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Wind Power News: February 2014
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.
UD announces initiative to help states explore offshore wind power
The University of Delaware has announced an initiative to help states take advantage of offshore wind technology. The Special Initiative on Offshore Wind will be housed at the UD’s College of Earth, Ocean and the Environment, officials said Tuesday at an industry conference in Boston. The program will provide technological, financial and strategic advice to states considering offshore wind, and will help create customized policy models, the school reported. The program will connect states with experts abroad, especially in Europe, . . . Complete story »
Now Midlothian faces a new wind farm battle
In Midlothian we have been fighting for eight and a half years to protect the Midlothian plain from wind farm development. Government reporters, councillors, planners and the public have all agreed this is not the place for a wind farm . The public have been outstanding in objecting to applications throughout this time with the developers having just a handful of supporters. An application for nine turbines at Mount Lothian, which was withdrawn last year, the afternoon before a presentation . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine plans for outskirts of Newbold Verdon
People in Newbold Verdon will have the chance to find out about proposals to put up a wind turbine close to the village at a drop-in session in St James’ Church hall on March 6. Renewable energy company Res wants to consult with members of the public before submitting a formal application for the project. It wants to put up a singe turbine to the north-east of Newbold Verdon, about 9km south of Coalville. The company is also hoping to . . . Complete story »
Permission granted for wind turbine in Duckmanton
Chesterfield councillors have recently voted unanimously to grant planning permission for a co-operatively owned wind turbine at Duckmanton, the Chesterfield Post reported. The turbine will be sited on former colliery land owned by Harworth Estates. Four Winds Energy Co-operative (4Winds) has been formed to own and manage the turbine, together with a similar one on another former colliery site near Barnsley. Duckmanton Primary Schoolon Wednesday 12 March at 7:30pm, so that local people can find out all about the co-operative . . . Complete story »
Council U-turn on turbine bid close to the Duddo stone circle
Council officers have done a U-turn on plans for wind turbines close to Northumberland’s answer to Stonehenge. Planning officers at Northumberland County Council had recommended approval of proposals for two generators close to the 4,000-year-old Duddo stone circle near Berwick. Now, however, councillors are being urged to throw out the plans – on the back of a recent decision to allow another turbine to be erected in the area. The application is for generators with a tip height of 34.5m . . . Complete story »
Groton Wind experience has shown that Iberdrola can’t be trusted
To The Daily Sun, In May 2011, the Spanish company, Iberdrola Renewables, was granted a permit by the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) for a 48 megawatt, 24 turbine wind farm on the mountain ridges in the town of Groton. Groton Wind was built and went on line in December 2012. After 14 months of operation, Groton Wind is being investigated by the State Attorney General’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The wind farm operation has been . . . Complete story »
EFI report: Government advisors recommend to discontinue EEG
While the government is in the process of revising the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the Commission of Experts on Research and Innovation (Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation – EFI), recommends to abolish the EEG. Neither was it a cost-efficient climate protection tool, nor did it have a positive effect on innovation, the experts concluded in their 2014 report, presented to Chancellor Merkel today. The EFI expert commission has been appointed by the federal government to provide scientific policy advice. A . . . Complete story »
Blade break fits with incident studies
I find it interesting that after the recent wind turbine blade failure in Tipton, E.ON spokesman Elon Hasson was quoted in the Kokomo Tribune as “such failures are rare” and a GE issued statement included, “Blade breaks in wind turbines are rare.” It is odd that what the wind industry continues to call rare seems to happen with awful regularity. As I write this, just hours ago in Pennsylvania, another blade snapped in half at the EverPower-owned turbine farm near . . . Complete story »
House unveils tax reform plan attacking wind energy PTC
On Feb. 26, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., released a scathing tax reform proposal that seeks to dramatically reduce the amount of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) before eliminating the incentive altogether. Per Camp’s plan, the Tax Reform Act of 2014 would retroactively reduce the amount of the PTC to $0.015/kWh – from the current $0.023/kWh – for wind projects currently receiving the credit until the end of the incentive’s 10-year period, thereby . . . Complete story »
Alabama Senate passes bill to regulate wind farms
The Alabama Senate passed a bill today to regulate wind farms. Senate Bill 12 by Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, would require wind mill companies to be regulated by the Public Service Commission. The location, design, installation and operation of wind farms would be regulated. Wind farms would need approval from local governments. Williams said there are wind farm projects proposed in at least eight Alabama counties – Madison, Jackson, DeKalb, St. Clair, Etowah, Cherokee, Cleburne and Baldwin. The senator said . . . Complete story »