Wind Watch: Industrial Wind Energy News
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Lomond, Alta. residents blown away by scope of proposed wind farm
LOMOND, ALTA. – A proposed wind project near the village of Lomond, set to begin construction by the end of the year, is raising concerns with some residents. “Our quality of life is definitely affected,” said resident Larry Helland. The project headed by German Energy Company ABO Wind and will be built on 24,000 acres of privately-owned farmland in the area north of the community. The company maintains there are plenty of benefits, including $3 million in property tax revenues, and . . . Complete story »
Trial starts in turbine case
JEFFERSON – A jury heard opening statements in the legal battle between a wind turbine operator and the company that supplied the machine. The legal battle between NexGen Energy Partners LLC and Elecon Engineering has been going on since 2011, when a claim was filed against Elecon Engineering and the company’s U.S. distributor, Reflecting Blue Technologies, according to court records. The day began with instructions to the jury, with Common Pleas Judge Marianne Sezon reading a list of rules to the . . . Complete story »
‘We’ve taken our fair share of windfarms’
‘We’ve taken our fair share of wind-farms’ was the strong view of councillors at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council, where revised national ‘Wind Energy Development Draft Guidelines’ were debated. Over 350 wind turbines operate in Kerry, producing between 16 and 19 percent of the country’s wind energy output. This caused many councillors to say Kerry has done its ‘fair share’ in terms of energy generated from wind. The draft guidelines propose a setback distance of four times the . . . Complete story »
Wind farm developer wants more turbines in the north-east
An energy firm has lodged plans for its second north-east onshore wind farm. Vattenfall’s proposed Clashindarroch II project is made up of 14 turbines with each one nearly 600ft tall. If approved, it would be close to the company’s existing Clashindarroch installation near Huntly, which has been operational since 2015. According to documents submitted, Vattenfall hopes to have the second wind farm built by 2023. It would be connected to the grid the next year and could generate between between . . . Complete story »
Testing the wind: Colorado company eyeing potential for renewable energy farm near Albany
ALBANY – A Colorado company is testing the wind in this rural Mississippi River town, in anticipation of building a 200-megawatt wind farm. Scout Clean Power LLC, a renewable energy development company based in Boulder, built the 198-foot-tall “temporary meteorological tower” in Garden Plain Township in mid-December. It will test the speed, direction and general quality of the wind at the site for a minimum of a year, Cara Gunderson, a project manager with Scout, said in an email Friday. . . . Complete story »
Environmental activists threaten court action over planned wind farm in the Cape West Coast
Environmental activists and property owners along the Cape West Coast are threatening court action over the planned Boulders Wind Farm. Government approved in principle, the 45-turbine wind farm project near Paternoster, St Helena Bay and Vredenburg. It says the generation of 144 MW of electricity will result in significant socio-economic benefits at national, local and community level. However, those opposed to the project are concerned about its impact on the environment, tourism and job creation in the West Coast region. Renowned . . . Complete story »
Wind farm developers not interested in helping pay for new radars
An idea was pitched in the Renewable Energy Support Group of the Riigikogu that wind energy companies could potentially pay for new radars in part themselves. Developers, however, are not interested in the prospect. While an Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) radar scheduled to be completed in 2024 will expand scope of territory where new wind farms may be built in the future, this still won’t be enough in the future. For example, a large part of Ida-Viru County in Northeastern . . . Complete story »
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposes radical reshaping of siting process for renewable projects
In his annual budget address on Jan. 21, 2020, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed a complete overhaul to New York’s siting of renewable energy projects. Noting that siting a project under the current Article 10 process takes 5-10 years to begin construction, the governor found that the current process simply does not work. In a reference to the renewable energy generation goals set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the governor called setting goals . . . Complete story »
Gravemaskin til tre millioner utbrent i vindpark: – Vi er triste og forbannet
En utbrent gravemaskin og sprengningsmatter i brann møtte arbeiderne på jobb i Frøya vindpark fredag morgen. Entreprenøren mistenker sabotasje. [subscription required] Three-million-krone excavator burned at wind farm – Contractor: “We are sad and cursed” A burned-out excavator and blasting mats on fire met the workers at the Frøya wind facility on Friday morning. The contractor suspects sabotage. Complete story »
Wind power industry leader calls quits for Vermont
David Blittersdorf, CEO and founder of AllEarth Renewables, has become synonymous with industrial-scale wind power over the past decade, and for the second time in as many years, he’s calling it quits in Vermont. Dairy Air Wind is the most recent wind turbine project that he had under development in the state, and he says he’s done moving it forward through the development process. The installation would have been a single-turbine installation on a 450-acre dairy farm in Holland. Blittersdorf . . . Complete story »
