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Wind Power News: October 2012
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.
Macarthur wind farm work accident prompts safety changes
An accident at the Macarthur wind farm in which a man was hit by a falling three-kilogram piece of tubing has prompted a change in work procedures at the site. A Portland man, 24, was working on a tower at a height of about 50 metres in July this year when he was hit on the head and shoulder by the plastic tubing, which had fallen about 20 metres. The man, an electrical subcontractor, briefly lost consciousness and suffered spinal . . . Complete story »
Staffordshire County Council gets tough on wind farm plans
Applications for county wind farms will be automatically refused unless they can demonstrate real benefits to people living in the area. A strong new stance will see bids to erect wind farms refused if they look set to threaten the outstanding landscape or economy of Staffordshire. The tough new move, which was put forward by Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, has now won the approval of the county’s cabinet. Any applications for county wind farms will . . . Complete story »
Energy Secretary slaps down minister who called for end to wind farm sprawl
Ed Davey has banned John Hayes, a new energy minister, from making remarks about the spread of wind farms after he told newspapers, “enough is enough”. A deepening Coalition rift over Britain’s energy policy has emerged, after a Tory minister called an end to wind farms “peppered” all over the countryside. Last night, John Hayes, a new energy minister, told newspapers that the spread of wind farms across the countryside will be brought to a halt as “enough is enough”. . . . Complete story »
County too populous for wind farm
DeKalb County Commissioners are struggling with serious questions about how to regulate potential wind farms in the county. A lot of sound advice was available at a meeting Friday night in Country Meadow Elementary School, south of Ashley. Roger McEowen, a professor in agricultural law at Iowa State University, spoke at the invitation of Concerned Citizens of DeKalb County. The Concerned Citizens group strongly opposes wind farms. The group likely invited McEowen to speak because it knew he takes a . . . Complete story »
Think critically about wind power
In spite of attempts by many very smart Vermonters to create a dialogue where Vermonters could effectively and honestly debate the pros and cons of industrial wind, we are still being fed nothing but campaign rhetoric and some outright lies. Critical thinking is not taking place, and we are being sold a bill of goods by Peter Shumlin and company. When Gov. Shumlin states that “bats will be displaced by wind turbines,” someone should call him on that statement, which . . . Complete story »
Left swinging in the wind!
Salmond commits Scotland to MORE wind farms on the day UK Energy Minister halts march of turbines Alex Salmond last night stepped up the march of wind farms across Scotland, on the day the UK Energy Minister vowed to slam the brakes on their endless expansion. The SNP leader fired the starting gun on a new drive that will see more turbines litter the countryside as he revealed that half of Scotland’s electricity must come from green energy by 2015. . . . Complete story »
Navitus Bay to improve models of south coast wind farm
The company behind plans to build a wind farm off the south coast has admitted it could have done a better job of presenting its plans to the public. Navitus Bay is delaying the next stage of its public consultation so it can prepare more comprehensive models of how the farm might look. The project could see up to 333 turbines built just over eight miles off Peveril Point at Swanage, Dorset, and The Needles, in the Isle of Wight. . . . Complete story »
Eglingham residents oppose met mast plan
Plans to put up an 80m tall wind measuring mast on farmland near Eglingham have met with strong opposition from 37 local residents and parish councillors. PNE Wind UK Ltd want to install the anemometer mast for up to five years on land just north of Beatrice Wood. The data would be used to determine its suitability for wind turbines. Opponents are particularly concerned about the site’s proximity to the wind farms at Middlemoor and Wandylaw which are currently under . . . Complete story »
Ten years too late, it’s good riddance to wind farms – one of the most dangerous delusions of our age
The significance of yesterday’s shock announce-ment by our Energy Minister John Hayes that the Government plans to put a firm limit on the building of any more onshore windfarms is hard to exaggerate. On the face of it, this promises to be the beginning of an end to one of the greatest and most dangerous political delusions of our time. For years now, the plan to cover hundreds of square miles of the British countryside with ever more wind turbines . . . Complete story »
Minister slams wind farms policy
The Tory energy minister has condemned the “peppering” of wind farms across the countryside, insisting: “Enough is enough.” In remarks bound to inflame coalition tensions, John Hayes said the spread of turbines “seems extraordinary” and they should no longer be “imposed on communities”. He revealed he has ordered a new analysis of the case for onshore wind power, saying policy should not be based on a “bourgeois Left article of faith”. The intervention will delight scores of Conservative MPs who . . . Complete story »
