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Vermont
31 Oct 2009
Supplemental impact statement in the works
SEARSBURG — The US Forest Service is one step closer to issuing a decision on the Deerfield Wind Project. The Manchester Ranger District of the Green Mountain National Forest has reviewed the Public Service Board’s approval and the public comments it received regarding last year’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Now the forest service is ready to release a supplemental report on their latest findings. But despite the new information, some state officials are urging the forest service take extra precautions ...
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New York
31 Oct 2009
Orangeville supervisor challenger questions town’s actions on wind turbines
ORANGEVILLE — After attending his share of town meetings, Steven Moultrup felt the need to serve its residents.
Moultrup, 57, is the Democratic town supervisor candidate. He’s challenging incumbent Republican Susan May in Tuesday’s elections, and is also running on the People First ticket.
Although he’s attended many town meetings and hearings, Moultrup said the existing town government mostly ignored zoning law amendments he said could potentially help the town.
Among other issues, he cited how the town’s comprehensive plan addresses wind turbines.
“It ...
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Letters, Massachusetts
31 Oct 2009
Local planners continue exploring wind turbine issue
Berkshire East has run into some opposition to its proposed wind turbine for what I believe are some very good reasons. If anyone doubts that these massive industrial machines can be hard to live with, they should hear what some residents of Mars Hill, Maine have to say. These people have been made so miserable by the turbines on Mars Hill that they are currently suing the company which put them up.
At the Sept. 17 public meeting on ...
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England
31 Oct 2009
Debate on windfarm proposals
Controversial wind turbine plans will be debated at a public meeting in Birdsedge.
No planning permission has yet been submitted, but it is thought a company called ESH Group wants to put five 125m tall turbines on land between Birdsedge and High Flatts.
The plan comes three years after a ferocious campaign to block two wind turbines at nearby Pool Hill in Denby Dale was won.
Kirklees councillor Jim Dodds, said the meeting at 7pm on Monday November 9 at the Birdsedge Village ...
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Canada, U.S.
31 Oct 2009
Provincial power deal aimed at N. E. energy markets
TORONTO — North America’s largest utility company Hydro-Quebec has announced it will pay $4.4 billion for transmission lines of New Brunswick Power, a deal that would help the company secure greater access to electricity markets in the U.S.
Hydro-Quebec announced Thursday that it expects to spend up to $23 billion over the next decade to boost its hydro electric output by 4,500 megawatts a year.
Much of that will be exported to the United States and Ontario since growth in the Quebec ...
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Hawaii
31 Oct 2009
Attorney: County not liable for windmill bird strikes
LIHU‘E — Proponents of small wind systems got a lift this week when the county attorney said a proposed bill designed to streamline the permitting process would not open the county to legal or financial liability should an applicant’s windmill kill an endangered seabird.
The announcement, delivered by Deputy County Attorney Ian Jung, who specializes in planning issues and advises the Kaua‘i Planning Commission, came at the Kaua‘i County Council’s Planning Committee meeting Wednesday in Council Chambers at the Historic County ...
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Wyoming
30 Oct 2009
Laramie Range fund will compete with wind for leases
The Northern Laramie Range Alliance announced it will establish a tax-exempt corporation to buy up state leases in order to prevent the development of wind energy.
The effort is aimed at “preserving the agricultural, historic, recreational and natural heritage of central Wyoming’s Northern Laramie Range,” according to the alliance.
Bret Frye, Kenneth Lay, Sharon Rodeman and Diemer True, members of the alliance’s steering committee, will serve as directors of the new corporation.
Asked whether the fund would also be used to block oil ...
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New York
01 Nov 2009
Wind developer leaving Henderson
STONY POINT PROJECT: Company says town has been unwilling to hear plans, meet with representatives
HENDERSON — Stony Point Wind Farm is dead.
In a Oct. 22 letter ...
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Michigan
02 Nov 2009
Public hearing planned for turbine setbacks, noise limits
LANSING — Officials announced last week that the Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing later this month to garner public comment on the effect of wind turbine setback requirements and noise limitations under local zoning or other ordinances on wind energy development in wind energy resource zones.
The hearing is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23 at the MPSC’s office, located at 6545 Mercantile Way in Lansing, with satellite locations in Bad Axe and Traverse ...
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New Hampshire
02 Nov 2009
A plan for a wind power turbine test in Antrim gets mixed reviews
ANTRIM — A proposal to place a meteorological tower on Antrim’s Tuttle Hill to study whether the spot is ideal for wind turbines to generate electricity has ruffled some feathers.
The debate in Antrim is just one example of the controversy blowing across the country over the placement of wind farms as the focus on renewable energy sources grows.
Last month, the Antrim zoning board gave Antrim Wind Energy LLC permission to place a temporary 196-foot tower on privately owned property off ...
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Ontario, Opinions
02 Nov 2009
Open letter to all Ontarians
No one asked for this. Nobody looked to have their life and homes exposed in the news, trying to explain how the most promising form of renewable energy was causing such destruction of their family.
Sleep deprivation, headaches, migraines, heart palpitations, tinnitus, pressure in the ears, sores that won’t heal, dangerously high blood pressure and the list goes on. This was not the plan that any of these quiet and unassuming rural families had in mind, but this ...
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England
02 Nov 2009
Government reply offers nothing in windfarm dispute
The Government ‘recognises’ Daventry district’s problems over wind farm proposals, but does not offer any real solutions, said the leader of Daventry District Council (DDC).
Back in July, DDC wrote to the Government asking for guidance on how it should deal with a proliferation of ‘speculative’ proposals for wind farms in the local area.
So far DDC has received planning applications for wind farms at Watford Lodge and Yelvertoft. There are also proposals for turbines at Lilbourne and near Winwick.
Replying to the ...
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Massachusetts
03 Nov 2009
Massachusetts presses wind projects; Bill aims to ease gridlock around appeals process
With more than a third of the major wind-energy projects in Massachusetts stalled by lawsuits or permit appeals, the Patrick administration has proposed a landmark bill that would streamline the state’s appeals process and make it possible to win approval of such projects much more quickly.
Massachusetts now generates less than 1 percent of the nation’s wind energy, about 9 megawatts, enough to power only about 2,700 homes. Without a change in the permitting process, administration officials say, the state will ...
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England
03 Nov 2009
Appeal launched into wind farm plans
An appeal has been launched against a decision by planners to refuse permission for an access track to a proposed wind farm in Strensham.
Wychavon district councillors said the track would be an “alien feature” in the rural area off Strensham Road and represent encroachment into the countryside.
It would also require the removal of part of an existing stone wall that forms part of a locally important historic park/garden which planners said would have an adverse effect on “the appearance, character ...
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New Brunswick
03 Nov 2009
Moncton academic says Quebec ownership of electrical grid will keep N. B.’s renewable energy projects offline
The proposed takeover of NB Power by Hydro-Québec will completely scuttle New Brunswick’s chances of building a renewable energy sector, charge critics of the government’s plan to sell the provincial electrical utility.
The problem, they argue, is that Quebec ownership of the local electrical grid will keep renewable energy projects in New Brunswick – like those involving wind or tidal power – offline.
That’s because the local power grid will be filled to capacity with hydro power ...
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Denmark, Sweden
03 Nov 2009
Two wind turbines self-destruct in one week
Wind turbine blades rip loose near Esbjerg and southwestern Sweden, one landing on a hiking path
A malfunction on a Vestas wind turbine in the town of Falkenberg on Sweden’s southwest coast could have resulted in tragedy, as one of the structure’s large blades flew off and landed on a track used by hikers.
Yesterday’s incident follows a similar one this weekend near Esbjerg, where a defective axel caused all of the blades on a 40m high turbine to rip loose, one ...
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New York
04 Nov 2009
Italy adopts six month moratorium
Italy, N. Y. — The Italy Town Board unanimously adopted a resolution establishing a six month moratorium on wind farm development in the town at a special meeting on Oct. 27.
During a public hearing on the local law, several residents thanked the board for denying Ecogen’s application to construct wind turbines in the town, and voiced their support for the moratorium.
During the six months, the town will review and update the town’s comprehensive plan and zoning codes relative to wind ...
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Australia
04 Nov 2009
Tests reveal inaudible wind farm noise
An engineer ...
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Scotland
04 Nov 2009
Stroupster wind farm plan is given support
A former Caithness councillor yesterday put his weight firmly behind plans for a wind farm near his home village of John O’Groats.
Bill Mowat claimed the 12 turbines earmarked for the Hill of Stroupster would be “attractive” and a potential tourist draw.
As well as helping towards green energy production, Mr Mowat added that the new investment and community dividend ...
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Switzerland
05 Nov 2009
La Chaux-de-Fonds rejette le concept éolien du canton
La Ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds refuse le concept éolien mis en consultation par le canton de Neuchâtel. L’exécutif précise qu’il ne s’agit pas d’une opposition aux éoliennes, mais plutôt de la volonté de mieux prendre en considération la protection du paysage.
L’exécutif chaux-de-fonnier sollicite le Département de la gestion du territoire pour qu’il vienne en débattre avec la population et le législatif.
Au total, six sites ont été considérés comme appropriés par l’Etat dans le canton de Neuchâtel.
Jeudi 05.11
pleinair.net
La Chaux-de-Fonds ...
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Blogs, Letters, Ontario, Health, Noise, Property value
05 Nov 2009
Two homes have been abandoned in “Turbine Town” (Clear Creek, Ontario)
Clear Creek, Ontario. Quiet, peaceful. The sound of the lake; the overhead passing of migrating geese; tundra swans in the early spring. Deer and wild turkeys. Clear starry skies. Silent except for the sounds of the crickets and bullfrogs. The sight of a small country church across the way; the church I remember attending as a young girl with my Grandmother.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? That was my retreat of 11 years. A place ...
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New York
05 Nov 2009
Wind-energy firm takes town of Italy to court
Angered by a Town Board vote in Italy, Yates County, to kill a turbine proposal, a wind-energy company is asking a judge to override the elected board members and allow the project to go forward.
Ecogen Wind LLC, which had been seeking permission ...
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New Zealand
06 Nov 2009
Victory for the ‘small guys’
Jubilant opponents of the wind farm have hailed the decision as a victory for the “small guys”.
Appellant John Douglas said it showed what could happen when community groups stood up for what they believed in.
“It’s also a slap in the face to show companies they have to respect what’s in the district plan and the criteria in the Resource Management Act.”
The Alexandra man attended every day of the environment court hearing and opposed the wind farm because of the ...
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New Zealand
06 Nov 2009
Family moving on despite good result
The family that lives opposite the wind farm site is celebrating but is moving away, saying the battle has been “too stressful” and divided the district.
Ian and Sarah Manson and their three children live on a 2023ha property at Paerau that has been owned by the Manson family for 80 years.
Mr Manson started the Maniototo Environmental Society three years ago when the wind farm was mooted, and the Mansons were among the appellants to the Environment Court.
“It was ...
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New Zealand
06 Nov 2009
Need to assess all projects
Meridian Energy is disappointed consents for its proposed $2 billion Project Hayes wind farm have been declined by the Environment Court, but has not yet decided whether to appeal to the High Court, a spokesman says.
A decision on an appeal opposing the wind farm was issued to parties involved in the Environment Court hearing yesterday.
It upheld the appeal and cancelled consents for the project first issued in 2007 by the Otago Regional Council and Central Otago District Council.
Meridian spokesman ...
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New Zealand
06 Nov 2009
Bar raised for wind farm projects
State-owned Meridian Energy’s $2 billion Project Hayes wind farm proposal has been rejected in the Environment Court, dealing a savage blow to the wind power sector.
The parties were handed a 350- page decision yesterday, which upheld the appeal against an earlier consent ...
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Maine
07 Nov 2009
Wind farm forum brings ill breeze
DIXFIELD — More than 60 people turned out Friday night for the first public informational meeting on a proposed wind farm project on a ridgeline in Dixfield and Canton.
Most spoke against siting a wind farm on the Colonel Holman Mountain ridge, stating beliefs that noise and shadow flicker could cause a variety of illnesses in people who live within 2 miles of a turbine.
Three of the four speakers were opposed to wind turbines, with only Tom Carroll, project coordinator for ...
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Scotland, U.K.
08 Nov 2009
Director slams BBC for gag on wind farm film
A BAFTA-nominated documentary maker has accused the BBC of banning his latest film about life in a remote Highland glen because it shows a lack of impartiality about wind farms.
BBC bosses part-funded the short film Arcadia by controversial Scots film producer David Graham Scott.
But the BBC has refused to broadcast the finished film, warning Scott that the documentary does not meet its strict rules on objectivity.
Shot in Caithness, Arcadia includes footage of protests against a new wind farm development in ...
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Vermont
08 Nov 2009
Lowell still wary of wind project plan; Residents worry about environmental impact
LOWELL, Vt. — Developers of a proposed wind farm in northern Vermont have promised to pay the town of Lowell up to $535,000 a year, but some residents worry about the environmental impact and the potential harm to property values.
The project being led by Green Mountain Power calls for 16 to 24 turbines on Lowell Mountain. At a public meeting this week, company president Mary Powell said the utility would abandon the project if residents vote against it at March ...
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U.K.
08 Nov 2009
Rise of the monster wind farms
A £125bn plan to generate a third of the UK’s energy needs offshore may prove too ambitious
Picture a field of enormous windmills, each the height of London’s Gherkin skyscraper with blades as long as a jumbo jet. Does this sound fantastical?
The government doesn’t think so. Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, recently stumped up £4.4m of public money to help finance the first of these monster turbines, to be built at a former shipyard in Blyth, Northumberland.
Dubbed the Britannia Project, the ...
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U.K.
08 Nov 2009
Future of wind farms in doubt
Britain’s biggest developer of offshore wind farms has hired Rothschild to sell stakes in its projects because it cannot afford to build them.
The move by Dong Energy, the Danish power giant, casts fresh doubt on the government’s carbon-reduction plans just six months after it ramped up subsidies to keep the offshore wind sector afloat.
Nuclear power and offshore wind are the main pillars of the government’s plan to slash pollution. Ed Miliband, energy secretary, will underline their importance when he delivers ...
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Colorado
08 Nov 2009
Power line project spurs fight over route in southern Colorado
LA VETA — This tranquil, snow-covered hillside is where Larry Morgan’s parents, brother and cousin are buried.
Near old La Veta Pass in rural Huerfano County, it’s where the family has bonfires at Christmas, where the kids sled, where Morgan wants to be laid to rest someday. Fenced in, just up the hill ...
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Vermont
09 Nov 2009
PSB to hold second hearing on Georgia/Milton turbines
MILTON — Vermont’s Public Service Board (PSB) will hold a second public hearing on the proposed Georgia Mountain Community Wind Project here on Tuesday night.
PSB held a public meeting in Georgia on the project June 9, which drew about 100 people, both supporters and opponents.
The Milton hearing will be held at the Milton Elementary School at 7 p.m.
The project would place three to five wind turbines atop Georgia ...
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Illinois
09 Nov 2009
Group opposes wind farm
ROCHELLE — During the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency’s monthly meeting Wednesday afternoon, members of the agency heard concerns about the Eagle View Community Wind Project ...
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Massachusetts
10 Nov 2009
Lunenburg board OKs wording of green-energy zoning proposals
LUNENBURG — The Planning Board on Monday approved the wording of two proposed zoning amendments aimed at making it easier for residents and developers to install solar- and wind-energy devices on their property.
The proposed changes are driven by the work of the town’s Green Energy Task Force, which is looking at several different ways the town can become more energy-efficient.
“There are available copies of the two bylaw articles in the planning office and they will be published in the warrant ...
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Colorado, Wisconsin
10 Nov 2009
Wyoming wind farm standards possible
The Wyoming Legislature might soon consider creating minimum standards for wind development statewide, a move that might have implications for future Cowboy State wind farms that could supply power to Colorado utilities.
Currently, Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins obtains wind power generated ...
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Vermont
11 Nov 2009
Utilities answer questions about proposed wind project
LOWELL — More than two-hundred people crowded into the Lowell Elementary School Thursday evening, November 5, to hear about a proposed wind turbine project and have their questions and concerns addressed. The proposal, called Kingdom Community Wind, is the construction of 16 to 24 turbines on a Lowell Mountain ridgeline.
It is estimated that each turbine would generate 1.5 to three megawatts of power. The total project would meet the energy needs of about 20,000 average Vermont households. Green Mountain Power ...
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Michigan
11 Nov 2009
Norwood officials draft wind ordinance
Editor’s note, this is the second in a series of articles on wind power and Norwood Township’s development of a commercial wind energy system ordinance.
The first article in this series gave an overview of Norwood Township’s progress in educating the public on wind turbines and the pros and cons of commercial wind energy systems.
This article will provide an overview of the draft ordinance which is still tentative. The language contained could change based on public input and further discovery.
“We just ...
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Opinions, Scotland
11 Nov 2009
Green fascism — that’s what I call it
There’s an increasing incentive to enjoy the relatively wild places of this land before the so-called greens industrialise what is left.
What’s the point of saving the planet if all we’re left with is wind turbines and access roads on every moor and hilltop, our tides and waves tamed and sanitised by turbines and nodding ducks, our rivers confined in pipes to power run-of-the-river schemes – and when we come indoors we can’t even read a book without getting migraines caused ...
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England
11 Nov 2009
Inquiry opens into wind farm upgrade
Plans to make significant changes to Cornwall’s wind farming landscape were revisited yesterday as the planning inquiry into the Carland Cross wind farm project was officially opened, writes the WMN’s Ryan Hooper.
The inquiry, which is expected to last at least six days, was prompted after Scottish Power Renewables appealed against the former Carrick District Council’s decision to reject the plans, days before the council was disbanded to make way for the unitary authority.
Energy giant Scottish Power wants to replace its ...
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Ontario
11 Nov 2009
Land locked
About 150 properties that make up the Byran wind energy project, part of the failed Skypower Corporation in the northeast corner of Prince Edward County, have had construction liens placed upon their land and registered on title by a creditor to whom Skypower owes a quarter million dollars. Construction liens are legal claims on a project to ensure a builder, tradesperson or consultant gets paid for his or her work.
Worse for the property owners, these construction liens have been perfected ...
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Scotland, U.K.
11 Nov 2009
Shetland wind farm mailout banned; Watchdog rules marketing misled consumers over claims about financial and green benefits to community
A marketing campaign for a wind farm project, backed by Scottish and Southern Energy, has been banned by the advertising watchdog for misleading consumers over claims about financial and green benefits to the community.
A mailout by Viking Energy promised to “harness Shetland’s natural resources for a greener future”.
Viking Energy made a number of claims including that 50% of the profits would stay with the Shetland community; that annually £25m to £30m would be injected into the economy; that “upwards” of ...
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Blogs, England
11 Nov 2009
My statement for the Benington wind farm Inquiry
I know constituents are interested in the Benington wind farm issue and this my statement for the forthcoming Inquiry:
STATEMENT OF OLIVER HEALD MP
I am making this statement in opposition to the proposal to site wind turbines on the land of the Bott family at Benington, Hertfordshire. The hill on which the turbines would be sited looks down on the historic village of Watton-at-Stone. The site for the turbines is substantially in the Green Belt.
I have been a Member of Parliament ...
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Colorado
11 Nov 2009
NREL recommending site-specific wind turbine surveys
To add to the hot/cold air swirling around the subject of wind turbines in Estes Park, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) said last month there are challenges in making small residential wind turbines workable here.
The Estes Valley Planning Commission revisits the subject on Thursday, Nov. 12, in a special meeting at 1:30 p.m., in the municipal building, with a study session starting at noon in Room 202.
There is currently a moratorium on wind turbines, until Dec. 9. The public ...
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New Zealand
11 Nov 2009
Hydro plans now ‘more important’
Contact Energy says the decision against Project Hayes makes Clutha River hydro-electricity development “all the more important”, but anti-dam groups have taken the opposite view and heralded the ruling as common sense.
Central Otago Mayor Malcolm Macpherson said earlier this week he thought further hydro development on the Clutha was “less likely” as a result of the Environment Court declining consents for Meridian Energy’s $2 billion wind farm on the Lammermoor Range.
The decision had lifted the bar for consents for renewable ...
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Minnesota
11 Nov 2009
Turbine issue moves to council
Austin’s Planning Commission passed on to the city council a proposed ordinance regulating wind turbines within city limits with one addition — turbines must be at least 350 feet ...
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News
12 Nov 2009
Cae la cabeza de un molino de viento en Aibar {Top of wind turbine falls off in Aibar}
{The nacelle, the blades, and part of the tower of one of the 52 wind turbines of the Aibar wind energy facility fell to earth late last Thursday for reasons that are being investigated. It was ...
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England
13 Nov 2009
Residents’ anger as BT puts forward plans for windfarm
Controversial plans for a windfarm near Threapland have been submitted.
Proposals for four turbines at Threapland Lees were lodged with Allerdale planners by BT last week.
Outraged residents have already voiced their opposition over the plans for the 125m turbines – almost as high as the London Eye – just 500m ...
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New York
15 Nov 2009
Town to fight wind company lawsuit
Italy, N. Y. — A fight over whether a proposed wind turbine project bordering Naples will go forward heated up last week when the developer filed a lawsuit against the town, where 17 turbines were to go up.
The Article 78 action, filed in state Supreme Court in Monroe County by developer Ecogen Wind LLC, seeks to overturn the Town Board’s decision to stop the project by denying approvals and placing a moratorium on its development.
Last month, the board unanimously rejected the ...
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Minnesota
15 Nov 2009
Windmill farm opponents prompt companies to pause
A wind farm planned for southern Dakota County is getting some blowback ...
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Ireland
16 Nov 2009
Wind wars in the hills of Donegal
Donegal Alternatives to Pylons has advised land owners that their statutory rights are not affected by An Bord Pleanála’s decision to grant planning permission for a high voltage power line between Binbane and Letterkenny.
Alternatives to Pylons argue that views around Buncrana, Letterkenny, Donegal Town, Ardara and Killybegs have already been ruined by pylons and turbines.
In a statement released on Friday, the group say landowners should not be intimidated into signing any documents presented to them. Alternatives to Pylons is demanding ...
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Northern Ireland
16 Nov 2009
Environment Minister to examine Drumquin windfarm issue
Drumquin’s apparent position as the centre for windfarm development in West Tyrone is to be examined by the Minister for Environment at Stormont, Edwin Poots.
The DUP politician made a commitment to address the issue when it was raised at a meeting last week. The development comes as the famed ‘Hills Above Drumquin’ look set to be home for over 140 wind turbines.
Earlier this month Omagh councillors warned that the number of wind turbines locally was reaching what they described as ...
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New York
16 Nov 2009
Public airs its views on lake wind farm proposal
OSWEGO, NY – A group ...
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Ohio
17 Nov 2009
Real estate expert: Turbines could affect property values
COLUMBUS — Wind turbines should be placed a little more than a mile ...
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England
18 Nov 2009
‘EU holding a gun to heads’ over turbines
Campaigners fighting against controversial plans to erect six towering wind turbines near Stafford, fear they may have a bigger battle on their hands – thanks to the EU.
Residents who live in Marston, near Stafford, have reacted angrily to the news that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is to provide new finance to support eligible onshore wind farm projects.
The scheme, supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the HM Treasury, could see the European Investment Bank (EIB) provide ...
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Michigan
18 Nov 2009
Grand Haven Township schedules public hearing on proposed wind turbines on lakefront
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Controversy is blowing in Grand Haven Township.
And township officials are seeking to calm the storm.
They have announced a public meeting Nov. 30 to give residents the chance to ask questions about a proposal ...
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Maine
21 Nov 2009
Dixmont voters approve ordinance
The company considering building a wind farm in Dixmont says a voter-approved ordinance will make it difficult – if not impossible – to move ahead with the project.
Folks in town said yes to an ordinance that would regulate wind power development.
The issue arose when the Mount Harris Wind company began looking into the prospect of placing ten wind turbines along Mount Harris in Dixmont.
For the past nine months the local planning board has been researching the effects of such projects ...
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Maine
21 Nov 2009
Proposed Highland Plantation wind farm generates concern
Former Maine Gov. Angus King and former Maine Public Broadcasting Corp. Director Robert Gardiner are looking to develop a wind farm in Highland Plantation, just north of New Portland in Somerset County. At a town meeting last night, area residents grilled the investors on their plans.
The 2008 Census population estimate for Highland Plantation in Somerset County was 52 people. And about that many were crammed into a one-room schoolhouse for a an informational meeting about a proposed wind farm in ...
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Letters, Ontario
21 Nov 2009
Silent majority don’t want wind farms all over PEC
The Point of View opinion piece in the Nov. 13, 2009 issue of The Intelligencer somehow concluded that the silent majority of “County folk …” are in favour of covering Prince Edward County (PEC) with industrial wind turbines (IWT) to act as a source of alternative energy. We disagree.
We have lived in PEC for 25 years. We, and fellow residents, agree that the development of reasonable alternate energy sources should be considered. We find it unbelievable that the proposals to ...
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Letters, Wyoming
21 Nov 2009
Commissioners didn’t do jobs
By now I’m sure most of the residents of Natrona County have seen the newest addition to our skyline, the Chevron wind farm.
I have noticed an increase in traffic in our area, I assume to see this mess close-up. I have spoken with many people and asked them if they would like to live next to this; I have yet to get a “yes.” So why did our commissioners allow this to happen in violation of their own regulations? Maybe ...
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Letters, Massachusetts
21 Nov 2009
Industrialized ‘aesthetic’ can be seen off Texas coast
Characterizing the industrialization of Cape Cod and Nantucket Sound as an “aesthetic issue,” Martha Coakley reveals her blind support of the energy development lobby at the expense of one of our greatest natural assets.
Perhaps the national parks are simply “aesthetic assets” that Ms. Coakley would have no problem using as power plant locations. How about a hydropower dam in the Grand Canyon, or some wind turbines atop Mount Rushmore?
I suggest Ms. Coakley indulge herself with a field trip to Houston ...
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Maine
21 Nov 2009
Low energy prices force year delay in Roxbury wind farm
ROXBURY — Owners of a wind-power company set to erect 22 turbines on local hills have decided to delay the project by a year because the energy market has fallen in the recession.
Record Hill Wind LLC is building a $120 million wind farm along the 4-mile ridgeline that connects Partridge Peak, Record Hill and Flathead Mountain. The company had planned to put up the turbines next year, but now says it will be up and running in 2011.
...
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Quebec
21 Nov 2009
Invenergy Wind Canada gets OK to build Quebec wind farm
Invenergy Wind Canada has received approval to build a 138.6- megawatt wind farm in the Ruisseau-Ferguson region of Quebec.
Construction on the Le Plateau wind energy project will last approximately two years and create as many as 250 jobs, with eight to 12 jobs lasting for the 20-year operation phase, Invenergy Wind said in a news release.
The wind farm, which will cost $330 million to build, will have a rated capacity of 138.6 megawatts supplied by 60 Enercon wind turbines.
It will ...
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Opinions, U.K.
21 Nov 2009
Wind power will make Britain the dirty old man of Europe
Onshore wind as an energy source is expensive, unreliable and will scar the landscape, says Charles Moore
About 30 days ago, the Prime Minister warned that there were “50 days to save the planet”. The world had to reach agreement at the climate summit in Copenhagen next month, or else. Since then, the press has been briefed that there will not, in fact, be agreement in Copenhagen. So there would seem to be only 20 days left to ...
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Minnesota
21 Nov 2009
Townships learn about initiatives; Sleepy Eye wind farm proposed
SLEEPY EYE – Brown County Township Officers learned about the Brown County Initiative, federal energy funds and the Public Building Energy Efficiency Program (PBEEEP) Thursday at their annual meeting at the Servicemens Club.
Ronda Allis, Region Nine Development Commission Community & Economic Development Director and Transportation Planner in Mankato said the Initiative was created to find Brown County collaboration opportunities for economic development and job growth.
A study showed that Brown County is somewhat insulated ...
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Blogs, Kansas
21 Nov 2009
Ellis County Zoning: Anticipating the Opportunity for Personal Gain
HAYS, Kan. – The Ellis County Zoning and Planning Commission met in its monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 18.
The one piece of business discussed by the commission came ...
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Michigan
24 Nov 2009
Living by wind farms no breeze, some say
LANSING — Dozens of angry people showed up at a public meeting Monday to complain to the Public Service Commission about how their lives have been changed for the worse by annoying wind turbines, and to recommend that if the state plans thousands more, they should be built as far as possible ...
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Michigan
24 Nov 2009
Turbine setback, noise debated
BAD AXE — A public hearing held Monday served as the forum for a variety of interests, as local government officials, wind developers and residents gave input on the effect of wind turbine setback requirements and noise limitations on wind energy development.
Local officials saw Monday’s hearing, which was held by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), as a last-chance opportunity to implore state officials to keep control of zoning for wind turbine setbacks and noise limitations with local governments.
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Representing the ...
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New York
24 Nov 2009
Packed house
Gusts of concern blew into the Hartsville Town Hall Monday night for a public hearing on a draft wind regulatory law that, if passed, the German-based company E. ON Climate and Renewables claims will prevent any large scale wind operations in the town and likely lead to a lawsuit.
Around 60 members of the public, including town residents, officials, E. ON representatives and members of the media packed into the town hall and listened to the latest details in what has become ...
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Michigan
24 Nov 2009
Thumb residents complain to state officials about wind turbine noise
A meeting in Lansing on siting wind turbines in Michigan got a little heated on Monday, as dozens of angry Thumb residents showed up to complain about noise ...
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New Zealand
25 Nov 2009
Makara turbines generate too much noise
Makara residents are lodging about 100 complaints a month over a Meridian Energy wind farm, leading the company to look at ways to make the turbines quieter.
The energy giant monitors noise levels at four sites at the West Wind farm, and is subject to stringent resource consent rules.
That data is also analysed by Wellington City Council. Compliance manager Matthew Borich said the council would not be able to say with certainty until next year whether the project was breaking any ...
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Scotland
25 Nov 2009
Government bows to public pressure over Fallago Rig inquiry
Once again public pressure has forced the Scottish Government to back down over Fallago Rig and after announcing that they would re-open the public inquiry to hear new Ministry of Defence evidence only, they have now extended the public inquiry to hear all new evidence.
It is now almost two years since the public inquiry opened but the outcome has never been made public and behind the scenes discussions have gone on between Scottish ministers, the MoD and developers North ...
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U.K.
26 Nov 2009
Wind means more CO2
Over-reliance on wind power could scupper government plans to cut carbon emissions by 2050, consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff warned this week.
The firm warned that extra back-up power generation capacity would be needed to pick up shortfalls in wind generated electricity during calm weather. The most cost effective and fast response solution would be gas fired power stations, but these generate high levels of CO2.
Its report Powering the Future models options for the UK’s energy supply. It finds that if Britain builds ...
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Maine
26 Nov 2009
Board forms wind power study committee, ignores existing group
RUMFORD — Selectmen have voted unanimously to form an eight-member Wind Power Committee and have appointed seven people to it.
Four appointees, all of whom applied for spots on the committee, are residents Peter Buotte Jr., J. Arthur Boivin, Charlie Hoff and Roger Arsenault. They will join Board of Selectmen Chairman Brad Adley, Selectman Greg Buccina and Town Manager Carlo Puiia. The eighth member will be a planner chosen by the Planning Board at its next meeting in December, Puiia said.
Discussion ...
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England
26 Nov 2009
Firm to appeal over mast refusal
Planning permission for a temporary meteorology mast on the site of a controversial proposed wind farm was refused by just one vote at a meeting of Stratford District Council’s planning committee yesterday (Wednesday).
Broadview Energy, the developer behind the proposed wind farm—between Knightcote and Bishops Itchington near junction 12 of the M40—plan to appeal afterbeing refused permission to put up a temporary anemometry mast on the proposed Starbold site after the planning committee chose to reject a recommendation ...
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U.K.
26 Nov 2009
Wind turbine noise rules are ‘out of date’
Noise level regulations for wind turbines are 11 years old and fail to address the impact of new technology that has allowed larger and louder sites, a pressure group has warned.
Environmental Protection UK say turbines are now so large that the noise generated by turning blades is affecting more nearby residents.
The charity, which campaigns to minimise noise pollution as well as reducing air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, believes changes in technology are not being reflected in current local ...
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Vermont
27 Nov 2009
Clarendon wants Douglas to stop ridgeline turbines
CLARENDON – Municipal officials want the governor to place a moratorium on locating wind towers atop ridgelines around the state until lawmakers address the issue in the next session.
The Clarendon Select Board voted on Monday to send a letter to Gov. James Douglas requesting a face-to-face meeting in order to present a formal request.
“We want the opportunity to meet with the governor and ask for a moratorium on the ridgelines until the Legislature takes up the siting criteria bill that ...
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Ontario
27 Nov 2009
Council asks neighbours to help fight wind turbines
Arran-Elderslie council wants to join forces with neighbouring municipalities to try to stop construction of large wind turbines in the area.
Council will invite councillors ...
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New Zealand
27 Nov 2009
Blowing in an uncertain wind
Wind power – the great green hope to ease fragile electricity supply – is being buffetted ...
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Japan
28 Nov 2009
Government to study effects of wind farms on health
The Environment Ministry will launch its first major study into the influence of wind turbines on people’s health next year, it has been learned.
Much is expected of wind power as a source of clean energy, but people living near wind power facilities are increasingly complaining of health problems. The low-frequency sound produced by the wind turbines at such facilities–sound that is difficult to discern with the naked ear–is suspected of causing such conditions as insomnia, tinnitus and hand tremors.
Due to ...
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Oregon
28 Nov 2009
Tax dollars blow away in wind projects
When Gov. Ted Kulongoski vetoed a bill this summer that would have slashed Oregon’s tax subsidies for large wind farms, he insisted the reduction went too far and would jeopardize the growth of Oregon’s green economy.
But during the past eight years, while the state has taken applications for $300 million in tax breaks to subsidize the development of the windiest, most transmission-accessible sites, it has yet to do any substantive analysis of how big a subsidy is necessary — if ...
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England
28 Nov 2009
New row blows as wind turbine data is released
The debate over the controversial planned wind turbine at Glyndebourne has blown up up again following the publication of figures about the amount of energy it would produce.
An alliance of environmental and rural pressure groups have said the sums show the proposed 70m turbine will generate less energy than previously predicted but Glyndebourne Opera House has said it will provide enough electricity to almost entirely power the estate.
The South Downs Environmental Protection Consortium South Downs Society includes the Ramblers Society, ...
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Press releases, Health, Noise, Setbacks
28 Nov 2009
Wind Turbine Syndrome: Clinical study of health effects of large wind turbines published
Rowe, Mass., Nov. 28, 2009 — Dr. Nina Pierpont, a pediatrician and population biologist in Malone, New York, has announced the publication of her book-length study Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Report on a Natural Experiment. {1}
In interviews with ten families living 1,000-4,900 feet away from recently built industrial-size wind turbines, a “cluster” of symptoms was revealed: from sleep disturbance, which affected almost everyone, to headache to tinnitus, vertigo, nausea, irritability, memory and concentration problems, and panic episodes. Industrial wind turbines have ...
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Maine
29 Nov 2009
Town pushing back against wind
DIXMONT — At 1,165 feet, Mount Harris is little more than a broad hill in a small town along Route 9, southwest of Bangor. And as residents debated an ordinance to regulate wind power development here, it seemed like a local matter.
That changed Nov. 19. By a wide margin — 229 to 78 — voters approved an ordinance that’s being called one of the most restrictive in New England. It requires a one-mile setback between turbines and homes, a standard ...
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Colorado
29 Nov 2009
Colorado town kicks up resistance to proposed wind farms
LA VETA — Huerfano County, which straddles the Eastern Plains and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is facing a wind rush.
Three wind-farm projects — particularly one near scenic La Veta Pass — have galvanized grassroots opposition and posed a challenge for county planning officials.
“When voters and legislators adopted renewable-energy goals, I don’t know if they were thinking of turning rural Colorado into an industrial zone,” said Dawn Blanken, a La Veta councilwoman.
Still, not every wind farm that is proposed will ...
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Virginia
29 Nov 2009
Opposing view
BLUEFIELD, Va. — The view of scenic East River Mountain is almost unparalleled from Charles Stacy’s front porch.
“You almost have to see it to appreciate it,” Stacy, a landowner who is concerned about a proposed large-scale wind turbine farm proposed by Dominion and BP Wind Energy North America for East River Mountain, said. “I am probably one of the most adversely affected as far as eyesight. It (the proposed wind turbine farm) stretches from Bluefield to Springville, and I’m right ...
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Nova Scotia
29 Nov 2009
Neighbours want Shear Wind turbine project grounded
The people living closest to the new wind farm at Browns Mountain near Merigomish want the project halted so wind energy can be studied more closely.
If that doesn’t happen, they want a guarantee of financial compensation if their property values plummet, the noise of 30 turbines affects their health, construction damages their water supply or the project involves any other negative effects.
Such problems have occurred in other places, said a spokeswoman for the Eco Awareness Society, a community group opposed ...
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New York
29 Nov 2009
PSC adds new wind farm study to list
Wind proponents say issue already being covered, object to added time, cost
Developers of the proposed Galloo Island, Horse Creek and Cape Vincent wind farms have one more study to add to their lists after an order from the Public Service Commission.
Under the PSC’s order, dated Oct. 20, all renewable energy projects built at 80 megawatts or more in capacity must conduct the “energy deliverability” study.
Renewable energy development advocates say the study duplicates others, adds time and expense and may ...
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Massachusetts, New Hampshire
29 Nov 2009
Wind turbine plan upsets local officials; Structures would be 500 yards off Salisbury Beach
Hampton officials are concerned and upset, having just learned of a plan that calls for the construction of up to 10 wind turbines less than a quarter mile off Salisbury Beach, threatening the view of Hampton and Seabrook beaches and causing possible nautical hazards to recreational boaters and commercial fishermen.
“It should be a pretty sight from Boars Head,” said Town Manager Fred Welch, who told selectmen last week the area 500 yards off the beach had been identified as a ...
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Pennsylvania
29 Nov 2009
Authority weighs wind farm plan
Conservationists laud the idea, but turbines could harm birds, bats, some wildlife experts fear
In the Pocono Mountains, there is a special spot where the songbirds gather.
On their way to and from their Caribbean winter homes, golden-winged warblers, whippoorwill and other neotropical birds feed on and nest near the blueberry and huckleberry bushes in the breezy barrens of Tunkhannock Township.
That same breeze is attracting wind chasers, alternative-energy companies hoping to harness the wind and feed an electric power grid with ...
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Kentucky
29 Nov 2009
Harnessing wind viable possibility in the state; Mesonet project is serving to pinpoint areas in Kentucky with the most wind
With volatile oil prices and stricter climate control regulations on the horizon, America’s small farms are facing an energy squeeze at a time when they are already fighting for survival against a tide of shrinking profit margins and increased competition.
One way that they may be able to help insulate themselves against an uncertain future is through the emerging area of energy self-reliance – wind power.
Harnessing the power of the wind is something farmers have been doing for centuries with windmills ...
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Vermont
29 Nov 2009
Dubie pushes for Vt. power line path
MONTPELIER — Vermont may soon find itself at the center of another pressing debate over electricity transmission and supply and the state’s energy future. That’s one reason a proposed power line to bring Hydro-Quebec electricity through New Hampshire caught the eye of Vermont’s lieutenant governor.
The line, sometimes referred to as a “hockey stick” shape around Vermont, would move power from the massive network of dams in Canada to Southern New England states without going through Vermont. That would also mean ...
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Michigan
29 Nov 2009
GVSU to develop wind projects
LANSING — The state’s quest for multiple forms of renewable energy has prompted one university to test the wind.
Grand Valley State University intends to develop an offshore wind project on Lake Michigan to measure wind data, using a $1.4 million grant.
The university’s original project plan was to place wind turbines in the Great Lakes, but that plan changed.
“We are not putting wind turbines out there,” said Arn Boezaart, a GVSU official. “Funding has not allowed for that to happen. We ...
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Michigan
29 Nov 2009
Study says large wind turbines to be local decision
WEST MICHIGAN — Anyone seeing a blade from one of Michigan’s 83 utility-sized wind turbines being transported on the highway understands how “big” wind power can be.
Blades in the 150-foot range moved on special truck trailers are impressive sights. But how “big” wind will become in Michigan’s energy future is still an unknown.
Whichever way the industry turns, it will be up to local governments to decide where and how the big turbine towers will be built, a university research group ...
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England
29 Nov 2009
Sadberge Parish Council to discuss plans for Moor House wind farm
Villagers are being urged to put forward their views about a planned wind farm near their homes at a public meeting on Tuesday.
Sadberger Parish Council will dedicate a large part of its monthly meeting to discuss plans for a ten-turbine wind farm on land at Moor House Farm.
The council will also allow residents to speak during the debate.
Banks Developments, a County Durham firm, is behind the plans for the wind farm on land to the north-east of Darlington.
Members of the ...
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Opinions, Vermont
29 Nov 2009
Setting standards for Milton wind project
This is an excerpt of a letter written to the Public Service Board after the Nov. 10 meeting on the Milton wind turbine project.
After listening to the public comments voiced at the meeting, your decision needs to be based on three items: 1. Economic viability of the project; 2. The net positive benefit to the people of Vermont; and 3. The environmental impact. The emotional statements need to be factored in but at a much lower priority. These come from ...
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Illinois
29 Nov 2009
Are board member’s wind farm votes in conflict?
Woodford County state’s attorney says Pille, who has contract with developer to install turbines on farmland he owns, must decide for himself
EUREKA — Over the past year, Terry Pille has been a strong advocate of the development of alternative energy and wind farms in most parts of Woodford County.
But it wasn’t until the talk about his involvement with Navitas Energy became more explicit that the mild-mannered Woodford County Board member publicly acknowledged he had contracted with one of the ...
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Maine, Press releases
30 Nov 2009
Friends of Lincoln Lakes Attacks Expedited Wind Law
The Friends of Lincoln Lakes has filed its brief in their appeal of the August decision of the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP). At that time, the BEP affirmed the April 2009 Order of the Department of Environmental Protection, granting a license to First Wind for the construction of the Rollins Ridge Industrial Wind Farm in Lincoln and surrounding towns.
In their brief, the Appellants argue that the part of the Expedited Wind Law that mandates a direct appeal to ...
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Colorado
30 Nov 2009
La Veta tries to calm rush of wind power plans
LA VETA, Colo. (AP) — One south-central Colorado community is trying to calm the rush of proposals to build wind farms in the area.
The La Veta Town Council opposes the planned 7,000-acre Silver Mountain wind farm two miles from town. Two other wind facilities have been proposed in the area.
La Veta, about 160 miles south of Denver, wants a moratorium on wind projects until Huerfano County updates its planning and regulations. Opponents worry about the effects on the area’s countryside, ...
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Massachusetts
30 Nov 2009
Wind turbine plan meets resistance in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET – Opponents to the town’s plan to build a wind turbine on the bluffs above White Crest Beach spoke out at a recent meeting of the National Seashore Advisory Commission.
They had strong words for the Wellfleet Energy Commission and pointed questions for Seashore Supt. George Price. The Seashore, an abutter to the town-owned land where the 400-foot turbine will be located, has refrained from making any public statements for or against the project, the first phase of which was ...
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Colorado
30 Nov 2009
Artists not blown over by windfarms
Residents of a small Colorado artists’ colony have galvanized resistance against three proposed wind farms, authorities say.
The 880 writers and artists comprising La Veta live two miles from the proposed 7,000-acre Silver Mountain Wind Farm.
The town council voted down the 150-megawatt facility and wants a moratorium on new wind projects until the county updates its land use regulations and master plan, The Denver Post reported Sunday.
There are two more proposed wind farms, challenging county planning officials,
“When voters and legislators adopted ...
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Bulgaria
30 Nov 2009
Green energy rush could crash Bulgaria power grid
A rush to cash in on incentives to develop renewable energy projects in Bulgaria could end up in so much new supply it may cause blackouts on the national grid, the operator told Reuters.
Ivan Ayolov, chief executive of the state electricity system operator (ESO) said in an interview the government should impose stricter regulations to bar speculators.
Generous government incentives for electricity produced from wind, solar and biomass has led to an avalanche-like increase in projects that totalled over 11,000 megawatts ...
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England
30 Nov 2009
‘Ugly, noisy, out of place’— Duke of Northumberland delivers blast on the wind debate
The Duke of Northumberland has stoked up the fierce debate over wind energy development in the North East by launching a withering attack on the impact of massive turbines on the region’s unspoiled countryside.
In a personal intervention which will delight wind farm opponents, the Duke has branded turbines as “ugly, noisy and completely out of place in our beautiful, historic landscape”.
He reveals he has rejected approaches to put turbines on land owned by his own Northumberland Estates business wing – ...
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U.K.
30 Nov 2009
Local residents to receive incentives to allow wind farms
Local residents who allow wind farms to be built in their neighbourhood will be rewarded with lower energy bills, the Tories have promised.
By offering incentives to communities to encourage them not to object to planning bids by wind farm developers, the party believes it could end the often bitter disputes which currently thwart many green projects.
As well as lower gas and electricity bills for up to 25 years, residents would be invited to share in the proceeds of business ...
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England, Letters
30 Nov 2009
What price democracy?
On October 28 the Darrington wind farm appeal process finally concluded.
After a long and somewhat draining 16 days, Mr Richards, the Pontefract Wind Farm Action Group’s barrister, made his final submission.
He stated that after the original application had been unanimously rejected by Wakefield Council’s planning department, the list of those opposed to the project had continued to grow.
No less than seven parish council have declared their opposition to the proposed development. West Park Residents Group was, like Pontefract Wind Farm ...
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Maine
30 Nov 2009
Comment period ending for Maine ocean wind sites
The public comment period is coming to an end on the state’s search for potential sites for offshore wind power demonstration projects along the Maine coast.
Monday is the last day that the Department of Conservation is accepting comments on potential sites.
The state has narrowed its list of candidate sites to four. They are in areas near Boon Island off the southern coast, Damariscove Island near Boothbay, Monhegan Island along the midcoast and Cutler in eastern Maine.
Legislation passed in June mandates ...
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New Zealand
30 Nov 2009
Windflow faces $1m turbine bill
Windflow Technology could face a bill of nearly $1 million for repairs to turbines it has sold to NZ Windfarms.
An independent expert’s report on repairs or retrofits to Windflow Technology’s turbines estimate the total cost at just over $966,000 for repairs excluding replacing blades and any consequential failures.
Windflow has released a statement about the report.
“The Expert has estimated the total liability that would arise if all the identified issues resulted in a requirement to repair {or a decision was made ...
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Indiana
30 Nov 2009
Wind in White County
BROOKSTON — Indiana’s ranking as the fastest growing state in the nation for wind power growth over the past 24 months recently received another boost.
Earlier this month, officials from Horizon Wind Energy, the U.S. subsidiary of EDP Renewables, the world’s fourth largest wind energy player, stood alongside state and local dignitaries and project landowners in Brookston to commemorate the start of operations at Meadow Lake I Wind Farm.
Phase one of the project, which is located in White County, has an ...
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Massachusetts
30 Nov 2009
Dartmouth schedules forum on wind turbines project
DARTMOUTH — The plan to construct two wind turbines at the wastewater treatment plant off Chase Road will get a lot of public scrutiny before it can become a reality.
The first step will come in a public forum from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9 at Dartmouth High School.
That will be followed by a formal hearing before the Select Board, and if approved by the board, it will go to Town Meeting.
“The purpose of the public forum … is to ...
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England
30 Nov 2009
Neighbours upset by school’s ‘noisy’ wind turbine
A wind turbine erected at a Luton infants school to produce green energy is ruffling the feathers of people living nearby.
The 15 metre-high turbine was put up at Crawley Green Infant School, in Beaconsfield, during the October half term holiday, but local residents say the recent high winds mean their new neighbour is proving to be a very noisy one.
One Gayland Avenue resident who telephoned the Herald&Post but wanted to remain anonymous said: “When it’s windy it sounds like a ...
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England, Letters
30 Nov 2009
Insufficient wind at Glyndebourne
On the November 18, after a year-long trial (October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009) Glyndebourne Productions Ltd have finally released the data obtained from the meteorological mast on Mill Plain, as required by Hazel Blears, the minister at the time of the planning application.
The raw data is accompanied by a 24 page ‘wind resource analysis’ report.
This is a complicated document, which obscures rather than clarifies the actual data.
The real figures paint a picture of a proposed turbine, which produces ...
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England
30 Nov 2009
Tewkesbury wind turbine plans submitted
Controversial plans to build three huge wind turbines near Tewkesbury have finally been submitted.
Wind Prospect wants to build three 126m turbines on farmland at Upper Strensham, next to the M50 motorway.
It first mooted the idea in September 2008 and installed a temporary 70m monitoring mast in April this year.
Now it has finally submitted a planning application, for the turbines and an 80m permanent monitoring mast, to Tewkesbury Borough Council.
The company’s spokesman Alastair Smith said: “The three turbines, although only small ...
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Arkansas
30 Nov 2009
Planning Board eyes wind ordinance
FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County Planning Director Juliet Richey wants to set up rules to allow commercial wind farms in rural Washington County.
She knows it may be a long, complicated process, but she says it’s necessary to attract this type of development.
“We’ll be in for hours and hours of discussion,” Richey told county planning board members earlier this month.
Planning board Chairman Randy Laney said now is a good time to look ahead to a wind farm ordinance because the overall number ...
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England
30 Nov 2009
Mechanical glitches plague offshore wind farm
A multi-million pound wind farm built off the Kent coast to provide energy for 100,000 homes has suffered repeated mechanical problems in the four years since it was built.
The Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm, which provides power to houses in Whitstable, Herne Bay and Canterbury, has undergone numerous upgrades to try and deal with setbacks that have caused a reduction in the amount of energy produced.
Gearboxes in all 30 turbines had to be replaced in 2006 and 2007, but just ...
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England
30 Nov 2009
Barlow protest petition against Cleek Hall wind farm plans
Villagers have presented a protest petition to Selby District Council opposing plans for a wind farm close to their homes.
Barlow residents already live in the shadow of Drax Power Station, but as previously revealed in the Selby Times, a five-turbine project has been earmarked for Cleek Hall, with structures standing more than 400ft high.
Plans are listed as being in Cliffe, but actually fall in the parish of Barlow, potentially sandwiching homes between the two eyesores.
Now a petition containing 201 signatures ...
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Massachusetts
30 Nov 2009
Planners take up wind siting proposal; Meeting Thursday
State wind energy siting legislation that’s been criticized by some West County town officials will be the subject of a Franklin County Planning Board meeting this week.
The proposed Wind Energy Siting Reform Act, designed to speed development of wind turbine farms — primarily in western Franklin County and on Cape Cod — will be discussed by the board at a 7 p.m. meeting Thursday at the Hampton Inn Conference Room on Shelburne Road in Greenfield. The meeting is being held ...
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