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)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

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

Spanish company stops wind-turbine project 

Credit:  By Don Hopey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | www.post-gazette.com 12 June 2012 ~~

Gamesa Inc. has canceled a controversial wind-power project it planned to build on Shaffer Mountain in a major flyway for migrating hawks, eagles and bats along the border of Somerset and Bedford counties.

The Spanish company, which operates wind-turbine production facilities in Pennsylvania, announced it would abandon the project because of uncertain federal wind-power production subsidy policy and concerns the turbines could harm the endangered Indiana bat.

The 30-turbine, 60-megawatt commercial wind-power project on 22,000 ridge-top acres was scheduled for construction this year and was to come on line in 2013. But its location stirred opposition from environmental, conservation and sportsmen’s organizations, almost from the time it was proposed in 2006.

In November, a coalition of those organizations threatened to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for issuing an opinion allowing the turbines to be built near a maternity colony of Indiana bats. The service subsequently agreed to reconsider its opinion.

“I’m really happy. It took five-and-a-half years, a lot of time and effort was spent opposing this project, and I’m glad it’s over for now,” said John Buchan, an attorney and leader of local opposition to the project.

Mr. Buchan said the project’s potential impacts on the migratory bird corridor and Piney Run and Clear Shade Creek, two of the state’s 28 “exceptional value” trout streams, played roles in the opposition but the bat isue was key.

“Indiana bats are endangered, and combined with the white nose syndrome epidemic that’s wiping out whole populations of bats in the state, that got the Fish and Wildlife Service’s attention.”

Source:  By Don Hopey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | www.post-gazette.com 12 June 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 Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share

Tags: Victories, Wildlife


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