LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME



[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Goodhue wind farm project dealt setback 

Credit:  Bill Hudson, WCCO, minnesota.cbslocal.com 23 February 2012 ~~

Opponents of expanded wind power call it the great contradiction. They say that so called “green energy” is good for the environment, but bad for birds.

Each year, the spinning turbine blades will kill countless migrating birds, from bats to bald eagles.

Daniel Schleck is an attorney representing the citizen’s group, the Coalition for Sensible Siting.

“When you’re dealing with noted species it’s hard to identify how many, so that issue needs to be addressed possibly further,” Schleck said.

Schleck was among those in attendance at a Minnesota Public Utilities Commission hearing in St. Paul concerning the latest wind farm application. AWA Goodhue Wind is proposing to build a 48-turbine wind farm in the heart of Goodhue County.

The latest hurdle it faces is getting approval of an Avian and Bat Protection Plan. The plan is required by the PUC before the wind project can move forward. The problem is the wind farm is proposed just miles from the critical Mississippi flyway, a major nesting area for bald and golden eagles.

In a packed hearing room Thursday, commissioners heard details of the plan but were unimpressed. They cite missing and incomplete data that was collected by project contractors concerning the number of eagle nests, their location as well as data on bat colonies.

The project is also Minnesota’s first to be required to estimate the unintentional but highly likely killing of eagles. It’s known as an “incidental take permit,” issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“It does not intend to have negative impact on birds and bats in the area and certainly not intend to kill bald eagles,” said Christy Brisven, the attorney for Goodhue Wind.

After hearing from Brisven as well as opponents, the commission voted 2-1 to deny the permit and send it back for more work.

Source:  Bill Hudson, WCCO, minnesota.cbslocal.com 23 February 2012

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share

Tag: Video


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky