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.
French Court of Audit slams green schemes
Renewable energy support schemes are not effective in driving the country towards its climate objectives, despite their significant costs, according to a new report from France’s Court of Auditors. The report by auditors was to a finance committee meeting at the French senate last week. It noted the spending on mechanisms to support renewables was estimated at €5.3 billion in 2016 and is set to grow in the future. The vast majority of this spending (€4.4 billion) backed renewable electricity, . . . Complete story »
Winds of change calmed: PGC declares moratorium on wind turbines
After rejecting 19 of 19 proposals for wind turbines since 2005, the Pennsylvania Game Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a moratorium on wind energy developments on its 1.5 million acres of state game lands. The vote occurred at the end of a 50-minute meeting in Harrisburg and wasn’t part of the agenda; however, the board did discuss wind energy at a work group meeting March 26. While rejecting wind projects, the commission has a long history of leasing game lands . . . Complete story »
‘It’s made my life hell’: Neighbour on a mission to get farmer’s wind turbine demolished
Damien Rice is in a race against time to get a giant wind turbine – which has no planning permission – demolished. As a bricklayer, the Castlewellan man is usually happier seeing things built but when his neighbour erected a huge turbine close to his home all he has dreamed of is seeing it torn down. Headaches, glare from the sun and noise that disturbs their lives on a daily basis are the main complaints about the 40m structure from . . . Complete story »
Wind farm opponents decry decision-day appointment
WATERLOO – The swing vote supporting the controversial Washburn Wind Energy project was appointed to her position on the morning of the hearing. The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday morning to appoint Diane Depken to fill a vacancy created by the recent resignation of Della Cafaro on the five-member Board of Adjustment. Depken was part of a 3-2 board majority later that night in voting to approve a special permit for the 35-turbine wind farm. Other applicants . . . Complete story »
Legislation allows local wind industry regulation
Tennessee State Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday, April 11 protecting landowners by allowing local governments to regulate the wind energy industry in Tennessee. Senate Bill 1793, sponsored by Senator Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) and Representative Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), comes after legislation was passed last year requiring a study be conducted regarding wind turbines and their impact on Tennessee communities and surrounding property owners. That legislation, also sponsored by Bailey and Sexton, placed a moratorium on wind turbines until July 1, 2018, . . . Complete story »
Introducing bill Wednesday to ban non-disclosure clauses
Chatham-Kent Essex MPP Rick Nicholls will have the full backing of the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus when he introduces legislation Wednesday that targets wind farm developers. Nicholls told The Chatham Daily News he will table a bill at Queen’s Park to prohibit non-disclosure clauses as part of leases signed with landowners to have industrial wind turbines erected on their properties. He said if a landowner chooses to have an industrial wind turbine on their property, and “you start to encounter . . . Complete story »
Board OKs Washburn wind farm
WATERLOO – Washburn Wind Energy has won approval to erect 35 industrial wind energy turbines in southern Black Hawk County farm fields. Members of the county Board of Adjustment voted 3-2 Tuesday following five hours of public hearing and debate to approve a special permit for the 70-megawatt project around Eagle Center, southeast of Hudson. The decision clears the way for Washburn Wind Energy, a wholly owned subsidary of DeSoto-based RPM Access, to complete several required studies and apply for building . . . Complete story »
Cherry County Commissioners address tax dollars for wind energy
The Cherry County courtroom was packed as residents learned whether their tax dollars were used as the foundation to build a proposed 30-turbine wind facility in Cherry County. Carolyn Semin of Kilgore spearheaded Tuesday’s Cherry County Board of Commissioners meeting. Semin says she set out to find the answer after questions from landowners about the project went unanswered, including hers. She spent about seven hours doing research of her own and discovered $13,188 was used from the inheritance tax fund . . . Complete story »
Offshore wind farms concern fisherpeople
When Greg Mataronas steams out of Narragansett Bay as early as 3 a.m., he is headed for grounds he knew as an eight-year-old. A native Rhode Islander, Mataronas grew up lobstering in Little Compton. After college, he returned to the ocean, unable to resist a profession rife with memories of his childhood. But as a commercial lobsterman, Mataronas’ days are far from youthful. Early morning wake-up calls, 16-hour days and occasional bouts of seasickness take their physical toll, and he . . . Complete story »
Slight progress on revisions to Ford County wind-farm ordinance
PAXTON – The Ford County Board’s zoning committee made some slight progress in its efforts to revise the county’s ordinance regulating wind farms Monday, but there remains work to be done before the document is ready to advance to the county’s zoning board of appeals and planning commission. During a two-hour meeting Monday at the Ford County Courthouse, the five-member committee came to a consensus on one issue: raising the minimum blade clearance – the distance between the tip of a wind . . . Complete story »
