Wind Power News: May 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.
Falmouth turbine noise fuels debate
...residents at last night's meeting crafted talking points and planned strategies to address wind turbine noise. Suggested courses of action included attending every town hearing related to wind power projects to hiring a lawyer to force the town to compensate homeowners for lower property values. Complete story »
Turbine hits turbulence
The noise being generated by the town’s wind turbine at the Wastewater Treatment Plant on Blacksmith Shop Road may be nothing when compared to the noise generated by a group of disgruntled residents living nearby who are upset about how the machine has impacted their quality of life. Described as making a noise similar to the sound of a jet hovering over one’s property, the machine has not only caused sleepless nights for some and affected residents’ health but also . . . Complete story »
Looking at wind energy from both sides now
There’s a cold wind blowing on the hopes of wind-energy advocates in Western North Carolina, thanks to a pending bill in the N.C. General Assembly. As early as May 12, state legislators will take up Senate Bill 1068 when they reconvene in the short session. The bill – which would establish a regulatory system for wind-energy farms – has stirred fierce debate between advocates and opponents of wind energy in the mountains of North Carolina, partly because of a controversial part of . . . Complete story »
Doctor says wind turbines will harm health
MONTPELIER – A doctor who has studied the health effects of a commercial wind power project in northern Maine brought his conclusion to the State House Friday morning, May 7. “There is absolutely no doubt that people living within 3,500 feet of a ridge line arrangement of 1.5 megawatts or larger turbines in a rural environment will suffer negative effects.” The conclusion is in a statement distributed at Dr. Michael Nissenbaum’s press conference, held in the middle of one of the . . . Complete story »
Prospects cool for NC regulations on wind turbines
As the Gulf of Mexico darkens from a deep-sea oil leak and the push for offshore oil drilling slows, some North Carolina lawmakers say state legislation to regulate large-scale wind farms is likely to die this year. Facing conflicts over funding education and other priorities, boosting job creation and balancing a state budget amid flagging tax collections, legislators said Tuesday they have yet to find a compromise on wind farm regulations. As lawmakers prepared to start their annual session on . . . Complete story »
Invenergy tries to woo Brown County for wind farm project
Invenergy LLC officials say they have a track record of profitable projects and satisfied customers to support their efforts to bring a wind farm to Brown County. “If one looks overall at this, they’ll see there’s a high level of comfort,” said Kevin Parzyck, project manager for the proposed 100-turbine Ledge Wind Energy Project in four towns in southern Brown County. “Our feeling is that it’s a benefit to the community.” Invenergy, one of the six largest wind energy companies . . . Complete story »
Twisters vs. turbines: What if a tornado swept through a wind farm?
Turbines are popping up all over tornado alley – nearly 1,400 in windswept Nolan County alone. Every year, about 1,000 twisters crop up across the country. But no one knows what would happen if a high-intensity tornado struck a turbine. A typical machine’s rotor weighs 47 tons and could nearly reach across the length of a football field. “Can a turbine blade come off the turbine and fly in the air, and how far will it go? We don’t have an . . . Complete story »
Locals keep eye on wind farm petition; Landowners say Steens Mountain listing could be precedent-setting
A trio of environmental groups are seeking to list the Steens Mountain area with other protected areas in the state, such as the Crater Lake National Park and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic area. Wind projects are not allowed in protected areas, and the listing would shut down two wind projects in the works and jeopardize a third that’s already permitted. The petition, first presented at an Energy Facility Siting Council meeting last week, has Harney County ranchers in an . . . Complete story »
Cape Wind rate shock: Electricity will cost twice as much as power plants
The controversial Cape Wind project will cost taxpayers and ratepayers more than $2 billion to build – three times its original estimate. That colossal cost is the driving force behind the sky-high electric rates it plans to charge Massachusetts customers in coming years. Cape Wind, which wants to build 130 wind turbines off the coast of Cape Cod, and National Grid announced yesterday that they’ve reached an agreement to start charging customers 20.7 cents per kilowatt hour in 2013 – more than . . . Complete story »
PUC chairman took equity stake in wind company
AUGUSTA – While he was Maine’s chief utilities regulator, Kurt Adams accepted an ownership interest in a leading wind energy company. One month later, in May 2008, he went to work for that company, First Wind, as a senior vice president. The move from a state job to the private sector richly rewarded Adams: A “summary compensation table” in a recent SEC filing shows that Adams’s 2009 compensation of $1.3 million included $315,000 in salary, $658,000 in stock awards, $29,000 of . . . Complete story »
