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Wind Power News: August 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.
Residents lose appeal
Despite failing to stop the construction of the Metrowind Van Stadens wind farm, residents of Blue Horizon Bay are committed to halting the development until their concerns are addressed. This week the residents also brought an application to the high court for a review of the refusal by the minister of environmental affairs to grant condonation of the late appeal against the department’s decision to authorise the final environmental impact report which cleared the way for the developers to construct . . . Complete story »
Group forms against Nenagh wind turbine
An opposition group has formed and is seeking public support for its campaign against the plan for a new wind turbine in Nenagh. Management at the Procter & Gamble factory at Gortlandroe wants to install a wind turbine on a site between the factory and N52 bypass. Local residents opposed to the plan have formed a body called the Nenagh Wind Turbine Opposition Group (NWTOG). The group has raised several concerns over the turbine and says it will soon be . . . Complete story »
Troubled wind project target of FBI scrutiny, industry criticism
ZUMBROTA – The New Era wind project appears likely to have its state-issued permits revoked this fall after missing two deadlines that required it to either begin construction or surrender its permits by Aug. 23, according to a Minnesota Public Utilities spokesperson. That course of action could finally close the book on what’s been the most controversial wind project in state history. The 78-megawatt project was first proposed in 2008 by National Wind. During the past five years, five lawsuits have . . . Complete story »
Atlantic Array opponents host public meeting against plans
Campaigners against a proposed wind farm off the north Devon coast are trying to rally public support as the consultation period draws to a close. Members of the Slay the Array campaign will parade through Barnstaple behind “Don’t Kill North Devon” banners, before holding a public meeting. The government has agreed to consider planning permission for 240 turbines known as Atlantic Array. It is claimed the turbines could power 900,000 average UK households a year. Members of the Slay the . . . Complete story »
Atlantic Array opponents march through Barnstaple
More than 100 residents opposed to the proposed Atlantic Array development have marched through the streets of Barnstaple. However, a public meeting which followed was marred by a heated confrontation between a former UKIP councillor and a supporter of the array project. The incident saw UKIP’s Mike Pagram verbally confront the supporter, following a number of interruptions during the meeting, before the man was ejected from the event. The meeting was organised in a bid to raise awareness about the . . . Complete story »
Political wind blows well ahead of vote
Election talk is building and I don’t mean in Madagascar where a presidential election will be held in October, or in Mauritania where voters might pick parliamentary and municipal leaders this fall. The election talk is starting right here in Ontario even though there’ll be no balloting until 2014. Folks leading the charge against wind turbine developments in rural Ontario are talking up next fall’s municipal elections. (Cartoon character Maxine says they hold elections in the fall because that’s the . . . Complete story »
Plans to subdivide Route 1 site win an OK
CHARLESTOWN – The Charlestown Planning Commission has granted preliminary approval to subdivision plans that will allow the town to preserve a large section of the former Whalerock site as open space. The sale of the Route 1 land to the town is contingent on the owner, James Barrows, owner of N.I.N. LLC of Brooklyn, Conn., receiving approval to build two single family homes on approximately 7 acres of the 81.9-acre property. The town would purchase the third lot, nearly 75 acres, . . . Complete story »
State wants Green Mountain Power to do more sound testing at Lowell
The state says Green Mountain Power could be fined $54,000 for violating sound standards at its Lowell wind project. But the state agency that represents ratepayers says that instead of a fine, GMP should use the money to look into additional sound monitoring at the site. The Public Service Board opened an investigation after it learned that sound from GMP’s wind turbines exceeded the board-imposed limits last winter. GMP says it complied with the standards 99.9 percent of the time. . . . Complete story »
Standstill wind turbines consuming electricity
Knabs Ridge wind farm consumes power from the National Grid at times, according to data released by the energy giant that runs the site. Statistics from RWE npower renewables website have shown that over the past few days the Knabs Ridge wind farm has consumed power, a phenomenon referred to as ‘parasitic consumption’. On the four occasions the Harrogate Advertiser checked the production level of the eight turbine wind farm in the past two days, the site was consuming between . . . Complete story »
Disputed, preliminary Scituate turbine test results show no noise violation
With one night of turbine noise testing under its belt, Scituate’s Board of Health may already be looking at changing the testing criteria. The board has been looking at a change since preliminary results from one of four planned acoustical tests of the 400-foot tall turbine showed that the machine was operating within noise limitations. The discussion will continue during a Board of Health meeting on Sept. 9. However, town officials are wary of the first test’s results. “My personal . . . Complete story »