sep 2008
Green power: Buyer beware
Utilities are offering renewable options to customers for a fee—but most of the extra revenue is going to marketing. It’s one of the latest ways big business claims to be curbing global warming: More than 750 utilities across the country now offer customers the chance to pay a premium on their electricity bills to generate “green power.” But it turns out that, in many cases, most of the money goes for marketing costs, and little can be traced to the ...
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Massachusetts
19 Sep 2008
Costs dull appetite for green energy
BOSTON — Green energy is hot, but electric customers appear cool on paying for it. With the high cost of electricity and a shaky economy, convincing customers to voluntarily pay more than they have to is a challenge, according to energy company officials who attended an industry conference yesterday. The challenge is unlikely to get easier with energy costs expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future, Cape Light Compact administrator Maggie Downey said outside the forum at the ...
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New York
19 Sep 2008
Horizon Wind Energy answers questions in Ashford
Gary Davidson, a project manager for Horizon Wind Energy, was present to answer questions ...
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California
20 Sep 2008
Challenge to California wind farm dismissed
• Appellate court upholds trial court
• ‘Would require the court to make complex and delicate balancing judgments’
A lawsuit contending the whirling blades on the hundreds of windmills in the Altamont Pass area are killing birds has been rejected by the First District Court of Appeal. “Permitting the action to proceed as presented would require the court to make complex and delicate balancing judgments without the benefit of the expertise of the agencies responsible for protecting the trust resources and ...
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Scotland
18 Sep 2008
Protest letters pile in
At least 150 letters are being sent to the area planning officer and the director of planning in Inverness, objecting to the application by Scottish and Southern Energy to demolish and partly reconstruct a wall at the Old School House in Brora to enable construction traffic to access their wind farm at Gordonbush. And the same number again have been sent to Ian Marchant, the company’s chief executive, urging him to rethink plans to route the huge turbines and blades ...
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North Carolina
20 Sep 2008
Wind draft work done
BEAUFORT — The County Planning Commission was able to finish Thursday reviewing the wind turbine section of the draft tall structures ordinance but still has to go over the communication towers portion. The commission agreed during its special meeting in the boardroom of the administration building to keep the maximum setback for the tallest of utility-scale wind turbines at 3,300 feet. And after three hours of deliberation, the board was ready to make a recommendation on the wind turbine section ...
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North Carolina
20 Sep 2008
Carteret engineers wind turbine rules
Carteret County planners were hit with both praise and criticism this week as work continued on a draft ordinance that would regulate wind turbines and other tall structures in the county. A resident who has followed the development of the ordinance closely and called for provisions protecting the public’s safety defended the results of their work. “Recent criticism of this draft ordinance seems to suggest that the planning commission should compromise public safety in order to accommodate the fact that ...
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Australia
20 Sep 2008
Orange’s wind turbine venture
Plans have been unveiled to create one of the largest wind farms in Australia at a cost of more than $200 million on the scenic outskirts of Orange. The Central Western Daily has revealed the details of a proposal by investment bank Babcock and Brown to build at least 40 turbines to the south of the city near Forest Reefs. If the plan eventuates, the wind farm would be capable of powering 57,000 homes across the country. A year of ...
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Texas
20 Sep 2008
Proposed wind energy lines draw concerns
More than 200 landowners attended a meeting in Harper on Thursday to discuss proposed transmission lines that could affect Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall and other area counties. These counties may soon play a part in transmitting wind energy ...
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Michigan
22 Sep 2008
Union works on wind law
Union Township planners have been busy working for several months on a model wind ordinance for their zoning ordinance. The township received a sample for zoning wind energy systems ...
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Australia
24 Sep 2008
VCAT rulings under fire: Community is ignored: Makin
A Corangamite Shire councillor yesterday slammed the state’s planning appeals body, claiming it ignored local objections in approving several controversial developments. Cr Matt Makin suggested the State Government review the entire planning process so community feedback rated more highly at Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearings. “Our decisions are based on the best interests of everybody and we’re getting overturned by VCAT,” Cr Makin said. “This council is continually taken to VCAT time after time after time. It’s a ...
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U.S.
24 Sep 2008
House takes up Senate-passed tax break package
Major tax legislation that would save 20 million people ...
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EditorialsScotland
25 Sep 2008
Glenbogle lives to fight another day
There are many stunning spots in Badenoch and Strathspey but one of the biggest jewels in the crown is at the heart of Monarch of the Glen Country. The spectacular vista ...
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Massachusetts
25 Sep 2008
Plan won't breeze by board
Carver — The winds of change are blowing, and not everyone is happy about it. In an effort to make its Carver processing plant more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, the Decas Cranberry Company is looking to install a wind turbine to help run the facility. But the company needs to first prove there’s enough wind available at the proposed site. Decas representatives appeared before the Planning Board last week to informally see if a full site plan review would ...
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Virginia
25 Sep 2008
Highland 'wind watch' group staying involved
MONTEREY — Highlanders for Responsible Development remain committed to its watchdog role involving the Highland New Wind Development industrial wind facility, says HRD president Randy Richardson. “We remain concerned, we are not disappearing, we are going to keep an eye on it.” Formed in August 2005 largely in response to the proposed wind turbine project, the non-profit organization continues to meet monthly and monitor wind-energy activity. New information on wind energy is hard to come by now, Richardson said, but ...
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Alberta, British Columbia
25 Sep 2008
'Green' wind turbines prove deadly for bats
Bats and wind turbines make a bad mix. In fact, bats have become an unexpected casualty in the burgeoning wind-power industry, with several thousand bats killed by turbines each year in North America. Now studies are being conducted at the future site of a Peace region wind farm in order to save bats ...
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New Zealand
29 Sep 2008
Govt call-in stalls wind farm consent
Mighty River Power’s application to build a 131-turbine wind farm in the Turitea Reserve is in limbo, until Environment Minister Trevor Mallard makes up his mind. The Palmerston North City Council received the resource consent application in August, and had expected to publicly notify it in early October. But the council was now waiting to hear the outcome of a ministerial call-in application, Mayor Jono Naylor said. “The council’s role will be different if the minister does call it ...
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Pennsylvania
29 Sep 2008
Birds, bats cause end of wind-turbine project on South Mountain land
A Northumberland County firm has backed off a plan to build wind turbines on South Mountain in eastern Lebanon County. For several months, Sunbury-based Penn Wind had worked with the Womelsdorf-Robesonia Joint Authority on a proposal to install turbines to harness wind energy on land the authority owns. Plans showed 18 turbines as tall as 200 feet on a site in Millcreek Township, Lebanon County, just over the Berks County border. But birds and bats got in the way of ...
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New Zealand, Press releases
29 Sep 2008
Puketiro wind farm proposal changed
Press Release: Greater Wellington Regional Council Puketiro wind farm proposal changed Greater Wellington Regional Council announced today that it has decided to revoke the permission granted to wind farm developer RES New Zealand Ltd to locate three turbines in the Battle Hill Farm Forest Park. The three turbines were part of a proposed Puketiro wind farm – a development of about 50 turbines located in the Greater Wellington-owned Akatarawa Forest and possibly on adjoining private land. The Pauatahanui Futures Society ...
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New York
29 Sep 2008
NYISO readies the grid for more wind
RENNSELAER – The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has introduced system and operating changes to better use the state’s existing wind resources, and pave the way for continued growth of economical, emission-free, renewable power resources in New York. The enhancements, which were completed in September, help accommodate the variable nature of wind-powered generation with a centralized forecasting system. The NYISO contracted with AWS Truewind of Colonie, to provide the NYISO with wind power forecasts for each wind power project, ...
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Wales
29 Sep 2008
Expert pays tribute to site campaigner
Wildlife expert and TV presenter David Bellamy is throwing his weight behind a campaign to kick out a controversial wind farm plan. Energy firm npower wants to put up 19 turbines on top of scenic Swansea Valley beauty spot Mynydd-y-Gwair. But it won’t be successful if Bellamy and other campaigners have their way. The 75-year-old was here to attend a mountain-side memorial service for Craigcefnparc mum Jan Moseley, who fought to protect the ancient wilderness. He said: “Jan credited Mynydd-y- ...
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Massachusetts
29 Sep 2008
Central Mass. companies get green hand; Mass Tech Collaborative awards more than $3 million locally for renewable project studies
Given the wind gusts that roar across the hilly property, it seemed only a natural choice. If all goes as planned, one or more turbines will capture the persistent wind at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton — and, as an added benefit, provide a learning experiences for students. This fall, the school — thanks to a $40,000 grant ...
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England, U.K.
29 Sep 2008
New plans for offshore windfarms
Towering offshore wind turbines could dominate more of the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline after the government announced plans last night to quadruple the amount of power generated by the machines. The Crown Estate is inviting companies to bid for the right to set up offshore wind turbines in nine designated development zones around the British coast by 2020. One of the zones covers an offshore stretch from north Norfolk to north Suffolk. The announcement means that a new wind farm ...
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Nevada
30 Sep 2008
Wind power plan stirs controversy
The first wind energy project proposed for the Virginia City area is stirring up more than just wind. Several residents are expressing concern about the visual impact that as many as 70 of three-bladed turbines would have on the 1860s-era tourist destination that has been designated a National Historic District. Ron Reno told the Silver City Town Board he is not organizing opposition but he doesn’t like Great Basin Wind’s new Comstock project along Virginia Range ridgelines from Geiger Summit ...
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Scotland
30 Sep 2008
Isles could gain from Pentland plans
Scottish Government and Crown Estate plans to turn Pentland Firth into “the Saudi Arabia of marine power” will help plans for a huge wind farm in Shetland, according to its developers. Aaron Priest, of Viking Energy, yesterday (Monday) said any tidal or wave power schemes in the seas off Orkney should help create the “critical mass” needed to justify an interconnector cable to hook up Shetland to the Scottish mainland as well. Yesterday first minister Alex Salmond announced that Scottish ...
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California
30 Sep 2008
Property owners fighting new wind farms in East County
It may soon be getting easier for energy corporations to build wind farms in the East County. Several firms are already offering landowners money for the rights to build huge wind turbines on private property. Now, the energy companies are taking their fights to the County Board of Supervisors. The rural community of Boulevard is just off Interstate 8, an hour east of San Diego. The people who live there can see and hear the winds of renewable energy. “It’s ...
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Australia
30 Sep 2008
Wheatbelt wind farm approved
A $600 million wind farm capable of generating enough electricity to power 160,000 homes has been approved for a site near Merredin. The 127-turbine Collgar wind farm, about 25km south east of the town, has been given the green light by the Merredin Shire Council. To be built on a 13,000 hectare site by Investec Bank, the wind farm is expected to generate up to 900,000 megawatt hours of electricity. The project is expected to employ about 200 people during ...
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England, Letters
30 Sep 2008
We should develop new energy – but refuse wind farms
May I through your columns thank all the people who have written to me to express their objections to the proposal to erect four wind turbines on the Maer Hills. The volume of correspondence is such that it is impracticable to reply individually to the writers, but they may be assured that I have read each and every letter and I share their concerns. The applications to erect four wind turbines on the Maer Hills and a further seven at ...
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England
30 Sep 2008
Sound blow for Tesco turbine?
The wind of change could affect the first wind turbine in Brigg – before it’s even turned a blade. For supermarket giant Tesco feels restrictions placed on the power-creating facility it wants to install at its Barnard Avenue store are too severe. Before work starts on installing the turbine it is asking North Lincolnshire Council planners, who gave it the green light in March, to allow it to make more noise. The 10.6-metre tall turbine, near the car park, is ...
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Australia
30 Sep 2008
Our wind farm city?
A Melbourne Council report has raised the bizarre possibility of wind turbines being erected on CBD skyscrapers, along the Yarra River and around Port Phillip Bay. Councillors will tonight vote on whether to adopt the council’s Zero Net Emissions by 2020 policy, including radical measures to slash the city’s carbon footprint. The policy report recommends that council officers begin a study identifying metropolitan sites suitable for “large scale” wind farming. The study would focus on the Yarra River, Port Phillip ...
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Massachusetts
30 Sep 2008
Fairhaven optimistic about wind project
MARION — Despite the delays that have plagued the Fairhaven wind project, the proposed two-turbine project will likely move forward, according to an update given at Monday’s South Coast Wind Power Collaborative meeting. “I think the potential still exists to get things up and running,” Fairhaven’s Executive Secretary Jeffrey Osuch said at the meeting. Right now, a lawsuit filed against the project by a group of about 11 residents is the main obstacle, said Mr. Osuch, but he believes the ...
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Minnesota
30 Sep 2008
Utilities learns Hutchinson has enough wind for power
The Hutchinson Utilities Commission was briefed last week on a $20,500 wind farm feasibility study it commissioned earlier this summer. It learned there are satisfactory wind conditions in this part of Minnesota to make such a venture viable, but commissioners were noncommittal on whether they would move forward with the project any time soon. The Hutchinson area generally has an annual wind velocity of 16.68 mph, with the summer months of July and August on the low end (14.6 mph ...
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England
30 Sep 2008
Decision on turbine in 'next few weeks'
A decision on whether or not planners will continue with an application for a wind turbine in the Teise Valley is due in the next “two to three weeks”. Kent Weald Action Group has been battling for more than a year against Wind Direct’s proposed 127m structure and remain confident the 2mw wind turbine, which would be erected on land south of Sheephurst Lane, in Marden, will not go ahead. In August Kwag chairman John Webley claimed the site plan ...
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Florida
30 Sep 2008
2009 may arrive long before talks on wind turbines do
People may not want them in their backyard, but some of us would love some closure on the wind turbine debate. This just in: Don’t hold your breath. I’m reliably informed not to expect a public meeting about the turbines before the end of January. And that’s in spite of pressure late last week from the Governor’s Office in Tallahassee, no less. County Administrator Doug Anderson said this week that, while the timing of any such public hearing “is up ...
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Letters, Wales
30 Sep 2008
Wind debate blows on
Shaun Greaney presented a generally balanced case for the Mynydd y Gwair wind power proposal but he omitted the main reasons why it and other such developments are undesirable (Post, September 23). When wind speeds are low across UK, the wind farms are virtually useless. Power giant e.on UK recently told the government that if we have many, it will become necessary to build more fossil-fuelled power stations to back-up the vagaries of wind generation. This has been described politely ...
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England
29 Sep 2008
Planning officers back windfarm bid
Planning officers are advising Carlisle city councillors to approve a windfarm near Cumwhinton. The planning application for three turbines at Newlands Farm, close to M6 junction 42, has brought a huge number of objections. It is due to go before the council’s development control committee on Friday. A planning officers’ report says there have been 1,312 objections and a petition against the proposal from Bolsterstone Innovative Energy. Another 242 people have written in support of the windfarm. But the report says: “Local opposition or ...
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Texas
30 Sep 2008
Group files complaint over wind farm projects
A group trying to stop construction on two wind farm projects in Kenedy County has lodged a complaint with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration against the state. Coastal Habitat Alliance, made up of several environmental groups, the King Ranch and others, had previously filed suit unsuccessfully against the Public Utility Commission and the Texas General Land Office in an effort to halt the projects. The federal complaint, filed last month against the state, is another attempt by the group ...
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Pennsylvania
30 Sep 2008
Court appeal alleges 'conflict of interest' between wind farm company and county
An appeal filed recently in county court alleges that the developer of the Laurel Hill wind energy project may have unfairly benefitted by being represented by the same law firm that represents the county. The appeal, which challenges the county Planning Commission’s approval of preliminary land development plans for the project, was filed by attorney Christian D. Frey, of the law firm Lepley, Engelman and Yaw, on behalf of a group of residents living near the proposed project site. Both ...
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New York
30 Sep 2008
DEC adds concerns on Galloo project; Impact statement to include new sections on security, historic features of island
The state Department of Environmental Conservation added several sections that will be required in the environmental impact statement for Galloo Island Wind Farm, under the final scoping document it has released. As lead agency for the environmental review on the project, DEC held two public hearings on the required studies in June. Upstate NY Power, backed by Babcock & Brown Ltd., is developing the 268.8-megawatt, 84-turbine wind farm. Set on Galloo Island, six miles from the mainland, the project requires ...
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Australia
30 Sep 2008
Tower giant steels itself for soaring prices
Soaring world demand for steel could more than double the cost of building wind farm towers in Portland next year. Forecast rises for Australian steel would mean a $70 million bill for Portland-based Keppel Prince Engineering. Flat plate steel which cost $1200 a tonne early this year is tipped to hit $2800 a tonne in 2009. Consumer goods and construction industries across the board will be hit by the massive increase. Keppel Prince, a large manufacturer of huge steel towers ...
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England
30 Sep 2008
Wind farm test gets green light from planning bosses
People living near a potential site for a wind farm will have to wait more than two years to find out whether the land is suitable or not. Plans for a 70-metre high anenometer mast to measure wind speeds at Rushy Mead, which is near Shinfield and Arborfield, were given the go-ahead by Wokingham Borough Council planners. The mast will enable the Partnership for Renewables Ltd (PFR) to find out whether the site is appropriate for a wind farm with ...
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Iowa
29 Sep 2008
Big blades turn heads on Iowa roads
The explosive growth of the nation’s wind energy industry is prompting double takes and gawking by motorists on Iowa’s interstate highways. About 25 to 40 trucks are cruising Iowa’s roads every day with oversized trailers hauling huge wind turbine towers, extraordinarily long blades and other equipment en route to wind energy farms under construction here and in other states, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. The surge of wind turbine construction in Iowa and other states has created a ...
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New Zealand
29 Sep 2008
Council calls halt to Belmont wind farm
The plug is set to be pulled on a multimillion-dollar Wellington wind farm proposal because of visual pollution concerns, despite a winter of power cut fears. A report by Greater Wellington regional council recommends a five-year moratorium on wind farm development at Belmont Regional Park, five years after the council called the site a “world-class wind farm opportunity”. The Belmont wind farm - up to 81 turbines sited near Porirua - had a price tag of between $117 million and ...
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Nevada
29 Sep 2008
Wind turbines proposed at Virginia City; some opposition
The first wind energy project proposed in Virginia City is stirring up some controversy. Some residents are expressing concern about the visual pollution the big turbines could bring to the Comstock Historic District. Ron Reno says wind power is a wonderful thing, just not in the 1860s-era town that draws thousands of tourists a year. He says if the turbines are placed on ridge lines like Great Basin Wind proposes, they’ll be highly visible form Virginia City, Gold Hill and ...
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Michigan
29 Sep 2008
Public to sound off on plan to construct turbines on forest land
MASON COUNTY — West Michigan’s second proposed commercial wind farm will be the focus of two meetings this week. Residents who attend will be able to view displays and diagrams concerning the proposed wind farm in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, north of Ludington, and provide the U.S. Forest Service with feedback and concerns. White Pines Wind Farm LLC, a subsidiary of BP Alternative Energy, applied for a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service in hopes of constructing 20 ...
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Massachusetts
29 Sep 2008
Renewable-energy subsidy could expire this year; Credit expiration crimps state's wind power development
It’s hard to overstate the significance of the federal production tax credit (PTC) for the wind power industry. The three times in the past decade that it has been allowed to expire, the installation of new wind capacity across the country dropped an average of 81 percent the following year. “The PTC causes a stop and go in the wind industry,” said Jonathan Ricker, CEO of Mass Megawatts Wind Power Inc. in Worcester. “That’s how come you probably saw a ...
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Wisconsin
29 Sep 2008
Town of Union might approve construction of wind tower despite moratorium
Despite local opposition and a moratorium on wind farm development, the town of Union might approve construction of a wind- measurement tower. “It doesn’t make any sense to me,” said Lynda Barry-Kawula, who lives near Magnolia in Spring Valley. She is against wind farm development in Rock County. “The point of a moratorium is to stop development,” she said, “and it’s not like this tower could lead to anything else.” The town’s Plan Commission on Thursday night was scheduled ...
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England
29 Sep 2008
Planners blow out Leeds wind mast
A 200-foot wind measuring mast has been vetoed amid fears that it would pave the way for a full-blown wind farm. Leeds East plans panel voted unanimously to refuse consent for the mast at Chahal Grange Farm, York Road, Leeds. This is in green belt land close to the villages of Scholes, Thorner and Barwick-in-Elmet. The tubular steel mast would have been 10 inches across and would have been secured by steel guy wires spread to a maximum of 50m ...
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Nevada
29 Sep 2008
Fighting for their life: Preservationists seek Sage Grouse protection
With 70,000 to 80,000 sage grouse scampering through thickets of high desert shrubs in Nevada, a casual observer might think the chickenlike bird is hardly a candidate for listing as a threatened or endangered species. The Nevada Department of Wildlife estimates, however, are down this year from 100,000 grouse in 2005, and the ratio of chicks to hens is the lowest recorded since the early 1980s. That gives weight to arguments by preservationists who succeeded last year in persuading a ...
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Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
29 Sep 2008
U.S. to study effects of wind energy industry on habitats
The Great Plains region, often described as the Saudi Arabia of wind energy, has caught the eye of so many wind developers that the federal government is launching an extensive environmental analysis of the alternative energy source. The review is being fueled by the competing demands of habitat protection and energy exploitation in the Upper Great Plains, where some of the nation’s largest tracts of intact native prairie and densest concentrations of wetlands are found. The region involved — eastern ...
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Wisconsin
29 Sep 2008
Smelser, Wisc., overwhelmingly passes 90-day wind moratorium
What brought all these residents out to the town hall last Thursday? Could it have been the threat of 40 story wind turbines being built 1000 feet from their homes? The town of Smelser in Grant County joins the long list of rural communities being aggressively targeted by wind developers. GRANT COUNTY, SMELSER TOWN HALL, THURSDAY NIGHT: In response to news about the industrial scale wind development planned for their community, residents packed the Smelser Town Hall in Wisconsin’s Grant County for a ...
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