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U.S.
31 May 2010
As states change laws, utilities try to keep up
Pursuing eminent domain for a transmission project is not a utility’s preferred course of action, but it is sometimes necessary.
Eminent domain – the concept whereby a government gains the right to assume private property for public use – might become a hot topic as more utilities and developers build transmission lines. More than 200 years ago, it became law with the fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution – and has been controversial ever since. Certain details, such as who is ...
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U.S.
31 May 2010
Federal transmission policy faces several roadblocks
More transmission is needed in order to reach the “20% wind energy by 2030″ target that the U.S. Department of Energy says is possible. However, passing a federal bill is another matter.
Talk about the challenges facing the wind business, and several issues come to mind, including siting, the debate over a federal renewable electricity standard (RES), and financing a project in the throes of the worst recession in 40 years.
So, where does transmission – as important to wind ...
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Kansas, U.S.
31 May 2010
Siting case in Kansas could set legal precedent
A legal challenge to ban all commercial wind farms in Wabaunsee County, Kan., could set a precedent for the wind industry.
When the first settlers began spilling into the region that would come to be known as Kansas, they encountered a harsh landscape. Kansas winters were cold, its summers were hot and its wind was nasty and brutish. This wind was more than just a spring and autumn occurrence, and it became a defining hardship for the pioneers. The wind ...
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New York
01 Jun 2010
Wind farm expansion opposed in Orangeville
A 50-family coalition of Wyoming County citizens will continue to fight a plan to expand a wind farm in the Town of Orangeville.
State Supreme Court Justice Patrick H. NeMoyer recently gave the green light to the project by Invenergy, the largest independent wind developer in the United States. The company wants to expand its High Sheldon Wind Farm.
Gary A. Abraham, attorney for the Clear Skies Over Orangeville group, said he hopes the five-judge Appellate Division of State Supreme Court will ...
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California
01 Jun 2010
Wind farms could interfere with flight patterns, radar systems, military says
The Department of Defense says six large-scale wind farms proposed in the Mojave Desert near Barstow would interfere with military operations and should not be built.
The military opposition prompted Houston, Texas-based Horizon Wind Energy last week to withdraw applications for three of the wind farms, said Greg Miller, the renewable energy program manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Desert District. The bureau is handling the applications because the wind farms would be on public land.
No construction had started ...
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Scotland
01 Jun 2010
David Bellamy lends support to Borders wind farm protest group
Campaigners fighting plans for a controversial wind farm in the Borders have gained the support of Professor David Bellamy OBE.
The respected botanist has joined the Say No To Fallago protest group and plans to speak at a protest march in the Lammermuir Hills on June 12. The group was formed a week ago in response to plans to build 48 new turbines on a site known as the Fallago Rig.
North British Wind Power wants to link two existing wind farms, ...
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Michigan, Ontario
01 Jun 2010
Lake turbine plan hits rough seas; Sailers, waterfront residents oppose wind generators
A Canadian company’s plan to place hundreds of wind turbines in Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie has more than a few people on both sides of the border up in arms.
Lynn Kotwicki is one of them. The Royal Oak resident has raced sailboats on Lake St. Clair for years and can’t understand why anyone would think it was the right place to generate electricity ...
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Blogs, Illinois, Shadow flicker
01 Jun 2010
Shadow flicker videos
The sound nuisance has been varied the last few days. we have good moments, but mostly bad moments. We’ve also captured the shadow flicker on video (see below).
According to the American Wind Energy Association,
Myth: “Nearby Residences Will Be Affected by Shadow Flicker”
Fact: Shadow flicker is the term used to describe what happens when rotating turbine blades come between the viewer and the sun, causing a moving shadow. Shadow flicker is almost never a problem for residences near new wind farms, ...
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Blogs, France, Maine, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin
01 Jun 2010
Lawsuits begin to crop up, challenging nearby wind farms
In recent months, several lawsuits and formal complaints have been filed, claiming unlawful nuisance and/or impacts on property values and quality of life near wind farms. Most recently, sixteen residents sued the Michigan Wind I wind farm and its developers, laying out a series of complaints, including (as detailed in the Huron Daily Tribune):
Private nuisance ...
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Vermont
02 Jun 2010
Doctor says wind turbine noise can harm health
MONTPELIER — A doctor who has studied the health effects of a commercial wind power project in northern Maine has come to the conclusion that turbines can have an impact on human health.
“There is absolutely no doubt that people living within 3,500 feet of a ridge line arrangement of 1.5 megawatts or larger turbines in a rural environment will suffer negative effects.”
Dr. Michael Nissenbaum presented his findings at a press conference in Montpelier last month. His statement is of particular ...
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North Carolina, Opinions
02 Jun 2010
The answer’s still blowin; but the times may be a’changin’
I was heartened recently by two op-eds I read in area newspapers regarding industrial-sized wind turbines in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The reasoned commentaries were written by individuals with firsthand knowledge of science, the scientific method, Appalachian history, energy emissions and the environment.
The first commentary I saw, in the May 19 Asheville Citizen-Times, was written by John Droz Jr. of Morehead City and Greig, N. Y., and a frequent visitor to Asheville and WNC. He is a physicist and ...
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Ontario
02 Jun 2010
Malden residents appeal turbine building permits
AMHERSTBURG — Building permits for GenGrowth’s five wind turbine project near Malden Centre look to be proceeding but nearby residents haven’t given up the fight.
“We are going to appeal them,” said Mick MacCorquodale.
MacCorquodale said he and several neighbors have concerns and a Windsor law firm has been hired. He said they will go through the Freedom of Information Act to obtain copies of the permits but noted “there is a catch-22 there” with the window to appeal the permits 20 ...
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Scotland
02 Jun 2010
Planners approve another Viking test mast
Shetland wind farm developer Viking Energy Partnership (VEP) has been granted permission to retain a wind data mast at South Mid Field, near Weisdale, for a further three years.
On Wednesday planning board members unanimously approved the application which had attracted two objections and 12 letters of support, but expressed their disappointment that a previously granted temporary permission for the 72 metre high mast had lapsed two years ago.
Councillors refuted allegations made by one of the two objectors, Billy Fox of ...
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Minnesota
02 Jun 2010
Citizens offer comments on transmission lines, substations for wind project
Health effects and property value were two of the main concerns voiced Tuesday when the public had a chance to raise questions about transmission lines and substations for the proposed Pleasant Valley Wind Farm.
The county board held a public scoping hearing at 3 p.m. to take public comments and questions for Renewable Energy Systems Americas to answer in their Environmental Assessment.
On May 4, the county board accepted a request to be the permitting authority for the transmission lines and substations ...
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Minnesota
02 Jun 2010
County approves meteorological tower for Root River Energy
With one wind farm project potentially starting in the county in the next year, another is still in the planning stages.
The county board approved Root River Energy’s request to install a 196-foot meteorological tower in Bennington Township. The tower could play a key role in determining how much of the wind farm could be built in Mower County.
Last year, Root River Energy expanded the project ...
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Australia
03 Jun 2010
Wind turbine illness claims
Ted Baillieu last week presented what he said was living proof of the inadequacy of Victoria’s approach to wind farms.
On the steps of Parliament House, the Victorian Opposition Leader introduced the people known as Waubra’s “wind farm refugees” to a group of journalists.
Farmers whose families have lived in this hilly part of central Victoria for generations had come to Melbourne to tell the media they’d been forced off their land.
Spanish company Acciona’s wind farm, they said, was making them so ...
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Massachusetts
03 Jun 2010
Group plans turbine farm in Bournedale
BOURNE — Bourne, long known for its myriad gas stations, second-hand furniture stores and pizza restaurants, may now be on track to become the turbine capital of Cape Cod and perhaps Massachusetts, while reconnecting with its past.
New Generation Wind LLC of Hyannis and Bourne has filed an environmental notification form with the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for review of a proposed $40 million seven-turbine complex in Bournedale between Scenic Highway and Route 25 to the west.
The corporation ...
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Oregon, Bats, Video
03 Jun 2010
Wind and bats
If you’ve taken a drive through the gorge lately, you’ve seen that turbines seem to be sprouting up faster than grass. Wind energy is big business now. Unfortunately, those turbines are taking an unexpected toll on migrating bats.
...
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Massachusetts
03 Jun 2010
Barnstable seeks donations for Cape Wind lawsuits
If the Barnstable Town Council makes its way through the remaining budget presentations, the 13-member board will next address whether or not to establish a litigation gift account.
“Specifically it relates to the ongoing litigation dealing with Cape Wind, but is more generic as there may be other instances where we may join forces with other groups and not rely on the taxpayer to pay for representation,” Town Manager John Klimm said Tuesday.
At last week’s town council meeting, close to a ...
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Texas
03 Jun 2010
Proposed windmill farm causes LAFB concern
The proposed Lewis Ranch wind farm in the Anacacho Mountain Range in Kinney County is causing some concern for Laughlin Air Force Base officials.
Laughlin AFB submitted an evaluation to the FAA on Dec. 10, 2009, and is still waiting the FAA’s evaluation.
Lewis Ranch owners have since then requested a copy of the submitted evaluation and have been made aware of Laughlin AFB concerns.
Jerald Smith presented a brief update of the proposed wind farm during Wednesday’s city of Del Rio/Val Verde ...
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Ontario
03 Jun 2010
County takes strong stand against wind turbine plans
GUELPH — There could be several dozen wind turbines in Wellington County if all applications are approved, but county council is taking steps to prevent that.
The county planning committee received a report ...
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Ontario, Press releases, Health
05 Jun 2010
Health report fraught with inaccuracies
Toronto, ON, June 3, 2010 – In a strongly worded document released today, The Society for Wind Vigilance states that the CMOH Report: The Potential Health Impacts of Wind Turbines “appears to be a government-convened attempt to justify unsound practices of wind turbine development while denying the adverse health effects reported by Ontario families”.
On its website www.windvigilance.com it states, “The Society for Wind Vigilance expresses both its surprise and disappointment with the quality of the CMOH’s report. The victims deserve ...
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Letters, Vermont
04 Jun 2010
Windmills a good idea?
In his April 15 “While We Were Sleeping …” column, Kurt Staudter revealed a surprising lack of knowledge about industrial-scale wind energy, its development and its opponents.
First, he wrote, “just because someone with deep pockets doesn’t want to see windmills ...
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Rhode Island
05 Jun 2010
Groups fear SAMP moving too quickly
A process to zone the waters off the coast of Rhode Island is drawing fire ...
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New York
08 Jun 2010
DEC won’t claim review; Environmental issues raised are of local concern, agency says
The state Department of Environmental Conservation isn’t interested in taking over the environmental review of dormant Horse Creek Wind Farm.
Clayton’s joint village and town Planning Board didn’t give the project a third yearlong suspension during its environmental review process. Developer Iberdrola Renewable had asked for the suspension so it could further investigate the potential harm of the 62-turbine project to Indiana bats, a federally listed endangered species.
Iberdrola’s spokesman said Friday that the company will submit a new application and start ...
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Letters, Maine
08 Jun 2010
Let voices be heard
Much to the surprise of wind turbine developer Patriots Renewables of Quincy, Mass., Carthage residents have made a valiant first step in determining whether a project on Saddleback Mountain of Carthage would be beneficial for them. They have chosen, by written petition, to have a town vote to establish a wind moratorium, providing proof that many questions about wind development have yet to be answered.
A Carthage citizen spoke up, asking Patriots Renewables to schedule a public gathering to answer questions ...
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New Zealand
08 Jun 2010
Hurunui wind farm faces opposition
A wind farm proposal in Canterbury’s Hurunui district has led to the alleged tyre spiking of a Meridian vehicle.
Meridian is engaged in public consultation on Project Hurunui, a wind farm to be located on privately-owned farmland 66km north of Christchurch, and is expected to lodge a formal application for the project in the near future.
If approved, Project Hurunui will see the installation of up to 33 turbines with a combined generating capacity of 75.9MW, enough to power up to 33,000 ...
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Massachusetts
08 Jun 2010
Windmill bill overrides local control
A hundred times more wind turbines than we now have, coming soon to neighborhoods across the state. Towers reaching 50-story heights, red lights flashing and blades like a 747’s wingspan, placed wherever the Secretary of Energy thinks they should go. Home rule bypassed. Planning boards sidelined. Neighbors without right of appeal. Low-frequency noise sickening residents in homes no one wants.
Does this sound like the latest Stephen King horror movie? Hardly. It’s the real-life “Wind Energy Siting Reform Act,” now pending ...
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Ireland
08 Jun 2010
Gweebarra group to host public meeting
The Gweebarra Conservation Group is holding a public meeting next weekend on a number of environmental issues, including the planned ESB/Eirgrid high-power line through rural Donegal, mining in the area, industrial wind farms and litter.
The meeting is set for 4 pm on Saturday, June 12, at Elliott’s Lounge in Leitirmacaward.
A spokesperson for the group said that the refusal of Eamon Ryan, minister for communications, energy and natural resources, to meet with the group prompted the meeting. Minister Ryan granted a ...
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Rhode Island
08 Jun 2010
Latest wind-farm bill hits headwinds
Faced with growing opposition to its plans to permit an offshore wind farm without the approval of the state Public Utilities Commission, leaders in the Senate, the House and the governor’s office responded Monday with new legislation that restores PUC review, albeit on an expedited basis.
The legislation also mandates additional steps to try to cut the costs of the proposed eight-turbine, demonstration wind farm, while maintaining the timeline the preferred contractor, Deepwater Wind LLC, has been trying to follow to ...
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Ireland
08 Jun 2010
Over 50 new windfarms to be built in Donegal
Donegal’s rural landscape will be transformed by the construction of more than 50 windfarms over the coming years, new figures reveal.
The current number of 117 windfarms across the Republic will rapidly increase over the coming decade to 361 as the Irish government races to meet EU targets which oblige it to produce 40% of all electricity needs ...
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Letters, Wisconsin
09 Jun 2010
Developers running roughshod
Dear PSC Commissioners and Wind Siting Council members:
I`d like to share my experience with a wind developer in hopes of helping future land owners.
My wife and I looked into small wind turbines for several years, but could never cost justify buying one. The payback period was always longer that the life expectancy of the turbines. When I read about a proposed wind project in my area, I called the developer to find out about hosting a turbine on our land. ...
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Scotland
09 Jun 2010
MP calls for halt to further wind farms
There should be a moratorium on wind farms in Caithness until those already agreed have been constructed, according to the local MP.
John Thurso fears that the cumulative effect of wind farms in the county has not been properly addressed and he would like to see a halt to further development so that a proper assessment can be made.
The concerns are raised in a letter to Highland Council planning manager Gordon Moody setting out the MP’s opposition to the Spittal ...
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Ontario
09 Jun 2010
Samsung wind farm blows farmers off land; Testing in South Cayuga affects 486 leased hectares
A group of farm families are today vacating land on which they’ve toiled for decades to make way for a South Korean company’s plan to build wind and solar energy projects.
Nineteen farmers were advised a month ago they would need to make way for testing procedures by a consortium led by Samsung, which was given a controversial $7-billion deal by the Liberal government in January to create power facilities by 2015.
While some farmers were told to vacate the land for ...
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Michigan
09 Jun 2010
Mason Co. commissioners oppose offshore wind proposal; Scandia withdraws request at last minute
Oceana County still has a vote, but as far as Mason County commissioners are concerned, Scandia Wind’s proposal for 50 to 100 wind turbines in Lake Michigan is a dead issue.
The county commission voted Tuesday 9-1 against the developer’s request for support: Could the community live with the view of the turbines 4 to 6 miles off the shore ...
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Rhode Island
10 Jun 2010
House passes Deepwater wind turbine legislation
PROVIDENCE, R. I. — Some legislators argued the Deepwater wind farm off Block Island is going to be a longterm financial drain on the state electric ratepayers; others insisted it will be an economic engine that will power Rhode Island into the future.
After midnight, following a debate of more than three hours, the House finally voted 56-15 for a bill that is designed to set the wind project back on course by setting the standards for it to be reviewed ...
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England
10 Jun 2010
No to turbines plan
Plans for three 350ft turbines at Westnewton, near Aspatria, have been thrown out by Allerdale council.
Broadview Energy Development wanted to erect the turbines at Warwick Hall Farm, to supply energy for 3,500- 5,300 homes.
More than 1,850 letters of objection were sent to the council, while Aspatria Town Council and Allonby and Westnewton parish councils also objected.
About 316 letters of support were also received.
An officer’s report to the development panel, which met at The Wave Centre in Maryport on Tuesday, recommended ...
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Wales
10 Jun 2010
Fury over windfarm plans
A potential site for the 26th wind farm development in North Wales has been slammed by protesters.
The proposed development, made by ScottishPower Renewables, is located at Mynydd Mynyllod, south West of Corwen, and will consist of up to 25 turbines.
If accepted this development would be the 26th wind farm – either in operation, consented or currently in planning within North Wales.
The proposed area is located south of the existing three Braich Ddu wind turbines and includes the area of the ...
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Massachusetts
10 Jun 2010
State suspends rule that utilities buy local green energy
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has suspended regulations that require utilties to negotiate long-term contracts with in-state renewable energy providers.
TransCanada Power, a Canadian energy company with operations in Westborough, had sued several state officials, challenging the constitutionality of that requirement. That case is ongoing.
But earlier this week, public utility secretary Mark D. Marini filed an order saying the mandate to purchase renewable power under a long-term contract would be broadened to include out-of-state providers. The order is allowed under ...
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Maine
10 Jun 2010
Conservationists seek more wind power money for Woodstock
The Woodstock Conservation Commission wants to add to the amount of money wind power developer Patriots Renewable must pay to the town as part of a “tangible benefits” requirement of state law.
The WCC would like to see the money used for land conservation.
In its application to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for a wind project on Spruce Mountain, Patriot is proposing to pay “at least” $20,000 a year to Woodstock for 20 years, and provide a 1,000-acre conservation easement ...
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Ontario
10 Jun 2010
‘Remote’ wind farm planned for North Bay area
Schneider Power has inked a 20-year power purchase agreement with Ontario Power Authority (OPA) for energy produced by a wind farm near North Bay.
The 10-megawatt Trout Creek Wind Project will be producing power by 2012.
The wind farm will be 40 kilometres south of North Bay.
The deal was signed under Ontario’s Feed-in-Tariff program and will create 40 construction jobs and three permanent jobs.
Schneider Power’s President Thomas Schneider said the agreement with OPA is an important step in the company’s efforts to ...
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Massachusetts
10 Jun 2010
Local wind power projects get grants
BOSTON — A number of wind power projects to be built south of Boston are among the winners in the latest round of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grants.
The state agency will distribute $2.66 million in design and construction grants to 18 wind energy projects. The money comes ...
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Illinois
11 Jun 2010
Wind farm case will be headed to trial
GENEVA – A Kane County judge on Thursday gave residents living among the wind farm operated by NextEra Energy Resources the OK to take a lawsuit seeking the turbines’ removal to trial.
Judge Michael Colwell rejected NextEra’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by about 40 landowners around the Shabbona area, giving the residents the trial they have sought for nearly a year.
“This was a very important motion that we prevailed on,” said Rick Porter, the Rockford-based attorney representing the landowners ...
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New York
12 Jun 2010
Perry enacts wind energy moratorium
PERRY — A one-year moratorium on wind energy development was approved at Wednesday’s Town Board meeting.
Board members approved the moratorium 4-1 with Town Supervisor James Brick voting no. It will allow the town to re-examine and potentially change its wind energy law.
The moratorium could be expanded if necessary. The town could also choose to enact new height limitations.
It’s one more step in potentially ending the issue that’s divided much of Perry during the past five years.
The Town Board declared Horizon ...
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Ontario
12 Jun 2010
Bat, bird kills alarm group
A conservation organization reviewing the number of birds and bats killed by the wind turbines on Wolfe Island is calling the numbers “extremely high.”
A consultant’s report estimates that 1,270 bats and 602 birds were killed by the island’s 86 turbines ...
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New York
13 Jun 2010
Wind farm holds promise for areas, but at what cost?
Timothy M. Ryan, whose company runs the Steel Winds wind farm in Lackawanna, sees the push for a huge offshore wind energy complex in Lake Erie as a golden opportunity for the Buffalo Niagara region.
The project, likely to cost upward of $1 billion if built, would give the region a significant source of nonpolluting and renewable electricity and could provide the head start needed to turn the area into a center for manufacturing the 8,000-plus components per wind turbine.
“This is ...
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Opinions, Vermont
13 Jun 2010
No future in industrial wind
In March, Green Mountain Power, Central Vermont Public Service Corp and Hydro Quebec announced agreement on new 26-year contracts to provide Vermont with clean renewable hydroelectric power.
Trans Canada is asking for a reappraisal of the hydro dams they own on the Connecticut River. Cleve Kapala of Trans Canada said, “I mean the plants are obviously worth less today than they were prerecession and preoversupply of electricity.” In spite of the oversupply and low price of electricity Trans Canada has applied ...
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Vermont
13 Jun 2010
Mad about wind? Valley must decide
WAITSFIELD – Last month, at a meeting attended by about 40 residents of the Mad River Valley, a Boston-based energy company tried to see which way the wind blows.
Citizens Wind wants to install large turbines atop Northfield Ridge, one of two ranges that frame this idyllic resort community.
The proposal is exceedingly preliminary. Citizens Wind, owned by Citizens Energy, doesn’t even know whether the ridge, in Waitsfield, is a viable site for wind power. Before proceeding with the costly process of ...
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Letters, Wyoming
13 Jun 2010
Explain how wind works
Natrona County will be proudly celebrate “Wind Day” with the rest of the world. Better to have been honest and called it “grab all the federal subsidies you can” day. Instead, the county will be bragging that they have participated in grabbing millions of dollars in subsidies and doing massive environmental remodeling all for a technology that does not work. Now the question is “Are these commissioners aware of the deception”? I can’t say but there is plenty of information ...
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Massachusetts
13 Jun 2010
Could be a Cape Wind-fall: Turbine developers sell Texas project after getting OKs
Cape Wind developers could make big bucks if they sold off the rights to the proposed offshore wind farm, as they did last year when they unloaded a new wood-burning power plant in Texas before construction even began.
Estimates of Cape Wind’s pre-construction value range ...
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Minnesota
14 Jun 2010
Battle over wind development shifts to billboards
Travelers headed north on Highway 52 near Zumbrota will have noticed a new billboard this week.
It depicts Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens holding a bag of money as a grinning Gov. Tim Pawlenty stands by. Five visibly distressed people sit atop an overturned windmill under the tagline, “Pickens gets the gold mine, we get the shaft.”
It’s part of an ongoing debate over who ultimately benefits ...
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U.K., Birds
16 Jun 2010
Breeding birds and wind farms
Reference
Pearce-Higgins, J. W. , Stephen, L., Langston, R. H. W., Bainbridge, I. P. and Bullman, R. 2009. The distribution of breeding birds around upland wind farms. Journal of Applied Ecology 46: 1323-1331.
Background
With respect to negative effects of wind farms, the authors write that “the displacement of birds away ...
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South Dakota
16 Jun 2010
Permit granted for 37,000-acre wind farm in South Dakota
A state permit was granted Tuesday for a 37,000-acre wind farm of up to 110 turbines to be built by Basin Electric Power Cooperative in southeast South Dakota.
North Dakota-based Basin Electric said when completed, the PrairieWinds SD1 project would replace its PrairieWinds ND1 as the largest wind project owned and operated by an electric cooperative in the United States.
Construction of the $363 million, 165-megawatt project will begin when federal permits are obtained, Basin officials said. PrairieWinds ND1 south of Minot, ...
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Blogs, Wisconsin, Bats, Birds, Wildlife
16 Jun 2010
Wind farms spell extinction for bats, other wildlife
Birds of prey aren’t the only victims of the so-called ‘green energy’ boom (see, Google goofs with wind farm investment fiasco,). Bats and other wildlife are being massacred by the hundreds of thousands, either stunned and dismembered by the spinning turbine blades, or driven ...
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Massachusetts
17 Jun 2010
Ashfield to state: ‘Not so fast’ on wind energy bill
Letter will advise area legislators against usurping local control
ASHFIELD — The Selectboard is sending area Legislators a latter saying that the House of Representatives’ version of the Wind Energy Siting Reform bill bypasses local control and is being rushed through the Legislature without any public hearings in western Massachusetts.
The Board is to sign the letter tonight. According to a draft of the letter, the board decries “the top-down controlled procedures established by the Act,” which could supersede ...
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Massachusetts
17 Jun 2010
Bill would weaken local role in wind siting decisions
A wind facilities siting bill released by the House Committee on Ways and Means on May 18 is similar to the Senate version in many respects, but it would not include municipal representation in the state permit process or in certain appeals of local decisions.
Under the House bill, developer appeals of local board decisions would go to Superior Court, but third-party appeals would go to a hearing officer in the Green Communities Division within the Department of Energy Resources.
The Green ...
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Ontario
17 Jun 2010
Western Wardens discuss wind farm issue
Centre Wellington Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj has taken local concerns about wind energy to the Western Wardens Association.
The province’s Green Energy Act and the siting of large wind turbine “farms” in agricultural areas was one of the major topics the group discussed at a meeting last week, she said.
The Western Wardens brings together heads of counties in southwestern Ontario to lobby the provincial and federal governments on behalf of local municipalities – Ross-Zuj is in her second term as Wellington ...
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England
17 Jun 2010
Call for exclusion zones to curtail Cumbria wind farms
Exclusion zones should be put in place to curtail wind farm development in West Cumbria, said the leader of Cumbria County Council.
Eddie Martin, who represents Dearham and Broughton, said planning laws should be weighted more towards community opinion and wants to see wind farms debated in Parliament.
Mr Martin said: “I would welcome exclusion zones on parts of the Solway coast which doesn’t have the same degree of protection afforded to the national park.
“It should extend three or four miles inland.
“Applications ...
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Scotland
17 Jun 2010
Delight at ruling over Penicuik wind farm
Scottish Ministers have rejected E. ON’s bid to erect 14 wind turbines on Auchencorth Moss, south of Penicuik.
The energy giant, which had been seeking to overturn Midlothian Council’s earlier planning refusal, has said it is “unlikely” it will continue with the wind farm development.
Campaigners have hailed the decision, which was announced on Friday June 11 following a lengthy planning inquiry.
In their report, the Reporters Allison Coard and Trevor Croft said the wind farm with 100m high turbines would have a ...
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New York
17 Jun 2010
Clinton to establish Wind Facility Planning Board
The Town Council here is establishing a Wind Facility Planning Board.
The new law, passed during a special meeting Wednesday night, transfers the deciding powers of the Clinton Town Council under the Wind Energy Facilities Law to the new Planning Board.
The board will have between three and five members, each appointed by the Town Council.
DISCLOSURE
The town’s lawyer, Daniel Spitzer, said residents can apply to be on the board by submitting letters indicating their interest.
But Spitzer urged those interested to disclose whether ...
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Kansas
17 Jun 2010
Cost sharing to build transmission lines approved
TOPEKA, Kan. – Final approval came Thursday for a cost sharing plan for the pricey electric lines that can bring more Kansas wind energy into the power grid.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a proposal by the Southwest Power Pool, a conglomerate of utilities and power cooperatives in seven states, to share the costs of installing the costly high voltage transmission lines among all the members of the pool.
The power lines that support the highest voltage transmission, called “highways,” ...
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Massachusetts
17 Jun 2010
A lot of hot air at Cape Wind hearing
It was eco-grandstanding in overdrive last night, at the first public hearing on a proposed power purchase agreement between Cape Wind and National Grid.
After Democrat operative George Bachrach likened Cape Wind developer Jim Gordon to explorer Christopher Columbus, electrician union chief Marty Aikens begged state officials to approve the deal for his – and other people’s – grandchildren.
“They see what’s happening in the Gulf (of Mexico) and say, ‘Grandpa, grandpa, make it stop,’ ” Aikens said during the two-hour public ...
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England
17 Jun 2010
Turbine noise guidelines
New guidance is to be issued to local authorities over the way they consider the noise impact of wind turbines.
The move has been welcomed by environmental health officers who are currently using Government guidance issued 13 years ago – before larger turbines began to be erected.
Tenders are being invited for two new Government research projects; the first to analyse how turbine noise is considered in the planning process and the second to re-assess the evidence base on reported noise complaints. ...
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Letters, Vermont
17 Jun 2010
Letter challenges ruling on wind project
One of the brilliant assertions made by our esteemed Public Service Board in approving the Georgia Mountain wind project is that there is no empirical evidence that the presence of wind turbines affects property values. Apparently, they need a study to prove this to themselves, as opposed to common sense.
Any fool can see that a house not near 400-foot turbines will be worth more than a comparable house that is.
There is something wrong with our permitting system that it only ...
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Massachusetts
18 Jun 2010
Wind farm’s hopes hang on special town meeting in Douglas; Key amendment comes to a vote
DOUGLAS — Eighteen months ago, Maurizio Caparrotta, president of Weymouth-based wind energy developer American Pro Wind LLC, saw huge potential in Douglas for what would be the state’s largest land-based commercial wind farm. The area had good wind speed, it was among the highest elevations within 20 miles, and an industrial-zoned parcel on the Webster line was surrounded on three sides by state forest, providing a natural screen. What’s more, the target site was difficult to develop for other industrial ...
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Vermont
18 Jun 2010
No changes to Town Plan for wind farm on Northfield Ridge
Proponents of a wind farm on the Northfield Ridge were in short supply at a planning commission meeting in Waitsfield this week. The Waitsfield Planning Commission, at a public hearing to discuss whether to modify the Town Plan to allow wind farming on the Northfield Ridge, heard a hue and cry against such action that was formidable enough for the commissioners to decide not to amend the Town Plan for now. Although members of the commission did note that if ...
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Indiana
18 Jun 2010
Windmill proposal fails again
The Board of Zoning Appeals for the third time delayed a decision to approve three windmills in Evansville. Frank Peterlin, president of US Incubator, wants to put three windmills on his property to decrease the cost of utilities for the businesses within his building. US Incubator, 815 John St., houses 27 small businesses while they grow until they can function on their own within the city. Two of the windmills would be 45 feet tall and one would be 60 ...
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Blogs, Massachusetts
18 Jun 2010
Wind storm approaching
The town is preparing on several fronts to face the question of whether wind power will come to Ashfield. At last night’s meeting, the Select Board reviewed their approval of the use of Town Hall for this evening’s informational meeting. Board Chair Dave DeHerdt said that, since the board voted to approve the meeting, they have discovered that Clear Sky LLC, the company hosting the meeting, has asked Town Moderator Buz Eisenberg to moderate it. DeHerdt proposed that they amend ...
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Oklahoma
18 Jun 2010
Federal regulators approve cost sharing for Oklahoma power projects
Federal regulators cleared the way Thursday for a $1.1 billion bundle of electrical transmission projects in Oklahoma and surrounding states. The six-project priority list was approved in April by the Southwest Power Pool’s board of directors, contingent on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s signing off on a proposed cost-sharing plan that spread out the burden of upgrading the region’s power grid. The “Highway/Byway” plan was approved Thursday, meaning Southwest Power Pool members — which include Oklahoma’s two largest electric companies ...
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England
18 Jun 2010
Pendle wind farm plans scaled back
A new wind farm project promoted by telecoms giant BT has been scaled back, the Lancashire Telegraph can reveal. But the phone magnate is still confident that the proposed turbines, reduced ...
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Ontario
19 Jun 2010
Wind Concerns Ontario wants new study done
A great deal has been written about wind power, but according to John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, a key piece of information is missing. “Do a proper epidemiological study on the impact (of wind turbines) on real people, and stop reading incomplete literature.” The recent report by the province’s Medical Officer of Health that found no “direct casual” link between turbine noises and reported health concerns, fell into the category of literature review, he said. “I don’t even ...
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Ontario
19 Jun 2010
Municipalities took too long to react: MPP
The pursuit of green energy in the fields of rural Ontario is just another example of a Toronto-centric mentality by governments at Queen’s Park, says MPP Bill Murdoch. “We have a problem in rural Ontario, we’ve had it for a long time,” Murdoch said in a recent interview. “Everything at Queen’s Park being, it’s OK for Toronto so it’s OK for the rest of Ontario.” Murdoch says it’s this “attitude” that fuelled his comments earlier this year that Toronto and ...
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Scotland
19 Jun 2010
Protestors say wind farm will blight their lives
Over 50 people staged a protest at Spittal Hill at the weekend amid fears that their lives will be blighted by a proposed 30-turbine wind farm at the site. The demonstration on Sunday was part of an ongoing campaign against the development, being proposed by local businessmen Tom and Steven Pottinger. It is to be considered at a planning meeting in the Ross Institute, Halkirk, on Tuesday. Campaigners pointed out that the controversial development had attracted “by far the biggest ...
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New Zealand
19 Jun 2010
Wind-farm battle to resume
The next round in the battle to decide whether the southern hemisphere’s largest wind farm should be constructed on the Lammermoor Range in Dunedin starts on Monday. Five days have been set down for Meridian Energy’s appeal against an Environment Court decision declining consents for the proposed $2 billion Project Hayes wind farm. Justices Chisholm and Fogarty will preside over the hearing in the High Court at Dunedin and only points of law can be addressed in the appeal. Any ...
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New Zealand
19 Jun 2010
Meridian Energy ready to fight in High Court
It could be the final chapter of the marathon Project Hayes wind farm saga. Meridian Energy’s appeal against the Environment Court decision to decline resource consents for the 176-turbine wind farm in remote Central Otago starts on Monday in the High Court at Dunedin. Resource consents granted by the Central Otago District Council and Otago Regional Council were cancelled in a 350-page decision in November. Conservation groups hailed the decision against the $2 billion wind farm bid as a groundbreaking ...
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New Jersey
19 Jun 2010
Wind farms don’t hurt wildlife, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says ahead of construction off Atlantic City’s coast
New Jersey can build offshore windmills without hurting wildlife, state officials said Friday. The state Department of Environmental Protection released the results of a two-year study that projected the impact offshore windmills might have on everything with fins, feathers or flippers. The study was the most intensive marine wildlife study ever undertaken in the United States, said Gary A. Buchanan, manager of the DEP’s Office of Science. It was designed by scientists ...
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Letters, Ontario
19 Jun 2010
Provincial Police calling on wind opponents
A few days ago a telephone call ...
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England
21 Jun 2010
Turbines grind to a halt after power fault
Eight wind turbines near Swaffham stopped spinning and more than 3,000 households lost power after a cable fault occurred in the electricity network. People living in the North Pickenham area experienced several short interruptions to their energy supplies when the problem arose at about 2.50pm on Friday. It was caused by a cable fault at a substation, owned by EDF Energy, which also serves the eight turbines near the village, operated by green energy firm Enertrag. The turbines ground to ...
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Northern Ireland, Opinions
21 Jun 2010
Wind power will never cure our energy ills
It’s been a grand 10 days of strong north westerlies for the wind turbines in my area. I can see them in the distance ...
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New York
22 Jun 2010
Iberdrola: wind noise not a problem
HAMMOND – A sound consultant under contract with Iberdrola Renewables told the Hammond Wind Committee Monday that professional studies show that several health concerns involving noise ...
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Maine
23 Jun 2010
Wind ordinance to voted on Saturday
BUCKFIELD — On Saturday, June 26, residents will meet at 9 a.m. at the Buckfield Junior-Senior High School to vote on 46 town warrant articles including a wind ordinance. The 50-page wind ordinance addresses different aspects of wind turbine farms in the town. If the ordinance passes, it becomes effective immediately. The proposed ordinance states that the Planning Board has all permitting authority on wind turbines and it will only review one application at a time. There are four types ...
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England
23 Jun 2010
Old Hutton turbine challenge decision delayed
A farming couple must wait to hear the outcome of their High Court challenge to plans for a wind farm near their land. Rebecca and Brian Barnes of Gilsmere Farm, Killington, claim plans for six turbines at Old Hutton would be a blight on the landscape, cause a noise nuisance, and put their three children at risk. Deputy Judge George Bartlett QC has reserved his decision to the Barnes’ appeal for planning permission granted by a Government inspector to be ...
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New Zealand
23 Jun 2010
Meridian accused of ‘straw-men’ argument
Meridian Energy has been accused of creating “straw men” to appeal against an Environment Court judgment. Environmental societies opposing the state-owned power company’s Project Hayes wind-farm development in Central Otago have also pounced on a Meridian witness who said New Zealand “was often referred to as the Saudi Arabia of wind”. Justin Smith, for the Maniototo Environmental Society and other respondents, told the High Court in Dunedin yesterday that the comment showed there were options on where Meridian might build ...
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Minnesota
23 Jun 2010
First draft of Goodhue County’s new wind regulations proves unpopular
RED WING — Both sides of the wind energy debate got their initial look at the first draft of the updated zoning ordinance last week. Neither side expressed any satisfaction with the changes Tuesday during a Planning Advisory Commission subcommittee meeting. Proposals included restricting the number of hours per year a dwelling could experience shadow flicker ...
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Wisconsin
24 Jun 2010
Morrison, Glenmore and Wrightstown officials urge more study of wind farm sites; Officials concerned about health, safety
The elected officials of three southern Brown County towns will ask the Public Service Commission to take more time to study possible health and safety issues before approving wind turbine siting rules. Comments ...
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New York, Ontario
26 Jun 2010
Canadian firm will discuss wind project; Company will unveil Duck Island plans
A Canadian company with an offshore wind power project planned for south and west of the Duck Islands will have a public meeting on this side of the border. Trillium Power Wind Corp., Toronto, is proposing Trillium Power Wind 1, a 414-megwatt project. The corporation will hold a public meeting ...
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Maine
27 Jun 2010
Wind project generating opposition
SKOWHEGAN — There is a “beautiful wetland” on Witham Mountain in Highland Plantation, with a spring and a little stream that leads to Greg Drummond’s house. Drummond has been going to the peaceful place filled with black spruce since he was a teenager. Recently, he noticed surveyor’s tape there. Nearby, written on a ribbon: “Turbine #27.” “The only thing I own is that land and that property,” Drummond told a group gathered for the Somerset Economic Development Corporation meeting Friday ...
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Maine
27 Jun 2010
Buckfield passes wind ordinance
BUCKFIELD — The proposed wind ordinance passed by a large majority at the annual town meeting on Saturday. Approximately 70 residents participated. The ordinance calls for a 1-mile setback and limits any sound output. James Parker ...
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Massachusetts
28 Jun 2010
Utilities regulator eyes National Grid contract
The legal squabbles over participation in the review of the electricity contract for Cape Wind have focused attention on a state agency that runs steadily in the background like a quiet but powerful generator. The Department of Public Utilities’ three commissioners work to ensure that Massachusetts energy consumers receive the most reliable energy at the lowest cost – a regulatory role that most don’t notice until their electric bills soar or their power goes out for a week after a ...
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Minnesota
28 Jun 2010
Aurora County to consider permit for wind farm
PLANKINTON — Bismarck, N. D.-based Basin Electric has one area county left ...
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Scotland
29 Jun 2010
Stornoway Trust and Amec in bid to build 30 turbines
New plans are to be unveiled today for a windfarm on Lewis two years after proposals for a massive £500million development were rejected by the government amid a storm of protest. Island landowners the Stornoway Trust and developer Amec are at an advanced stage of negotiations on proposals to build about 30 turbines on trust land. A bid for a 181-turbine windfarm on Barvas Moor in the north of Lewis was turned down by the Scottish Government in 2008. But ...
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Wisconsin
29 Jun 2010
Public voices concerns on wind siting rules
Landowners, engineers, wind energy advocates, elected officials and others turned out for two public hearings in Fond du Lac Monday on proposed uniform wind siting regulations. Among the speakers was Michael Hutter of Michels Corporation, which has worked on wind farm projects in Calumet, Columbia, Dodge, and Fond du Lac counties. His company believes uniform regulations will “facilitate the responsible development and construction projects in Wisconsin.” Barnaby Dinges, a member of the American Wind Energy Association, is concerned the rules ...
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England
29 Jun 2010
Energy firm loses appeal over Lake District wind farm
A decision to block a planned wind farm on the edge of the Lake District has been upheld by the government. West Coast Energy appealed against a decision by Eden District Council to refuse permission for nine turbines near the village of Greystoke. The council said the 334ft (102m) turbines at Berrier Hill would blight the “unique local landscape.” The company said it was disappointed at the government’s decision and would review its options for the area. Opponents to the ...
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Delaware
29 Jun 2010
Rehoboth’s wind farm faces delays
While the British Petroleum oil spill was expected to encourage a boom in renewable energy projects, the dissolution of the Minerals Management Service, which regulated offshore leases, has temporarily blocked Bluewater Wind’s plans for an offshore wind farm 14 miles off Rehoboth Beach. Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power have agreed to extend a key project deadline because of a permit delay related to the breakup of the Minerals Management Service (MMS). Under its original 2008 contract with Delmarva Power, NRG ...
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U.S., Utah
29 Jun 2010
Groups sue over sage grouse protections
SALT LAKE CITY — Three environmental groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the federal government for it failure to immediately enact protections for the greater sage grouse, which is found in Utah. Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed the bird merited addition to the Endangered Species List — kicking loose a variety of protections — it also said in its March decision that other species of animals had higher priority. For now, the sage grouse remains a “candidate” ...
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Wisconsin
29 Jun 2010
Wind turbine debate spins toward Sept. 1 deadline
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is sticking to a firm Sept. 1 deadline to propose wind turbine placement rules despite calls from local governments to wait. “We had a very clear mandate to get work done quickly,” PSC Chairman Eric Callisto said Tuesday. “Expediency is important in order to have uniformity and ground rules in place for future wind development.” Callisto and other PSC staff members this week are traveling throughout the state to hold public hearings on wind ...
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Ontario
29 Jun 2010
Clarington council wants wind farm moratorium
BOWMANVILLE — Clarington council is asking the Province to impose a moratorium on the approval of any wind farm applications until further studies can be done on the possible health and economic impacts. “We’re very pleased that they’re taking this step forward,” said Heather Rutherford, spokeswoman for Clarington Wind Concerns, a group of citizens who live in the study area of two current wind farm proposals. Councillor Gord Robinson brought the motion for a moratorium to the June 28 council ...
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New Zealand
29 Jun 2010
Project Hayes process ‘waste of time’
The lobby group opposed to the Project Hayes wind farm yester-day slammed the judicial process and said Meridian Energy’s High Court appeal was a face-saving exercise. Justices Lester Chisholm and John Fogarty reserved judgment on the Meridian-led appeal against the Environment Court’s November decision, which declined consents for the proposed $2 billion wind farm on the Lammermoor Range. Save Central co-ordinator Graye Shattky and other Project Hayes opponents were in a Dunedin courthouse last week for three days of legal ...
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New Jersey
30 Jun 2010
Turbine granted final approval despite opposition
Construction of a 1.5-megawatt industrial wind turbine in Union Beach will be erected by January 2011, pending two new bird and bat impact studies, officials from the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority (BRSA) said last week. The authority’s commission approved resolutions for the preconstruction studies at its June 21 meeting. The studies, which were contracted to wind power and bird consultants Curry & Kerlinger LLC, Cape May, are required to be completed under the BRSA’s permit with the N. J. Department of ...
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Wisconsin
30 Jun 2010
Wind farm rules hearing draws crowd at Fond du Lac’s City County Government Center
FOND DU LAC — Wind farm advocates and critics packed Legislative Chambers at the City County Government Center on Monday to voice their opinions about proposed wind siting rules to be crafted by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. The rules would result in uniform wind siting standards for local units of government, replacing a patchwork of rules and moratoriums imposed by counties and towns around the state governing small wind power projects. The public hearings, scheduled around the state this ...
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Ontario
30 Jun 2010
Northland Power must fine-tune its energy act submission
LITTLE CURRENT—Questions have arisen surrounding the McLean’s Mountain Wind Farm following a request for more information from the Ministry of the Environment, but proponents say it’s a normal part of the process that ensures the company is meeting all the requirements for a successful project. On June 14, project proponent Northland Power received a request for additional information from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) on its renewable energy approval (REA) submission, which was sent to the ministry in mid-May. ...
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Illinois, Opinions
30 Jun 2010
What to do with all that wind?
A quiz about wind power: 1. Who runs America’s biggest wind farm? (A) Cannon Power Group, (B) General Electric, (C) BP or (D) Terra-Gen Power. 2. Where is it located? (A) Oregon, (B) Colorado, (C) California or (D) Indiana. The answers are BP and Indiana. BP? The company whose thirst for oil may have polluted the Gulf of Mexico for decades? And Indiana? I just assumed the best place to harvest the wind was on gusty, barren height out West. ...
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New York
30 Jun 2010
Transmission line plans due Sept. 15
Galloo Island Wind Farm developer Upstate NY Power Corp has until Sept. 15 to work out the best alternate routes for a transmission line from the island to the state’s wholesale grid system. On March 31, the Public Service Commission agreed to a suspension of the developer’s application on the basis that it needed more time to collect information on new alternate routes. Upstate NY Power’s original preferred route ran a transmission line from Galloo Island to make landfall on ...
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Virginia
30 Jun 2010
Offshore wind farms bring concerns over radar systems
The push to develop wind farms off Virginia’s coast and elsewhere is bringing to light concerns about a complex federal approval process and about how the giant turbines might affect air travel and national security, a congressional subcommittee was told Tuesday. Testifying before the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee in Washington, a wind energy executive said the industry has been talking for four years with federal officials about how to develop a more specific process for federal review of the ...
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Canada, Opinions
30 Jun 2010
Windmills kill more birds
Environmental groups are gloating over the conviction last week of Syncrude Canada Ltd., which now faces fines totalling $800,000 for failing to prevent the deaths of 1,606 ducks that alighted on a company tailings pond two years ago. Yet the fact a great many more birds and bats are mangled by wind turbine blades each year draws scant attention, much less prosecution. This double standard highlights the widespread misperception that so-called “renewable” energy sources do not demand environmental trade-offs. That ...
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U.S.
30 Jun 2010
Wind turbines may interfere with military radar
WASHINGTON — Government officials said Tuesday that the rapid increase in wind turbine construction in recent years could interfere with the military’s long-range radar systems used for surveillance and air defense. Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment in the Defense Department, told the House subcommittee on military readiness that Defense relies on long-range radar to monitor U.S. airspace and ensure national security. She said wind turbines — built to generate electricity — can keep radar signals ...
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New York
30 Jun 2010
Theresa tackles wind zoning law
THERESA — Without the public rancor that has plagued other Jefferson County communities, the town has formulated a zoning law to govern wind power projects and wind turbines for personal use. “We don’t have anyone interested but we have noticed what other towns have had,” supervisor Clinton A. Coolidge said. The zoning law proposal is part of a series of new zoning laws for the town, including permits for temporary use of recreational vehicles as residential space and rules for ...
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Connecticut
30 Jun 2010
Shelton taking slow approach to wind power
SHELTON — A proposal to allow companies to harness the power of wind to produce electricity continued to meet with some resistance Tuesday. The Planning and Zoning Commission continued a public hearing from last month regarding a proposal from MBI Inc., which wants to install a wind turbine at its Forrest Parkway facility. Since the city has no such regulations on its books governing the alternative energy resource, MBI, in working with Optiwind Corp. of Torrington, has drafted proposed regulations ...
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Ontario
30 Jun 2010
New setbacks for offshore wind projects may quash wind farm proposal
Recently released provincial setbacks for offshore wind projects could quash Toronto Hydro’s wind farm proposal, but Guildwood residents aren’t giving up their fight. In an announcement Friday, June 25, the provincial government released proposed regulations for offshore wind projects that would require a minimum setback of five kilometres from the shoreline. The Toronto Hydro project has always been talked about as being two to four kilometres offshore as Lake Ontario drops off around the five kilometre mark, which could substantially ...
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Scotland
30 Jun 2010
Plans for Stornoway wind farm
Environmental survey plans for a wind-farm on Stornoway Trust land to the west of Stornoway are due to be submitted to the Scottish Government shortly. The Trust’s development partners, AMEC and EDF Energy, have drafted their proposals for surveys of an area of land identified by the Halcrow Report, commissioned by Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather, as suitable for wind farm developments. The document will cover all aspects of how the proposed wind farm would be assessed from an environmental ...
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