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Wind Power News: August 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.
Governor Jim Douglas on industrial wind
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas was a guest on VPR this past week. In response to a call-in phone question he had the following to say about industrial wind in Vermont. VPR: Let’s talk to Paul in Sutton. Hi, Paul, what’s on your mind. Paul From Sutton: Good Afternoon and Governor Douglas thanks for being a consistent voice in the opposition to industrial scale wind energy development in Vermont. We now face 10 such projects in various stages of planning in . . . Complete story »
Exposed: Mass Audubon’s financial interest in Cape Wind
Mass Audubon is a Minerals Management Service (MMS) identified “Key Partner” involved in the collection of avian data, analysis, and commenting upon the same in the Cape Wind project environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA analysis should remain objective. However, Mass Audubon offered their “support” for Cape Wind during this project’s NEPA review in their 2006 press release called “Challenge”. The “Challenge” condition of Mass Audubon’s Cape Wind “support” is agency acceptance of Adaptive Management monitoring . . . Complete story »
Municipalities warned of wind farm document
FREDERICTON – New Brunswick municipalities are being warned that a government document on community wind farms could mislead them into spending tens of millions of dollars on projects that could end up losing money. The Energy Department recently published a paper called New Brunswick Community Wind Projects – Getting to the Tipping Point. The paper includes a mock business plan based on NB Power paying 10 cents a kilowatt/hour plus an inflation factor for wind-generated electricity. The province wants to eventually buy . . . Complete story »
Regulators vote to adopt standards allowing local governments to pay residents living near turbines
State energy regulators completed work Monday on rules that would restrict the location of wind turbines in Wisconsin. The Public Service Commission voted 3-0 to adopt standards for noise and shadow flicker, and opted to allow local governments to require “good neighbor payments” to residents who live within one-half mile of a wind turbine but aren’t hosting a turbine on their land. Commissioners have grappled with details of the rules during a series of meetings over the past few weeks, . . . Complete story »
Responses of the ear to low frequency sounds, infrasound and wind turbines
Abstract Infrasonic sounds are generated internally in the body (by respiration, heartbeat, coughing, etc) and by external sources, such as air conditioning systems, inside vehicles, some industrial processes and, now becoming increasingly prevalent, wind turbines. It is widely assumed that infrasound presented at an amplitude below what is audible has no influence on the ear. In this review, we consider possible ways that low frequency sounds, at levels that may or may not be heard, could influence the function of . . . Complete story »
Seven wind turbines proposed for Bourne
CAPE COD – Plans have been filed with the Cape Cod Commission for installation of seven 100-meter wind turbines on land proposed for a green technology campus off Route 6 in Bourne near the Cape Cod Canal, extending west to Route 25. The turbines will produce 17 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, enough to supply power to 5,000 to 6,000 homes annually. Boune Panhandle Trust, owners of undeveloped land abutting Route 25 in Bourne, and the Lorusso family, owner of the . . . Complete story »
Connecticut eyes Mass. renewable energy bill
Connecticut may get a boost from Massachusetts in meeting the Nutmeg State’s renewable energy goals, as the Massachusetts state Senate is trying again to pass a bill supporters say will streamline the location of wind power facilities in Massachusetts, The Associated Press reports. By 2020, the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control wants 23 percent of the state’s power to come from renewable energy sources such as wind, water and solar, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. While Connecticut . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine protest group to march across blocked off land
A protest walk is set to highlight a blocked public footpath and controversial wind turbine plans in Grange Moor. Members of the Grange Moor Protest Group (GMAT) are set to walk along a footpath that has been blocked off by barbed wire and debris. The public right of way that links from behind the Kaye Arms pub at Wakefield Road to Denby Lane is believed to have been obstructed by the landowner. It has now partially re-opened following intervention from . . . Complete story »
Wind plan is under wraps
A wind farm off Cuttyhunk – one of only two places in the commonwealth designated for commercial wind development – is in the earliest stages of planning, although at this stage the details are being kept carefully under wraps. At a public meeting held on the southernmost Elizabeth Island Friday afternoon the Gosnold wind committee, a subcommittee appointed by the selectmen in that town, met to announce that it was working to draft a memorandum of understanding with the state concerning efforts . . . Complete story »
PSC sets new rules for windmill sites
Wind turbine siting rules approved Monday by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission likely will have little impact on a Chicago-based company’s attempts to build a 100-turbine wind farm in southern Brown County. The PSC established guidelines for local governments to set restrictions on projects less than 100 megawatts in generating capacity. However, the Ledge Wind project proposed by Invenergy LLC in the towns of Morrison, Holland, Glenmore and Wrightstown would exceed 100 megawatts. The company submitted its application to the . . . Complete story »
