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 are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
State ratepayers will pick up tab for $2.1B offshore wind plan, but not the energy
New York state ratepayers will pick up the tab for the Cuomo Administration’s multi-billion dollar plan to jump-start the offshore wind industry, but most won’t benefit from the energy produced. Only consumers in Long Island and New York City will be able to access the wind-powered energy that’s going to be generated in the waters off the state’s Atlantic coast in the years to come. As soon as 2020, typical residential ratepayers could see an increase of up to 76 . . . Complete story »
Farmers, clean energy proponents clash after court rules on wind energy project
JEFFERSON CITY – Different sides reacted Wednesday to the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of a wind energy project. In a unanimous decision, the Missouri Supreme Court sent the case involving the Grain Belt Express back to the Public Service Commission. The commission denied the project permission to move forward in 2017, saying the plan needed approval from the counties it cut through before continuing. Leslie Holloway, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Missouri Farm Bureau, said the . . . Complete story »
Freedom passes wind turbine law on 3-2 vote
The Freedom Town Board voted 3 to 2 in a Monday meeting to adopt a wind turbine law, after a local activist group claimed the meeting would violate state law and threatened to sue if it was held. The local law, adopted to regulate portion of the 108 turbine Alle-Catt Wind Farm located in Farmersville, would establish a 50 dBA (decibel) noise level measured at a residence. It could be equalled for up to 6 minutes an hour. The law . . . Complete story »
County finalizes new wind moratorium until referendum settled
CORUNNA – A new moratorium on wind turbine developments aimed at filling a loophole created by a resident who is seeking a referendum to overturn Shiawassee County’s tightened rules for wind farms has taken effect. By a 7-0 vote, the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved the moratorium, which will continue until the board takes further action. Commissioners approved an amendment to the county zoning ordinance last month that made the rules regarding wind turbines more strict. Shortly afterward, a . . . Complete story »
Public hearing for Icebreaker Wind turbine project off Cleveland shore set for Thursday
CLEVELAND – A second public hearing regarding Icebreaker Windpower, Inc.’s application to construct a wind-powered electric generation facility in Lake Erie is set for Thursday night at Cleveland City Hall. The hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m. in Room 216. At stake is the proposal to construct a six-turbine, wind-powered electric generation facility in Lake Erie, approximately 8 to 10 miles off the shore of Cleveland. The project would also include include an 11.8-mile long submerged electric line to transmit power . . . Complete story »
Axing carbon tax could mean dead calm: NDP
Alberta’s environment minister says a promise by conservatives to repeal the carbon levy would put billions of dollars in windfarm investments in southern Alberta at risk. Last week, Ontario’s new Conservative government announced an abrupt end to that province’s cap-and-trade carbon pricing system and cancelled wind-energy contracts they say have driven up prices. Last year, the Energy Alberta ministry awarded three major electricity supply contracts to wind farms proposed near Bow Island, Oyen and Pincher Creek in a system partly . . . Complete story »
County committee takes no action on proposed wind ordinance moratorium
The Douglas County Board Plat and Planning Committee opted to take no action in a suggestion to instate an 18-month moratorium regarding wind farm applications, and specifically the proposed Broadland Wind Farm in the northeast corner of the county. EDP Renewables has worked for nearly a decade to construct the wind farm. However, in recent months, they have been met with resistance from residents of the Newman area who say they could be directly or indirectly affected by the 200-megawatt, . . . Complete story »
Brodie turbines benefit others while we suffer
The Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative plans to install two new additional turbines on Brodie Mountain. To me this new wind project is an illustration of the extreme lack of understanding many people have of the wind industry and wind turbines themselves. For example, their electricity is unreliable and most available when least needed – in spring and fall. Adding more and bigger turbines callously disregards the complaints made by those in the vicinity of the first Brodie project. We are told . . . Complete story »
Navy study says no more wind turbines at Amazon site
A new study from the U.S. Navy says expanding the Amazon Wind Farm site near Elizabeth City, as the operator planned to do, may cause interference with the Navy’s radar-tracking facility in southern Virginia. The Navy released the executive summary of its study July 9. It concluded the interference produced by the existing 104 Amazon Wind Farm turbines is allowable based on a 2014 agreement between the Navy and the wind farm operator Avangrid Renewables. But Avangrid’s to plan to . . . Complete story »
DeWitt ZBA asked to change wind turbine setbacks
CLINTON – Opponents of a planned DeWitt County wind farm won a small victory on the second night of testimony before the Zoning Board of Appeals as the group works to strengthen the codes that are currently on the books. Andrea Rhoades of Kenney argued for establishing setbacks from property lines instead of from existing homes for turbine locations as the ordinance currently reads. The board was asked to change setbacks from 650 feet, measured from the property line to the . . . Complete story »
