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Northern Ireland
02 Jan 2009
£8m wind farm planned at Ballygawley
An application has been made to build an £8million wind farm near Ballygawley.
The application was made by TCI Renewables, one of Northern Ireland’s leading independent wind power development companies.
In an application to the Planning Service, the company has proposed three wind turbines to be erected at Crockbaravally, an area of open upland between the villages of Ballygawley, Beragh and Sixmilecross.
The Crockbaravally Wind Farm would produce up to 6.9 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable energy — enough to ...
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New Zealand
02 Jan 2009
Wait now for wind farm decision
Hawkes Bay Maori locked in a battle over a proposed windfarm on their tupuna maunga says the latest attempt by the developer is an abuse of process.
Tania Hopmans ...
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Nebraska
03 Jan 2009
Investigation: 'Foreign object' caused wind farm fire
An investigation suggests an explosion and fire inside a Nebraska wind turbine– that’s part of the largest wind farm in the state– was caused by a “foreign object”.
A spokesperson for the company building the 80 megawatt Elkhorn Ridge farm, near Bloomfield, says the “object” blew into the turbine causing the blast. The incident injured three workers, including one who suffered first and second-degree burns ...
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Maine, Opinions
05 Jan 2009
Turbines on Maine's mountains are just plain wrong
Roxbury voters are at a fork in the road. They can ignore the loophole-filled promises of free electricity and property tax savings and vote to keep the ridges free ...
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Pennsylvania
06 Jan 2009
Windmill discussion fans tempers at Ralpho
ELYSBURG — Discussion of wind fanned the flames of several supervisors’ tempers at Monday night’s board of supervisors meeting.
The use of windmills within the township as an alternate source of energy was brought up by supervisors at previous meetings. Code Enforcement Howard Howal developed a proposed ordinance in October, but disagreement with the limits have halted its adoption.
Howal’s original draft included a stipulation that a resident wanting to erect a windmill would have to ensure that if it collapsed it ...
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England
06 Jan 2009
Council meets MP in turbine fight
Parish councillors fighting plans for at least three wind farms near their homes will meet with their MP tonight.
Sadberge Parish Council is opposing plans for the countryside around their village to be used for more than 30 turbines.
The parish council adopted a parish plan in 2007 to oversee future planning developments and other village matters in Sadberge, to the north-east of Darlington.
Last year, as a result of three plans for wind farms, the parish plan group suggested ...
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England
06 Jan 2009
Turbines ruling delights villagers
Campaigners against controversial plans for a wind farm are jubilant after energy giant npower renewables was asked to withdraw its planning application.
The proposal to build eight turbines at Cotton Farm, near Graveley, has been met with fierce opposition since it was submitted in July last year.
Residents fear a wind farm on the site of the former wartime airfield would give rise to noise pollution and have a negative visual impact on the area.
In a letter sent to ...
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Editorials, Oregon
06 Jan 2009
Examine green credits
“Green” has been one of the great watchwords of Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s time in office. And he is asking the Legislature to expand his green energy tax credits to businesses to new staggering heights. The cost to the state may be some $140 million over the next two years.
Kulongoski has argued that the credits can help lure green technology to Oregon, transforming the state’s economy for the future. It could also help the state meet its renewable energy target ...
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Massachusetts
06 Jan 2009
Turbine on the rise; 292-foot structure will change look of Port skyline
NEWBURYPORT — The 280-foot-high crane arrived in pieces last week, courtesy of about eight tractor-trailers.
This week, it’s being used in the industrial park to erect an even taller structure, as the massive wind turbine going up at Mark Richey Woodworking begins to take shape. Richey received permission ...
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Letters, Wales
07 Jan 2009
Savings are cut by half
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England
08 Jan 2009
Turbine probe nearly finished
An investigation into what caused deadly shards of ice to fly off the rotors of a wind turbine is nearing completion.
The towering 80-metre-high structure at King’s Dyke, Whittlesey, has been switched off since the incident, which left residents fearing for their lives as lumps of ice sheered off the giant blades and fell on their homes and gardens on November 29.
After frantic calls to Truro-based firm Cornwall Light and Power, which owns the turbine, the £2 million machine was ...
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Virginia
08 Jan 2009
HNWD project temporarily stalled
MONTEREY —John W. Flora, attorney for Highland New Wind Development, provided the State Corporation Commission Division of Energy Regulation a written report Dec. 31.
“During the months of August and September, active negotiations with a variety of interested parties resulted in two executed Letters of Intent,” he wrote. “However, before the due diligence periods expired, the financial markets collapsed and the interested parties started to disappear one by one. Turbines are more available now but financing is more difficult to ...
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Massachusetts
08 Jan 2009
Wind tower at South
PLYMOUTH — The town’s Energy Committee wants to install a meteorological test tower near Plymouth South High School to determine site eligibility for wind turbines.
The Planning Board voted unanimously Monday night to recommend the proposed 164-foot tower on town property to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board will review the proposal at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Assistant to the Town Manager Patrick O’Brien appeared before the Planning Board to seek support for the tower. O’Brien said ...
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Scotland
08 Jan 2009
Turbines 'no threat' to geese at Montrose
The impact on the population of geese at Montrose Basin of an 11-turbine wind farm nearby would be negligible, according to a leading ecologist.
He said yesterday the number reported to have collided with wind turbines anywhere in the world was between 10 and 20.
Speaking at a public inquiry in support of plans for the wind farm on Montreathmont moor between Montrose and Brechin, Dr Steve Percival said, “There have been some examples of wind farms that have caused ...
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England, Letters
08 Jan 2009
I have been asked to make representation about turbine close to homes
I have been requested by those that live and work close to the Whittlesey wind turbine, to make representation to all parties concerned with this development, and this also includes Fenland District Council.
As you may be aware, public feeling and concern about this development is being voiced internationally, concerns about impacts and the wisdom of the actual siting of the turbine has raised serious questions.
But the question mostly asked is,” How did this development close to major roads, ...
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England
08 Jan 2009
UFO claim over wind farm damage
UFO researchers are claiming damage to a Lincolnshire wind farm turbine was caused by a mystery aircraft.
The turbine at Conisholme lost one 66ft (20m) blade and had another badly damaged in the early hours of Sunday.
Local UFO groups said they had lots of reports of activity in the area and had teams searching for clues.
Ecotricity, which owns the site, said while investigations continued they were not ruling anything out — but the extent of damage was “unique”. ...
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Iowa
08 Jan 2009
One billion wind farm planned for county
The landscape of Washington County could once again boast working windmills, though instead of the average 20-foot-tall towers used by early farmers, the planned wind generators will rise 385 feet ...
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British Columbia
09 Jan 2009
Birds, financing pose challenges for developer of Canada's 1st offshore wind farm
By the time BC Hydro closed its 2008 request for new sources of renewable energy to be supplied by independent producers, its target of contracting 5,000 GWh per year ...
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Vermont
10 Jan 2009
Lowell Mountain may get turbines
Green Mountain Power and Vermont Electric Cooperative are jointly exploring the construction of a wind power facility called Kingdom Community Wind on Lowell Mountain.
The project could include 12 to 17 modern wind turbines on a 2.5-mile stretch of ridge line owned by Trip Wileman of Lowell. Wileman owns the private corporation called Kingdom Community Wind.
The project, with a preliminary estimated cost of between $80 million and $125 million, could generate 30 to 42 megawatts of electricity. That is ...
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England
08 Jan 2009
Turbine views end today
Consultation on plans for a wind farm in Northumberland ends today.
Novera Energy has submitted a planning application to Alnwick District Council for six turbines west of Wingates, near Longhorsley.
Letters of objection have been lodged by three local people concerned over the impact of the turbines on landscape, wildlife, tourism and health, as well as the timing of the application, efficiency of wind turbines, and cumulative impact with other proposals put forward in the area.
Opposition group Wingates Not Wind Farms has ...
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Illinois
09 Jan 2009
Paxton plan commission weighs restriction on wind turbines
PAXTON – Rob Steiger knows wind farms mean more money for his county, its schools and its townships, but he also realizes the implications the 265-foot-tall structures could have on his city’s ability to expand if they are built too close to town.
“If you build a wall around something, it’s not going to continue, and I’m convinced we’d be building a wall around ourselves,” if turbines are not regulated by the city, said Steiger, a member of Paxton’s planning ...
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Letters, New York
10 Jan 2009
Wording of Orangeville wind turbine survey was biased
The old adage, “figures never lie, but liars figure,” is a most appropriate axiom when applied to the Orangeville wind turbine survey (mailed Aug. 19, 2008).
The first of five survey questions is worded to elicit a desired response ...
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Montana
11 Jan 2009
Experts seek to strike wind, coal balance
Wind-powered electricity has great potential in Montana, but its future is clouded by an outdated transmission system that makes it tough to get the power to market.
That was a key message experts delivered Friday at Carroll College during a conference on the state’s energy future.
Some in attendance urged lawmakers not to forget about the state’s coal resources — or to get too excited about creating an energy economy.
“We need to take a deep breath,” said Thomas Power of the University ...
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Ohio
12 Jan 2009
Group explores area for wind turbine
Pretty soon crops won’t be the only things Paulding County farmers will be harvesting.
Several wind energy companies are looking into putting wind turbines on property in the area.
“There are a number of groups looking at Paulding and Van Wert County as a source for wind farms,” said Jim Lopshire, Ohio State University extension agent. “People have been receptive to the idea and open to wind energy. The big concern is there are lots of questions with in-depth contract ...
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Australia, Opinions
12 Jan 2009
Wind still Babcocked
Babcock and Brown Wind is formally cutting its ties with the Babcock and Brown funeral procession but the spirit of the financial engineers still blows hard through the wind farm owner — and perhaps not to the benefit of shareholders.
Despite all the lessons of the credit crisis, an analysis of BBW’s strange course over the past year could lead to the opinion that it’s still very much old-school Babcock and Brown, preferring wheeling and dealing to managing, financial engineering ...
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Nova Scotia
12 Jan 2009
Proposed Point Tupper wind farm gets environmental approval
POINT TUPPER — A planned $55-million wind farm here has received conditional provincial environmental approval.
Renewable Energy Services Ltd., an independent power producer, announced last February it intends to build a wind farm in Point Tupper that could provide enough electricity to power up to 6,000 homes. The project was selected through a request for proposals issued by Nova Scotia Power.
In response to a recent letter by Richmond municipal council in support of the wind project, former Environment Minister ...
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England
12 Jan 2009
Verdict due on turbines
Councillors are being advised to oppose scaled-down plans for wind turbines overlooking Todmorden – dubbed the “ring of steel”.
They have already objected to Coronation Power’s proposal for five 125-metre tall machines at Crook Hill and will now pronounce on whether four is an acceptable number.
Planning manager Richard Seaman has recommended the latest scheme is rejected because the turbines will spoil the appearance of the Special Landscape Area, damage the moorland peat and jeopardise spring water supplies.
Calderdale Council ...
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England
12 Jan 2009
Study's dismissal of wind farm threat causes a storm among protesters
A campaign to stop a huge wind farm being built near Abbots Bromley has been dealt a blow after heritage experts claimed it did not pose a risk.
Council-hired consultants – in their first appraisal for 12 years – have ignored fears that plans to put up eight 115 metre-high turbines in Bagots Park could ruin the village’s conservation area.
Instead, they say the damage caused to historic buildings by juggernauts rumbling down the high street is a more pressing ...
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Wales
12 Jan 2009
Plans submitted to government for huge windfarm
The application for what could be one of the biggest windfarm developments in the UK has been submitted to the Government.
npower Renewables has submitted their plans for the proposed windfarm on land near to Llanbrynmair.
The Carnedd Wen application would see the creation of a windfarm containing 65 turbines, each standing around 137 metres tall, with a generating capacity of between 130 and 195 MW.
npower Renewables claims that with this capacity, there is the potential to create enough ...
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U.K.
12 Jan 2009
Mackie pulls the plug on wind power venture
Decision blamed on lack of support for Rural Sector Wingen scheme
The plug has been pulled on an ambitious wind energy initiative that involved farmers and rural dwellers taking control of a chunk of the nation’s electricity supply.
Agribusinessman Maitland Mackie yesterday blamed a lack of support and the poor financial situation for what he accepted was an embarrassing volte face, to axe Rural Sector Wingen.
The scheme had only last week secured the backing of UK Environment Secretary Hilary ...
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England
12 Jan 2009
Call to reject new turbines on the edge of Addingham
Another influential voice has been added to the growing clamour against plans for new wind turbines on the edge of Addingham.
The vice-chairman of the Yorkshire Dales Society, Colin Speakman, has called for a ban on wind turbines in and around national parks and other areas of attractive landscape.
Writing in the Yorkshire Dales Review, Mr Speakman, of Grove Road, Ilkley, says that Yorkshire Water’s plans would leave views dominated by the turbines.
He says: “The four familiar ‘small’ ...
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Tyrone tie vote kills wind farm
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Hamlin wind fight continues
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A chill blows through wind power
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Paterson sympathetic but blunt
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Hamlin wind tower decision blown down in court
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Dirty truth about ‘clean’ windpower? What the critics are saying
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Letter to Mayor of Essex, Ontario
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Judgment: Hamlin Preservation Group et al. v. Town Board of the Town of Hamlin
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