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Wind Power News: March 2009
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort 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.
Industrial wind energy proponents increase pressure for 45-50 story turbines in East County
For the record, even though I chair the Boulevard Planning Group and head up the non-profit group, Backcountry Against Dumps, this opinion column is my own personal perspective. The pressure from industrial wind energy proponents is really cranking up in Eastern San Diego County. Multi-national firms, worth billions of dollars, and others, have targeted public, private and tribal lands in the Tecate Divide and Tierra Del Sol area of Campo and Boulevard for their hulking 40-50 story wind turbines. Other . . . Complete story »
CANAG protest against plans for wind turbines
More than 100 residents from communities in Castletown Kenneigh and Newcestown staged a demonstration outside County Hall in Cork on Monday to protest against plans by a West Cork renewable energy company to install 14 large-scale wind turbines in the area. A planning application for 14 wind turbines at Belrose Upper, Enniskeane, has been lodged with Cork County Council by Organic Power, which is based in Skibbereen. Monday was the closing date for observations on the planning application and a . . . Complete story »
Windfarm article refuted
Your article, “Jordanville Wind Farm Put on Hold,” in the March 19, 2009 edition of the Mercury, does a great disservice to your readers. Since it poses as an objective article on the subject when in fact it is an editorial, it confuses and distorts the issues. The bias of the writer is evident from the very first sentence, which seeks to cast what follows in a very favorable light in regard to the project. And the statement regarding the . . . Complete story »
Jordanville Wind Farm put on hold
JORDANVILLE, N.Y. – The controversial Jordanville Wind Farm, which when built could initially generate an up-front $250,000, and $100,000 annually over the next 15 years, has been put on hold by the developer, Iberdrola Renewables. Town of Warren Supervisor Richard Jack said the project “is at a standstill” at least until May or June while the developer re-evaluates the proposal which has been in the discussion stage for several years. Jack indicated that a combination of factors have caused the . . . Complete story »
Noble liens snare landowners
Noble Environmental, the company along with upc/first wind, that was investigated by NY AG Cuomo is being sued for not paying an electrical contractor, who has placed liens on the property owners leasing land to Noble for the Chateaugay Windpark. Several property owners who entered easement agreements with an arm of Noble Environmental Power now find themselves with mechanic liens on their land after the company reportedly failed to pay a bill to an electrical company. On March 11, three . . . Complete story »
Turbine collapses, wiring blamed
A “wiring anomaly” was blamed for the collapse earlier this month of a wind turbine near Altona, N.Y., according to Noble Environmental Power, the operator of the wind park. The 1.5 megawatt turbine, made by General Electric, broke apart on March 6th, and caused a small fire on the ground, as seen in this video from the local NBC affiliate, WPTZ. According to press reports, the park had experienced a power outage at the time, but two of the 65 . . . Complete story »
Turbines fire fear in Macedon Ranges
Tooborac residents fear a proposed wind farm will make their fire-prone village even more unsafe after a turbine caught fire in South Australia. The turbine burnt scrub near Port Lincoln last month at the height of a prolonged heatwave. Tooborac, about 20km from Lancefield, has been earmarked for a 70-turbine wind farm for more than five years by Transfield Services. Another proposed project at Sidonia – badly hit in the Redesdale fire – is mooted to be getting 34 turbines, . . . Complete story »
Lawsuits, Altona accident end wind power in Beekmantown
BEEKMANTOWN – It’s over. Windhorse Power LLC proposed a 13-turbine wind-power facility in the Town of Beekmantown three years ago, and the Town Council shot it down at their regular meeting Monday night. Windhorse’s project was approved Feb. 1, 2007, by the Beekmantown Zoning Board of Appeals. Beekmantown residents have spent more than $70,000 in lawsuits against the town Zoning Board and Windhorse. As a late item on the agenda, Town Councilwoman Sydney Sue Garrant proposed that the conditional-use permit be . . . Complete story »
Firefighters respond to wind turbine fire in Mahanoy Township
Firefighters responded to a report of a turbine fire at the first commercial-size wind farm in Schuylkill County, Locust Ridge I in Mahanoy Township, Thursday afternoon, according to reports from Schuylkill County Communications. Paul Copleman, spokesman for Iberdrola Renewables, Wayne, which owns the wind farm, would not offer any details when contacted at 2:50 p.m. Thursday. “We have been notified of an event at the Locust Ridge I Wind Farm. We are investigating the situation. And we’ll not be making . . . Complete story »
Bailing out wind energy project is a misuse of stimulus money
The Highland County Board of Supervisors has unwisely proposed that the Commonwealth of Virginia provide $1.5 million in economic stimulus money to help facilitate the proposed Highland New Wind Development project in order to “enhance the long‐term returns to the county, developer and Commonwealth.” The Highland New Wind project received permits over a year ago from both the State Corporation Commission and Highland County after a long, contentious, and expensive review process involving multiple government agencies and conservation groups. Both . . . Complete story »
