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Wind Power News: July 2013
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.
Appeals board requests funds to defend itself from town’s suit
Selectmen were faced with an unusual request last night when Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Matthew J. McNamara asked them to approve funding to cover the cost of special counsel to represent them in a lawsuit the town has filed against them. The lawsuit stems from the ZBA’s decision in May that the town-owned wind turbines were a nuisance at Neil P. and Elizabeth L. Andersen’s home on Blacksmith Shop Road. Last month selectmen voted in executive session to . . . Complete story »
What has changed in a year? Governor meets with critics of proposed wind project in Grafton and Windham, but questions still persist
Last week, a handful of Grafton residents spoke with Governor Peter Shumlin, who had agreed to take ten minutes of his busy schedule to meet with us. He knew the topic: our concerns about a proposed industrial wind project in Grafton/Windham. While we presented our concerns – impact on the environment, noise and health, tourism and economy, property values – in those few minutes, the meeting made me reflect on a few questions. * * * What would a large industrial wind . . . Complete story »
BP can’t find buyer for U.S. wind division
The company responsible for the worst oil spill in U.S. history says it can’t get an adequate offer for its U.S. wind arm. After attempting to sell off its wind power holdings in the United States for some months, the British oil giant BP has given up on the sale. BP had announced in April it was looking for a buyer for its 15 U.S. wind facilities, which included the 20-megawatt Edom Hills installation in Riverside County’s San Gorgonio Pass. . . . Complete story »
Tar blocca parco eolico Camerino (Court blocks Camerino wind project)
ANCONA, 31 LUG – Il Tar delle Marche ha accolto il ricorso di Italia Nostra e bloccato la costruzione di un parco eolico con 17 torri di 105 metri, e una potenza complessiva di 34 MW, che la Comunita’ Montana di Camerino voleva costruire in un’area vincolata. La sentenza ha annullato l’autorizzazione del Consiglio dei ministri (30 aprile 2012) e i successivi provvedimenti della Regione Marche. Contro il parco si era pronunciata la Soprintendenza ai Beni ambientali. Complete story »
Application for four wind turbines in Fulstow
Anti-windfarm campaigners will unite against yet another planning application for more windturbines near the Marsh villages. Renewable energy giant, Energiekontor Ltd, has submitted plans for a scoping exercise to be carried out on land at Fulstow for up to eight turbines measuring up to 115 metres high. It is the latest in a surge of applications between Humberston and Marshchapel – bringing the total number of potential turbines to 31. Marsh Wind Farm Action Group founder and chairman, Melvin Grovenor, . . . Complete story »
Nenagh factory reveals plan to install wind turbine to cut energy costs
Procter and Gamble has met residents near its plant at Gortlandroe over its plans to build a wind turbine to help cut energy costs. The turbine, which will have an 85m hub height, will cost between E4.1m and E4.5m to install and will go on land off the N52 bypass that the company will lease. The company estimates that it would save them around E700,000 to E800,000 a year on fuel bills, just under half their total costs. Procter and . . . Complete story »
US wind installations sink to zero in Q2
US wind growth has ground to a halt this year, with no new installations completed in the second quarter of 2013, figures from the American Wind Energy Association show. The new figures are even worse than Q1’s 1.6MW of new installations, effectively just one GE 1.6MW turbine. The next slackest period for wind power in the States was the first quarter of 2010, with 541MW of completed installations. The figure for the final quarter of 2012 was 8,380MW. In its . . . Complete story »
Europe’s renewable romance fades; high energy bills and threats of blackouts ended the honeymoon
When intermittent renewables are small players in the grid, they can be easily absorbed. But as they reach European levels of penetration, the strain begins to show. There are increasing reports of management challenges resulting from wind and solar across the European grid, including frequency fluctuations, voltage support issues, and inadvertent power flows. Anxious operators are concerned about potential blackouts. Complete story »
Champaign turbine fight continues; State board allows more time for arguments
The Ohio Power Siting Board has agreed to allow more time to review parts of its decision regarding the second phase of the Buckeye Wind Project, after Champaign County and local officials raised concerns about the proposal. According to documents filed recently, an administrative law judge granted applications for a rehearing in order to give the siting board more time to consider the issues raised in the case. The siting board initially issued a certificate in May allowing the project . . . Complete story »
Judge invalidates townships’ wind-turbine restrictions; But attorneys agree what happens next is unclear
ST. JOHNS – A Clinton County judge Tuesday invalidated wind-turbine restrictions three townships enacted in response to plans by a Chicago developer to build a $120 million wind-energy project. Circuit Court Judge Randy Tahvonen said the ordinances passed by the Dallas, Essex and Bengal township boards in 2012 were more like zoning rules than police protective ordinances, which townships are permitted to enact in the interest of health, safety and public welfare. The judge said once the townships failed to take . . . Complete story »
