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Wind Power News: April 2010
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.
Golden eagles fall prey to wind industry
The controversy surrounding wind farms in America has been brewing for over 25 years. The debate centers around the use of the deadly propeller style wind turbines and the large death toll to what are supposedly protected species. One of these species, the federally protected golden eagle, has been at the forefront of this debate from the beginning. This is for good reason, because at Altamont Pass California, 50-75 golden eagles have been killed each year in the blades of . . . Complete story »
Bluster over allegedly Yale-backed windmills in Maine
When the town selectmen of Highland Plantation, Maine, population 52, learned that a developer wanted to build 48 wind turbines atop the mountains surrounding Highland, their immediate reaction was relief. The developer, Independence Wind, promised to not only bring Highland 340,000 megawatt hours of clean, renewable energy, but also to pay for 90 percent of the plantation’s taxes. Given the opportunity to lift what has become an ever-growing tax burden on Highland’s population of retirees and low-income families, residents supported . . . Complete story »
Pentagon objections hold up Oregon wind farm
One of the Obama administration’s prime initiatives – the development of sources of alternative energy to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil, create American jobs and combat climate change – is being jeopardized by competing concerns of the Defense Department. The Pentagon is threatening to scuttle what promises to be the world’s largest wind farm, in eastern Oregon, arguing that the giant turbines could interfere with an Air Force radar system. Caithness Energy had planned to break ground two weeks from now . . . Complete story »
Howard wind farm grinds to stop
Hornell, N.Y. – Everything was in line for construction of the EverPower wind project in Howard to start next month. The paperwork was filed. Agreements had been signed. Contractors had been brought in. It seemed like the only thing that could delay the project was the weather. But like a sudden gust of wind, town officials announced at Wednesday’s board meeting that the project has been put on hold, and they aren’t sure why. “The Howard wind project is on hold,” . . . Complete story »
Family files wind farm complaint with PSC
OAKFIELD – A former town of LeRoy family has filed a formal complaint, April 1, with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission against Invenergy, a Chicago based energy company that owns the Forward Wind Energy Center located in Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties. Jason and Ann Wirtz and their four children used to reside in a home on Highway YY in the town of LeRoy which was situated within the FWEC. According to the complaint, the Wirtzes suffered both physical . . . Complete story »
Lanai Windfarm proposal raises concerns over balance and benefit
State Representative Mele Carroll of Maui raised concerns over plans for a proposed 400 MW wind farm on the island of Lanai, after visiting the site over the weekend. While voicing support for renewable energy, Carroll questioned the logic in generating alternative energy at the risk of protecting natural resources, and questioned how the project would benefit island residents who live on Lanai. “There are a number of important cultural sites here, including heiaus, petroglyphs and `iwi, and the remnants of . . . Complete story »
The wind power scam
Wind was first used to generate power in the western world, circa 1200, to grind grain and lift water. Today, wind is being used to enrich big business. The father of today’s industrial wind turbine scheme was a guy named Kenneth Lay. As the CEO of Enron, an energy company, he envisioned a method of using government tax relief and subsidies to make industrial wind power work, knowing that without the government’s aid, wind power could not sustain itself. Through . . . Complete story »
Wind power is a complete disaster
There is no evidence that industrial wind power is likely to have a significant impact on carbon emissions. The European experience is instructive. Denmark, the world’s most wind-intensive nation, with more than 6,000 turbines generating 19% of its electricity, has yet to close a single fossil-fuel plant. It requires 50% more coal-generated electricity to cover wind power’s unpredictability, and pollution and carbon dioxide emissions have risen (by 36% in 2006 alone). Flemming Nissen, the head of development at West Danish . . . Complete story »
Renewed seismic activity raises questions over major projects planned in East County
How safe would giant wind turbines, power stations, high voltage lines, and a dump proposed for East County be during a powerful earthquake? Consumer advocates and area residents are raising those questions—and the answers in some cases are unsettling. A storm of controversy over wind turbine seismic safety “I don’t think that the 400 to 500 foot tall wind turbines have ever undergone seismic testing,” Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group, told East County Magazine.” An Internet search . . . Complete story »
Turbines spin buyer out of Wyoming County
I was visiting in this area, looking to possibly relocate to what used to be such a beautiful region of the State of New York, when in disbelief, I crested the hill into Wyoming County and saw these ugly, skinny, towering metal structures looming before my eyes. They littered the countryside, and instead of being able to focus on the beauty of upstate New York in Sheldon, I could only stare in disbelief at the foreign objects that had been . . . Complete story »
