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Maine
30 Jun 2010
Wind farm opponents slam project in new documentary
The group Friends of Highland Mountains plans to distribute thousands of copies of the new DVD, but developers of the 48-turbine project dispute some of the documentary’s claims. A local citizens group aiming to stop the development of a industrial wind farm in western Maine today released a DVD which they say details the damaging effects the project will have. Friends of Highland Mountains plans to distribute thousands of copies of the 25-minute documentary to people across the state. Board ...
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Minnesota
30 Jun 2010
Officials still struggling with wind energy in Goodhue County
RED WING — As questions and concerns continue to swirl around three wind energy proposals in Goodhue County, officials at nearly every level of government are struggling with how to proceed in order to meet Minnesota’s mandate of reaching 25 percent renewable energy by 2025. State Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, thinks Goodhue County’s debate might stake out new territory. “I think this is the start of something big, quite frankly,” Kelly said. “Where we’ve put up wind developments across ...
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Manitoba
30 Jun 2010
Plane clips tower near Macdonald
An aerial spray plan clipped the top of a tower at the edge of a field north of Macdonald on Monday. The plan was owned by Jonair and was preparing to spray a near-by field. Jonair owner John Bodie said no one was injured in the incident, but damage to the plane means that it will not be usable for the rest of the season. The 200-foot-high tower was put up to observe wind patterns for a potential wind farm. ...
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Washington
30 Jun 2010
Wind farms fight headwinds west of the Cascades
East of the Cascades, wind farms stretch for miles. Now, the first wind turbines west of the mountains have gone online. Four towering wind mills are spinning just a couple miles ...
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New Zealand
02 Jul 2010
Campaign to fight wind farms
Meridian Energy is being accused of a North Canterbury “takeover” by offering landowners supporting a proposed wind farm $15,000 a year for each turbine they allow on their land. One farm, which would have 13 of Project Hurunui’s turbines, stands to make $195,000 a year ...
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Australia
02 Jul 2010
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows
Drive to Waubra, a half-hour idle north-west of Ballarat, and you will find 128 wind turbines spread across the horizon, covering an area roughly 100 times greater than the Melbourne CBD. It is Australia’s largest wind farm, and it is a year old this month. The tallest turbines stretch 120 metres when the 41-metre blades are extended skyward. Stand in a nearby paddock and the whirr of the blades can just be heard, the equivalent of a car passing a ...
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South Dakota
02 Jul 2010
Colorado man tries for tribe’s support of proposed wind deal
FORT THOMPSON — The founder and president of a wind-energy company fielded questions Thursday ...
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Maryland, Press releases
03 Jul 2010
Save Western Maryland warns of Endangered Species Act violations
Save Western Maryland joined the Maryland Conservation Council and several concerned citizens on a June 23, 2010 letter providing official notice to Constellation Green Energy, LLC, Clipper Wind Power, Inc., Criterion Power Partners, LLC, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Inc. and the Garrett County Commissioners, that the installation and operation of the Constellation wind energy project will violate the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Available evidence demonstrates that the Constellation wind project will almost certainly result in unauthorized “takes” of Indiana ...
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Massachusetts
06 Jul 2010
Acushnet to lobby against wind turbine siting act
ACUSHNET — Selectmen agree with their Wellfleet counterparts on Cape Cod that towns should not give up local regulatory power when it comes to reviewing wind turbine proposals in their communities. They are putting their view in writing. The Acushnet board is writing to the Massachusetts Municipal Association to express its thoughts on a Comprehensive Reform for Land-Based Wind Turbine Siting Act. The Senate has passed the measure; House action is pending. Supporters say it is environmentally sound; opponents do ...
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Kansas
06 Jul 2010
Wind farm ends plans near Wichita
Horizon Wind Energy has pulled the plug on its proposed wind farm north of Cheney Reservoir, saying it can’t compete with likely future development. The Houston-based wind energy giant had been looking at the area for 18 months to build a 100-megawatt capacity wind farm, even setting up a tower to test wind speeds. But the company has sent a letter to landowners in the area saying that it was ending its efforts to negotiate leases. Landowners controlling about 1,000 ...
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England
06 Jul 2010
Dorset school’s ‘bird killer’ wind turbine turned off
A primary school in Dorset has switched off its wind turbine after seabirds kept getting killed by the blades. Southwell Primary on Portland saw 14 birds killed in six months after it was installed 18 months ago. Head teacher Stuart McLeod said he has been coming to school early to clear up the dead birds to minimise the distress to pupils. The RSPB welcomed the move. Talks have started between the school and Dorset County Council about the turbine. The ...
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Scotland
06 Jul 2010
Scottish Borders Council objects to wind farm plans
A public inquiry will take place after councillors went against officer advice and opposed a wind farm in the Borders. RWE Npower Renewables wants to build a 23-turbine development near Oxton. Scottish Borders Council had been advised not to object to the scheme but to seek to attach conditions instead. However, the majority of councillors backed a move by Borders Party member Nicholas Watson to oppose the project on grounds of cumulative impact, noise and the affect on walking routes. ...
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Australia
06 Jul 2010
Private study into wind turbine noise
A former resident of Waubra, west of Ballarat, has commissioned a study into the inaudible noise coming ...
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Maine
07 Jul 2010
Four arrested at Earth First! wind power protest
KIBBY TOWNSHIP – Four Earth First! protesters were arrested today after they temporarily stopped a semi-truck carrying a 140-foot wind turbine blade to the Kibby Wind Power Project. One of those arrested ran under the truck and locked herself to the trailer’s steel supports. A group of about 50 people who had been attending the national Earth First! summer meeting at a camp in Coplin Plantation, began assembling at 5 a.m. this morning at the entrance to the Gold Brook ...
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New Jersey
07 Jul 2010
Freeholders want study of turbine issues
Local officials are calling on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to re-evaluate the public health and safety risks for a 1.5- megawatt industrial wind turbine planned for Union Beach. After listening to concerns ...
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Germany, Noise, Whales
10 Jul 2010
NABU und WDCS kritisieren Baupraxis bei Offshore-Windkraftanlagen
{Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Nature Conservation Germany) and the international Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society criticize construction practice in offshore wind power} Nach Einschätzung des NABU und der internationalen Wal- und Delfinschutzorganisation WDCS gefährdet die derzeitige Baupraxis bei Offshore-Windkraftanlagen lärmsensible Meeressäuger wie den an deutschen Küsten heimischen und in der zentralen Ostsee stark bedrohten Schweinswal. Mit Blick auf den weiteren Ausbau der Windenergie auf dem Meer fordern die Umweltschützer die Industrie zu mehr Engagement und erheblichen Nachbesserungen beim Lärmschutz auf. Bei der ...
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Indiana, Setbacks
11 Jul 2010
Invenergy pleads for shorter setbacks
Re: Tippecanoe Area Plan Commission Meeting Discussion of Amendments to Ordinance Tippecanoe Area Plan Commission Members: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Ordinance amendment pertaining to Large wind systems to be discussed at this afternoon’s Plan Commission meeting. We are aware of the proposed change to Section 4-11-11(i) which reads as follows: Large wind system(s) must be located at least 1000 ft. ...
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Alberta, Canada, Hawaii, Ontario, Opinions, U.S., Wyoming
12 Jul 2010
Canada following United States lead in handling bird kills: a double standard applies to wind farms
A judge recently found Syncrude Canada Ltd, Canada’s largest oils sands producer, guilty in the deaths of 1,600 ducks that landed on a toxic Northern Alberta tailings pond in 2008, ruling the company should have had deterrents in place. There’s no word yet on a sentence but Syncrude faces possible fines of $800,000. (1) Meanwhile, on the ‘green front’, over the first six months of operation, the huge 86 turbines on Wolfe Island, just outside Kingston, have killed 602 birds, ...
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New York
13 Jul 2010
Doctor: turbines cause health problems
HAMMOND — The author of “Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Report on a Natural Experiment” told the Hammond Wind Committee last week that 14 percent of the town’s homes will be adversely affected if the entire wind overlay zone is filled with turbines. The report by Nina Pierpont, a Malone physician and graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Princeton University, examined the health effects of wind turbines. At the meeting, she explained her research methods. “A good patient history, we were ...
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News
13 Jul 2010
Pilots warn wind farms may blow in trouble
A pilots club in Southwest Virginia warned Monday that towering windmills proposed for a ridgeline in Roanoke County would create hazards for pilots and passengers and lead to increased delays or diversions during bad weather of flights trying to land at Roanoke Regional Airport. “This is a very big deal,” said Matthew Broughton, a pilot who is an aviation lawyer for a Roanoke-based firm and president of the IFR Pilots Club. In mid-May, Chicago-based Invenergy applied to the Federal Aviation ...
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News
13 Jul 2010
SE Michigan residents protest wind turbines
RIGA TWP., MI — Some Southeast Michigan residents are protesting wind farm proposals they say will cause problems and decrease property values. More than a dozen folks held signs showing their disapproval of plans to erect upwards of 95, 500-foot tall wind turbines across Riga and Ogden Townships. The community has been looking into the proposals over the past few years and, in that time, some residents say they have done their research and do not want the turbines. “Maybe ...
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New York
13 Jul 2010
Moratorium extended in Hammond
HAMMOND – Councilman James Langtry accused his fellow board members of being “gutless” and told Supervisor Ron W. Bertram that he had “no more backbone than a snake on the ground,” before the Hammond Town Board voted 3-0 to extend the wind energy facilities law moratorium for a year. “Do you have to ask?” Mr. Langtry snapped when it was his turn to vote, to which Mr. Bertram said, “We’ll leave that blank then.” Councilman James Pitcher, who has signed ...
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New York
13 Jul 2010
State lawmakers, residents in a huff over wind farm plan
YOUNGSTOWN — An offshore wind power project in New York state seems imminent, local officials said Monday — but not in Niagara County if they have anything to say about it. State Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, who along with state Sen. George Maziarz, met with a number of local officials, property owners and community stakeholders to discuss their disapproval of the New York Power Authority’s $1 billion Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project. The project which could lead to the construction of ...
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Ohio
13 Jul 2010
Wind farms in a swirl: Van Wert debate weighs health concerns, income hopes
VAN WERT — Money, environmental impact, health and aesthetics. These were the main concerns brought up at a public hearing at Lincolnview schools about proposed wind farms Thursday evening. The Ohio Power Siting Board presided over the hearing, where about 15 people testified in favor or in opposition of the wind turbines. More than 80 people filled the school auditorium, some standing, to hear what others had to say. Some negative comments said wind farms would harm the health of ...
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Kansas
13 Jul 2010
City officials to consider wind farm
City commissioners on Wednesday will discuss the possibility of a community wind project, a project city officials began exploring in late April. City officials unanimously approved just less than $20,000 for Greensburg-based BTI Wind Energy to conduct a feasibility study of a community wind project, proposed at a site about six miles south of Garden City, just west of U.S. Highway 83, and directly north of Buffalo Dunes Golf Course during an April commission meeting. At the time, BTI officials ...
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England
13 Jul 2010
Wind farm plans reduced to four turbines
Villagers can take a closer look at plans for four wind turbines near Arborfield, Shinfield and Earley at two public exhibitions this month. Partnerships for Renewables will be exhibiting its proposals for the wind energy development at Rushy Mead, which is located to the south of the M4 between junctions 10 and 11. Local people have been so concerned about the potential noise and visual impact on their doorstep they formed the Householders Against Rushy Mead (HARM) action group. Fears ...
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Massachusetts
13 Jul 2010
USET, NCAI seek reversal of Cape Wind approval
MOBILE, Ala. – The two largest American Indian organizations are calling on the Obama administration to reverse its approval of a massive off shore wind energy project in Nantucket Sound, a sacred site to the Wampanoag people, and reconsider its decision before moving forward. The United South and Eastern Tribes and the National Congress of American Indians both passed resolutions in opposition to the proposed Cape Wind industrial wind energy project in Nantucket Sound during their recent mid-year meetings in ...
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Massachusetts
13 Jul 2010
Cape Wind defies attorney general
Cape Wind, and some of its potential business partners, don’t want to give their financial information to the state attorney general. In today’s filing to the state’s Department of Public Utilities, Cape Wind lawyer David S. Rosenzweig argued that Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s request for more information on Cape Wind’s costs, profits and investors is irrelevant and inconsistent with state and federal laws. The utilities commission is reviewing National Grid’s plan to purchase Cape Wind’s power for $3 billion. ...
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California
13 Jul 2010
County to ask for compensation policy for renewable energy projects
After establishing its official position on renewable energy projects in the High Desert, the Board of Supervisors may pass a resolution Tuesday asking state and federal agencies require project developers to provide compensation for taking land off property tax rolls to alleviate wildlife impacts. The Board may pass another resolution that addresses potential threats projects pose to off-highway vehicle areas and other public land uses such as mining and grazing. The county is asking that state and federal agencies – ...
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Michigan
13 Jul 2010
Riga Twp debate wind turbine height
Riga Township, Mich., residents hashed out the pro and cons of wind turbines. This was a public input meeting about plans to construct turbines that would be up to 500-feet high. Zoning rules would need to be changed because current regulations only allow buildings to be 40-feet high. Many in attendance at Monday evening’s meeting were not real keen on the idea. “A five member board gets a vote,” said Mike Donovan, Riga Township resident. “It seems to me that ...
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Australia
13 Jul 2010
Community hopes to air wind farm concerns
A Crystal Brook community group has invited several politicians, including the Premier, to Laura this weekend to hear their concerns about a planned wind farm. Origin Energy has confirmed it is investigating a wind farm of up to 90 turbines ...
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Ontario
13 Jul 2010
Clarington wants into wind farm court battle; Council approves funds for attempt at legal intervention
BOWMANVILLE — Clarington is getting involved in a court battle with the Province over setback requirements of wind farms in Ontario. Council approved $40,000 for an attempt to intervene in a judicial review of the Ontario Green Energy Act 550-metre setbacks for wind farms ...
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Massachusetts
14 Jul 2010
Massachusetts House OKs streamlining wind power plants
Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a bill designed to streamline the permitting of new wind energy facilities. The House voted 101-52 in favor of the bill after a debate that stretched over two days. Opponents had gathered at the Statehouse to pressure lawmakers to reject the measure, which they said takes local control over the projects away ...
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Vermont
15 Jul 2010
Vermont’s slow journey to go beyond 6MW capacity
US: More than a dozen years after Vermont’s only wind farm came online in the form of the 6MW Searsburg project, the New England state may finally be ready to add up to 63MW more – but not without a fight. Despite its green reputation, Vermont’s only wind farm is the 6MW Searsburg plant. The project was constructed in the 90s Despite its green reputation, Vermont’s only wind farm is the 6MW Searsburg plant. The project was constructed in the ...
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Ontario
15 Jul 2010
Council continues fight against wind turbines in municipality
In a further effort to control commercial wind turbines within its boundaries, Arran-Elderslie council has accepted a building permit fee schedule of $15 per $1,000 of project value for all buildings and structures related to the turbines. In a written report to council at its meeting in Chesley Monday, Chief Building Official Stephen Walmsley said the fees reflect an average, or slightly above average, fee of what other municipalities in the surrounding area are charging. “The fees are set at ...
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Wyoming
15 Jul 2010
Public partakes in viewshed study
ROCK SPRINGS — Randy Walker quickly ran out of green dots to designate some of his favorite places on the large, wall-mounted map of Sweetwater and Carbon counties. “I put the three they gave me around Adobe Town, so I don’t have any left,” said Walker, a Sweetwater County Commissioner ...
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Puerto Rico
17 Jul 2010
Environmentalists declare war on developers
Despite laws which make it a crime to demonstrate against such projects, the Ventanas Dry Forest Coalition will not let up in its attempt to stop the development of a coastal wind park here. Coalition spokesman Francisco Sáez Cintrón attacked the members of the Legislature who approved the new Permit Law, known as the Tito Kayak Law, which makes it a crime to obstruct and shut down works in progress. “This is an attempt against freedom of expression and we ...
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Connecticut
17 Jul 2010
State denies funds for wind study
As part of the town’s efforts to use more green energy, Middlefield has been working alongside the city of Middletown in an attempt to harness the wind power running through the Metacomet region. These efforts are spearheaded by the joint town committee, the Metacomet Regional Wind Farm Committee, which recently applied for an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grant in the hope of funding a wind study of the Metacomet region. Unfortunately, the grant was not to be, with the ...
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Ontario
17 Jul 2010
Arran-Elderslie leading the fight
Arran-Elderslie Council is continuing its battle to keep wind turbines out of the municipality. Council and representatives of its neighbouring municipalities agreed at a meeting on July 8 to create a working committee in an effort to pool resources towards what could be a legal battle over the issue. The committee will consist of two representatives ...
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Oregon, Washington
18 Jul 2010
Growth in wind power makes life difficult for grid managers
On the afternoon of May 19, in a single chaotic hour, more than a thousand wind turbines in the Columbia River Gorge went ...
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Ontario
20 Jul 2010
Council to lobby for wind concerns
The Council of the Municipality of Kincardine agreed to support the Building and Planning Committees’ recommendation for local politicians to lobby the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and other municipal organizations with citizens’ concerns on wind farms at the upcoming AMO conference. “I strongly recommend that it be the mayor that carry the {stick} on this matter,” stated Councillor Randy Roppel. Mayor Larry Kraemer acknowledged this responsibility and promised to represent concerned individuals in the best manner possible. Originally, the ...
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Maryland
20 Jul 2010
Navy to test Greenbury Point winds; Lawmaker envisions 6 to 10 electricity-generating turbines
The Navy is poised to begin tests on Greenbury Point to determine whether there is enough wind for energy generation, one of the first steps in a local lawmaker’s plans to provide cleaner power for Annapolis. Del. Ron George, R-Arnold, has been spearheading the idea for years and said the Navy will be installing a tower as soon as the end of the summer to measure the wind in an area currently known for its radio antennas. “That is a ...
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California, Montana
20 Jul 2010
SDGE plans to invest up to $600M on Montana wind
San Diego Gas & Electric says it wants to invest up to $600 million in a Montana wind farm. In a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, SDG&E says that the credit crunch made traditional bank financing difficult, if not impossible to find. The problem has been the nature of the “tax equity” investments, which only makes sense for companies with big tax bills. “The U.S. economic recession has reduced corporate profitability,” the company said in its filing last ...
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England
20 Jul 2010
Resounding NO to Southminster windfarm
People power triumphed as councillors recommended that plans for a windfarm be rejected. Members of Maldon District Council’s south-eastern area planning committee voted to ignore their planning officers’ recommendation and refuse permission for a nine-turbine windfarm near Southminster. Ridgewind had submitted an application for the 125m high turbines on land between Middlewick and Wraywick Farm. Officers advised the councillors that, on balance, the need for renewable energy outweighed any harm to the community. But the members disagreed. Brian Beale (Ind, ...
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Minnesota
20 Jul 2010
Tempers flare at Goodhue County wind meeting
RED WING — As wind energy discussions within Goodhue County near a resolution this fall, Monday’s six-hour meeting of the Planning Advisory Commission revealed tensions have already reached the boiling point. Prior to the start of the regularly scheduled meeting, the PAC spent nearly two hours discussing the county’s draft ordinance created by a three-person subcommittee during the past two months. The room filled to capacity for the actual meeting, where Steve Groth, Paul Reese and Erin Logan filed a ...
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Scotland
20 Jul 2010
Millionairess in wind farm legal challenge
Multi-millionairess and philanthropist Sigrid Rausing is pursuing a legal challenge against Highland Council following its controversial decision not to oppose plans for a 33-turbine wind farm in the Monadhliath mountains, south of Inverness. The proposed scheme is at the Dunmaglass Estate, owned by Bahamas-based multi-millionaire Sir Jack Hayward, which adjoins Ms Rausing’s Coignafearn Estate. The legal challenge is the latest twist in a long-running feud between two of the UK’s wealthiest people. Despite objections ...
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Massachusetts
21 Jul 2010
Wind turbine noise data collected, report to be issued in several weeks
FALMOUTH — With the warmer weather, winds have died down and the town’s turbine has slowed considerably this summer compared to its first three months of operation in March, April and May. And that has provided some relief for residents living in the vicinity of the wind turbine who have complained about the noise the machine generates and the impact it has been having on their overall quality of life. Since May a small contingent of residents who live in ...
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New York
21 Jul 2010
Greece board: No to offshore wind
The Greece Town Board voted 5-0 Tuesday evening to oppose the New York Power Authority’s offshore wind project. The board becomes the first elected body in Monroe County, to my knowledge, to go on the record in opposition to the plan. A Monroe County legislator ...
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Ontario
22 Jul 2010
Collateral damage of the green war
Some Essex County residents have given the go-ahead for wind turbine technology but they’re now regretting their decision. Instead of jumping at the chance to make some easy money, Colette McLean sat back and asked questions. She started with the energy company that initially approached her, asking about the impacts of installing a wind turbine on her Harrow farm. The company could not guarantee who would pay for the eventual decommissioning costs, or who would cover the damage done to ...
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Massachusetts, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
23 Jul 2010
Energy expansion exploration could lead to U.S. partnerships: Massachusetts official
FREDERICTON – The announcement of a possible energy expansion between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia could eventually lead to similar partnerships with the northeastern United States, as further regional integration is explored. Ian Bowles, Massachusetts’ secretary of energy and environmental affairs, says the partnership between New Brunswick and New England could see similar developments in the future. “We have a strong interest at a state level in seeing a robust regional market,” said Bowles, who oversees the state’s six environmental, ...
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Virginia
23 Jul 2010
Advance notice for Planning Commission includes special exception permit with wind energy ties
BP Wind Energy North America headquartered in Charlottesville has had a meteorologic tower (MET) on the property of Jerry Fraley in northern Botetourt County since April 2009. The property is remote, but said BP Wind Energy rep Mike McCoy ...
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New York
25 Jul 2010
Is there a devil in wind farm details?
YOUNGSTOWN — As objections to the notion of a wind power project in Lake Ontario continued to grow last week, the New York Power Authority refused to release information that could reveal if all the agitation is much ado about nothing. Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Kessel said the agency would not release the contents of bids ...
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Oklahoma
Landowners want more compensation for land used for wind power
WOODWARD, Oklahoma — The power of wind could be the next big energy boom for Oklahoma, but some landowners in the northwestern part of the state say they are being forced to sacrifice too much for the cause. Wind turbines and transmission lines can easily be spotted in the Woodward area, but the owners of the land they run across are concerned they aren’t getting treated fairly. Gary Stocking’s family has owned their land in Woodward since 1902. The history ...
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Massachusetts
Who’s the real environmentalist?
The elegant, lazy motion of wind turbines once appealed to Eleanor Tillinghast. Generating energy takes a heavy toll on the natural world, so it stood to reason that Tillinghast, a committed environmentalist, once thought wind farms were a good thing, even though she knew little about them. The Hoosac Wind project, the 20-turbine wind farm proposed for the tiny hill towns of Florida and Monroe in the Berkshires, changed her mind. After careful study, Tillinghast concluded the environmental cost of ...
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Connecticut
Winsted windmill proposal blown away by PZC
WINSTED – Optiwind’s quixotic mission to build a wind turbine came to an end Monday night. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to deny Optiwind’s application to revise the current zoning regulations, citing the time element and information deficit above the possible benefits of the wind turbine. Barbara Wilkes summarized the Commission’s frustration with the back-and-forth element of the debate before her vote, stating “I think we’ve said it all.” Michael Speck, Optiwind’s representative, disagreed. “They had plenty of ...
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Australia
Fielding pledges wind farm health probe
Senator Steve Fielding says Victorians with concerns about the health effects of wind farms have been let down by the State Government’s inaction. Sevel residents of Waubra, west of Ballarat, say a 128-turbine wind farm there is making them feel sick. Senator Fielding will visit those residents today. He says he will launch a Senate inquiry into the health effects of wind farms if he is re-elected next month. “All Victorians should be disappointed in the state and federal governments ...
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Ontario
Wind additions
The city added to its list of recommended comments to be added to Horizon Wind’s Renewable Energy Approval application after a lengthy meeting Monday. In addition to seven comments already approved, council added soil and geological studies for each site, specific descriptions of electrical connectivity, tourism impacts, analysis of the viewshed including roads and turbines and requesting Horizon’s responsibility of monitoring turbine noise. The additions were made after Micheal McLeod, hired by the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee, addressed his ...
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Rhode Island
Deepwater deal opposed by rival firm
A Canadian company that says it can provide Rhode Island with renewable power at a cheaper price than Deepwater Wind is urging state regulators to stop their review of a long-term contract involving the offshore-wind developer. TransCanada Power has filed a motion to dismiss a case before the state Public Utilities Commission for a power-purchase agreement between National Grid, Rhode Island’s main electric utility, and Deepwater, the New Jersey company proposing an eight-turbine wind farm in waters off Block Island. ...
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Massachusetts, Opinions
Cape Wind is another Big Dig
The more I see of Cape Wind — the astronomical costs to electricity ratepayers and taxpayers that have only recently come to light, the continued attempts by the developer and the Patrick administration to hide additional cost information and silence the detractors — the more I’m reminded of time spent fighting the powers at the Big Dig. The similarities are troubling. First, I support alternative sources of energy and have installed wind turbines that have worked at the former Christy’s ...
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Massachusetts
Gauging need for a Northborough wind turbine
NORTHBOROUGH — A small parcel of dusty land tucked away inside a popular family farm might hold the key to the future of sustainable electric power. On July 15, a 165-foot steel meteorological tower sprang up ...
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Illinois
An Ill Wind? — Broken turbine blades bother nearby resident
Barbara Ellsworth was troubled, but not surprised Saturday morning when she spotted a broken blade on a wind tower near her home. “We thought, ‘Hah! We knew that would happen.’” Ellsworth and her husband Mike live three miles south of Marseilles on East 2450th Road, about 1,200 feet ...
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New York
Iberdrola again is eyeing Orleans
LAFARGEVILLE — They’re back. Iberdrola Renewables again has asked to erect meteorological towers in the town of Orleans. The developer wants to put up two test towers, again to collect information for Horse Creek Wind Farm, said Iberdrola Communications Manager Paul N. Copleman by e-mail. “We are unsure of what the Horse Creek boundary looks like at this time,” he wrote. “That’s why we are seeking to erect these two met towers, so we can gain a better understanding of ...
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Idaho
Local residents oppose wind farm in their backyards
BONNEVILLE COUNTY – More than 50 people packed a room in the Bonneville County Court House Wednesday night to attend a public hearing about the Meadow Creek Wind Farm project that Ridgeline Energy wants to build. There would be 75 400-foot high windmills built northeast of Idaho Falls near the Ririe Reservoir. Some residents who live in that area, are upset over losing their scenic views. Ridgeline Energy spoke to the county planning and zoning officials first, explaining building the ...
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Editorials, Virginia
Bracing for wind
In stark contrast to Highland County’s reluctance to put guidance in place for the emerging wind energy industry, Bath County planners are taking giant leaps to get ahead of the curve. It’s a good thing, too. Like Highland, Bath has plenty of high ridge-top land. Not much of it might be considered suitable for wind turbine towers, but county officials aren’t letting that prevent them ...
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Massachusetts
Lawmakers challenge state permitting process
A bipartisan group of House legislators, including several ...
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Massachusetts
Shifting power on wind: Legislation to speed permitting for energy projects, overriding local zoning, splits area lawmakers
AMHERST – Hampshire County is home to no commercial or community-scale wind turbines. That may change following agreement this week on a controversial bill designed to expedite permits for windmills. The legislation produced a sharp debate between alternative energy advocates, who argue the measure was needed to spur development of wind power in the commonwealth, and advocates of local control, who say the bill gives too much power to the wind industry to overrun municipal zoning bylaws. Lawmakers reached a ...
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England
Noise threat to wind turbines
Westcountry households could see noisy wind farm developments blocked after the Government unveiled details of a review into controversial planning decisions. Developers at sites across the Devon and Cornwall countryside have been locked in bitter disputes over the noise pollution caused by giant wind turbines that campaigners claim damage people’s health. Plans to erect nine turbines at Den Brook, near Crediton, Mid-Devon, await a decision from the High Court following a two-day hearing this week. Now it has emerged the ...
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Maine
Ragged Mountain wind project remains on agenda
Camden — The Camden Energy Committee will meet Monday, Aug. 2 for an agenda that includes a discussion of ideas for suggestions to the Select Board regarding a Ragged Mountain wind project and a recent presentation by George Baker of the Island Institute’s Community Wind Program. At its June 7 meeting, the Energy Committee discussed possible next steps for the formation of a multi-town committee to pursue funding and preliminary assessment of issues specific to Ragged Mountain. In notes prepared ...
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Massachusetts, Opinions
At whim of the wind
A hidden cost of wind power is that it requires full backup from conventional power plants for those times when the wind does not blow sufficiently or when it blows too strongly. Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a goal of 2,000 megawatts of wind power by the year 2020 and the state has engaged in significant programs to achieve that goal, including soon-to-be-finalized legislation that, among other things, weakens the power of town boards from permitting decisions. Lost in this ...
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Ontario
Wind-power worries
Proposals for hundreds of wind turbines in the Great Lakes have raised concerns among wildlife biologists. Dr. Scott Petrie, executive director of Long Point Waterfowl, who examined a map of proposed wind farms in Lakes Ontario, Erie, and St. Clair, said the numbers will “boggle your mind.” South Point Wind’s proposal for 715 turbines in western Lake Erie between Rondeau and Amherstburg and Lake St. Clair have resulted in heated community meetings. Hundreds more are being planned for the American ...
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New York
Legislators explain why they oppose offshore project
Several members of the Oswego County Legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee addressed the reasons they objected to the proposed Great Lakes offshore wind turbine project at the July 27 meeting. While at a meeting held in regard to the project, Legislator Louella LeClair related that New York Power Authority Chief Executive Officer Richard Kessel said there were no advantages for the county to host the wind turbines. “He said there was no benefit as far as taxing or anything ...
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Massachusetts
Martha Coakley zaps Cape Wind; AG brokers deal but critics say project still too pricey
Attorney General Martha Coakley has strong-armed Cape Wind Associates into lowering the proposed rates for its controversial offshore wind farm after sometimes bitter negotiations over the project’s multibillion-dollar costs. Though critics say Coakley’s new agreement remains too costly for consumers, Coakley said yesterday she got the best deal possible to lower planned rate hikes by about 10 percent, or $456 million, over 15 years. “We believe in the importance of wind power, but not at any price,” Coakley said in ...
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Illinois
Adams County group introduces wind energy revisions of its own
A group of Adams County residents has proposed seven additional changes to the county’s wind ordinance. The Advocates for Responsible Energy Development issued their recommendations as the county released the draft of revisions to the county wind ordinance Wednesday. Quincyan John Gebhardt, a member of the organization, said the revisions proposed by the county are not protecting the rights of the nonparticipants. “If you look at it, the ordinance tends to lean towards encouraging the wind turbine companies to come ...
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Massachusetts
Lawmakers await results of high-stakes secret negotiations
BOSTON — Democratic legislative leaders scrambled Friday to salvage major policy proposals, hoping to put far-reaching initiatives before the House and Senate for up-or-down votes prior to a midnight Saturday deadline. Rank-and-file lawmakers roamed the State House hallways Friday afternoon, awaiting word from special committees largely operating in secret and charged with forging agreements on economic development, criminal justice, wind energy siting, health care and expanded gambling bills. An agreement on the wind bill was filed Thursday night and could ...
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Illinois
Advocates for Responsible Energy Development recommend “common sense” changes
The following is a press release from the Advocates for Responsible Energy Development (ARED): The Advocates for Responsible Energy Development (ARED) a newly formed group representing over 200 Adams County Residents, met to review the new “draft” of Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) Regulations “. After extensive review of the new regulation by the group they are recommending seven changes to the WECS Regulations. Click here to read the entire press release which includes the seven recommended changes and the ...
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England
Concerns over impact of wind farm
Concerns have been aired about the potential impact on people’s health from a planned wind farm near Thornbury. Parish leaders in areas surrounding the site being considered for the scheme said there had not been adequate investigations generally into health problems which are claimed to be linked to wind turbines. They said headaches, sleep loss, nausea, anxiety and tinnitus were some of the symptoms associated with low frequency noise from wind farms less than a mile away from homes. Movement ...
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New York
Legislators clarify position on offshore wind turbines
The Oswego County Legislature will not be revisiting an offshore wind turbine project proposed by the New York Power Authority and they want the public to be aware that the issue is not under discussion. Lawmakers in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting of the legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee took issue with a story published in that day’s issue of The Palladium-Times that stated, “Discussions by area officials regarding the development of a wind turbine farm based in the Oswego ...
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Massachusetts
AIM trade group statement on Cape Wind deal
The following is a statement from Associated Industries of Massachusetts reacting to Attorney General Martha Coakley’s cost-cutting deal on National Grid’s Cape Wind power contract: “Associated Industries of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts employer community are deeply disappointed that the attorney general has elected to reach a settlement with Cape Wind and National Grid that will leave consumers paying more than twice the current market rate for electricity. “The settlement circumvents what should have been an open and transparent review by ...
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Massachusetts
Wind farm rate reduction negotiated
The state attorney general has reached a deal with the developer of the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm to reduce the cost of energy from the project. In May, Cape Wind Associates LLC reached an agreement with National Grid to sell half the power generated by the wind farm for 20.7 cents per kilowatt hour. Under the “agreement in principle” announced yesterday by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the cost of energy in the proposed 15-year contract would drop to ...
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Minnesota
Rosemount turbine won’t get much of a breeze
UMore Park, the University of Minnesota’s sprawling research area in eastern Rosemount, doesn’t typically get much wind. That makes it the perfect place for the university’s new wind-turbine project. That’s because the goal of a turbine to be built there this year is not to feed the electrical grid, but to conduct research on ways to generate wind energy even when gales aren’t prevalent. “It’s very easy to put up wind turbines in very windy areas, but if we want ...
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New Brunswick
Wind power plan on track: Keir
FREDERICTON – Even as the province says it is making great strides in positioning New Brunswick as a leader in green power, a prominent environment group is criticizing its approach to wind technology. Energy Minister Jack Keir points to the fact that no wind turbines dotted New Brunswick’s landscape three years ago, but now the province is ranked fourth in Canada in its development of the alternative energy resource. “It’s a big part of our energy plan. We’ve gone from ...
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Letters, Scotland
How much CO² has really been saved?
Drew Ratter’s answer to my question (‘Answer to Billy Fox’s question’ 30th July) illustrates the wind generation industry’s inconsistency when it comes to calculating carbon payback. This is a science that is still being developed, and that is why there should currently be a moratorium on building on peat habitat. Drew’s links refer to the model produced by the Macaulay Institute and Aberdeen University; they do not necessarily reflect the views of Scottish Government, or Scottish Natural Heritage. That is ...
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Scotland
Negative response to Largoward turbines survey
A survey carried out by Largoward and District Community Council has found that the majority of respondents are against the Largoward Windmills proposal to erect two wind turbines near the village. Three hundred questionnaires were handed out and the returns showed that 78 per cent of respondents were against the plans. And with less than 20 per cent in favour, the Community Council has now concluded that “based on those in the community that have shown interest or concern by ...
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Massachusetts
Massachusetts lawmakers agree on wind energy permits bill
Massachusetts lawmakers have reached a compromise on a bill designed to streamline the permitting process for new wind energy facilities. Legislative leaders announced late Thursday that a conference panel had forged an agreement on legislation supporters say will help the state meet its renewable energy goals by making it easier for wind projects to secure state permits. The compromise bill calls on communities with significant wind areas to create a local board to approve wind projects. Following local approval, projects ...
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Editorials, Maine
It’s prime time to clear the Saco skyline
Taxpayers are now taking the brunt of the City of Saco’s decision to “go green,” as one of the city’s wind turbines stands idle in wait of repairs. The large turbine prominently displayed at the transportation center, near the bridge between Biddeford and Saco, found its location due to politics, not science – a situation that always leads to negative results. In January 2007, the city installed its first wind turbine, a residential-sized model, at the wastewater treatment plant. The ...
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Rhode Island
Toray wants commission to mull potential negatives of wind farm
WARWICK – The R. I. Economic Development Corporation said Thursday that its study of the economic impact of an offshore wind farm looked only at the positives. Asked by Toray Plastics (America) Inc. if the study factored in potential negative effects of the farm’s above-market electric rates, the EDC replied, simply, “No.” The EDC made the reply in filings with the R. I. Public Utilities Commission as the commission mulls approving a power-purchase agreement between National Grid and offshore wind farm developer ...
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England
Fury over four planned wind turbines near Gillingham
A new campaign has been launched against a proposal to build wind turbines near Gillingham. Two years ago 1,987 people wrote to the council to object to plans to put six 394ft (120m) high turbines in Silton. Developers Ecotricity have now revised the plans and propose four, which village group Save Our Silton (SOS) says will “ruin the landscape”. Ecotricty says Dorset is completely reliant on other counties for power and needs to establish its own. If built, the turbines ...
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England
Huntspill wind farm petition goes to Parliament
A petition signed by 200 people opposed to plans for a giant Sedgemoor wind farm has been presented to Parliament. ED Energy Renewables wants to build nine 400ft turbines at Withy Farm, near East Huntspill and Puriton. Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger handed in a petition in the House of Commons on Monday, raising concerns about “the implications for local residents of noise from the turbines; the intrusive nature of the wind turbines and any possible additional power lines associated with ...
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England
Windfarm firm appeals over Westnewton turbines ruling
A firm behind plans for a windfarm at Westnewton which were rejected by councillors have lodged an appeal against the decision. The move comes after Allerdale council rejected Broadview Energy Limited’s proposals to build three turbines between Aspatria and Westnewton. Now the London-based developer has pledged to take the fight to Government planning inspectors – confirming objectors’ fears. The controversial plans sparked anger among villagers. Residents opposed the scheme, fearing it would blight the area and harm the Solway Coast ...
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Ontario
Wind meeting “blown” because of too many people
It was a packed house at the Pontypool Community Centre Thursday (July 29) night — a little too packed. Not a half hour into the planned three-hour public meeting regarding two proposed wind turbine projects in Pontypool and Bethany, fire officials shut it down for violating fire codes for going over capacity. Ingo Stuckman from Energy Farming Ontario Ltd. tried to reassure the rowdy crowd outside the hall that because the meeting was broken up, another meeting would have to ...
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U.S.
Bleak outlook for US wind with installations in steep decline
Only 700MW of new wind capacity was added in the US during the second quarter, bringing the total for the first half of the year to 1.24GW, less than half of what was installed in the same period during 2008 and 2009, and marking the start of what could be a dire chapter for the industry. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) releases its second quarter market report (PDF) as the Senate takes up energy legislation this week. The industry ...
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