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Wind Power News: September 2015
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.
DUP minister Jonathan Bell in U-turn on wind power subsidies
A Stormont minister has done a major U-turn on energy subsidies for land-based wind turbines, admitting that his initial proposal – which MLAs refused to speed through the Assembly over the summer – would have hit every electricity customer in the pocket. DUP minister Jonathan Bell – who is currently out of office for several days due to the DUP’s policy of rolling ministerial resignations – announced that Northern Ireland will now not retain a more generous system of subsidies . . . Complete story »
Fight against wind turbines is about the City’s right to protect its residents’ interests, says CAO
ANETVILLE – It may seem like ‘same old, same old.’ But the fight to keep industrial wind turbines out of Manvers Township and off the Oak Ridges Moraine is also about the City of Kawartha Lakes protecting its local interests. The Environmental Review Tribunal hearing from those opposing the Snowy Ridge wind turbine project started in Janetville on Monday and may continue into next week. Snowy Ridge is a Capstone Infrastructure project that has received its Renewable Energy Approval (REA) . . . Complete story »
Antrim wind farm to get a second shot at state approval
A proposal to construct 9 large wind turbines in Southwestern New Hampshire will be allowed to go before state regulators again. The Site Evaluation Committee has decided the previously rejected Antrim wind farm has changed its proposal enough to get a second chance. Eolian Renewable Energy’s original proposal for the Antrim wind farm was for ten-turbines, and to produce 30 megawatts on the windiest days. State Regulators rejected the project in 2013 because of the aesthetic impact it would have . . . Complete story »
Finns try to stop wind farms affecting TV, mobile reception
The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (Ficora) said it is cooperating with energy and telecommunications operators to counter the adverse effects of wind power parks on television reception, mobile networks, radio links and radars. The aim is to resolve the problems by agreeing on the division of responsibilities and, thus, to avoid introducing new legislation. Ficora has established a working group consisting of companies and organisations in the energy sector, telecommunications operators, as well as other authorities. The purpose is to . . . Complete story »
Ohio lawmakers recommend halting state’s renewable energy, efficiency mandates
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After months of work, a legislative study committee has recommended that Ohio should indefinitely freeze its renewable-energy and energy-efficiency mandates. Gov. John Kasich’s administration, however, has balked at the idea, calling a continued freeze “unacceptable.” Such a recommendation marks a blow for environmentalists and other supporters of the standards, which Republican lawmakers froze last year after utilities and manufacturers objected to them. The Energy Mandates Study Committee, in a preliminary report released Wednesday, concluded that Ohio should . . . Complete story »
Heat on wind farm
While hundreds of Far North Queenslanders have been desperately fighting fires ringing the Mount Emerald wind farm plateau, where were the land owners? No attempt to stop the fires on their property, no offers of backup support, no calls to the volunteer brigades who worked around the clock to save properties, and no thanks. Maybe the wind farm developers were hoping the fires would wipe out the plateau’s endangered plants and animals? Their silence has been deafening – unlike what . . . Complete story »
Falmouth selectmen try new tack to resume turbine operation
FALMOUTH – Neil Andersen and his wife, Elizabeth, opened the windows on the north side of their Blacksmith Shop Road house Tuesday for the first time in five years. They could take the seemingly mundane action, Neil Andersen said, because the steady swishing sound of a wind turbine had finally ceased. “Wind 1 is off,” he said. “It’s just tremendous.” But the couple’s relief may be short-lived. A day after the Falmouth Board of Selectmen voted in a closed-door session on . . . Complete story »
Dixfield selectmen vote to send ordinance draft to Belfast lawyer
DIXFIELD – The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 Monday to have Belfast lawyer Kristen Collins draft language on sound limits for the Wind Energy Facility Ordinance. At its Aug. 25 meeting, the board voted to accept a citizens’ petition requesting the ordinance include the complete Maine Department of Environmental Protection sound level limits, which are 42 decibels for nighttime and 55 decibels for daytime. Town Manager Carlo Puiia said he discovered there are 26 pages on the DEP’s standards for sound . . . Complete story »
Falmouth voters to decide three turbine articles in November
Three articles will appear on the warrant for Special Town Meeting on November 10, including one that if approved would allow the town’s two wind turbines to operate without a special permit. The third of the three articles that selectmen unanimously approved for inclusion on the warrant Tuesday night at the Falmouth Public Library will let voters decide whether or not to allow Wind 1 and Wind 2 to run without the special permit. A “yes” vote would amend the . . . Complete story »
Hanover officials optimistic that wind turbine is ‘operating properly now’
Hanover’s wind turbine has been running for more than 45 days without a problem, indicating it may finally be problem free, officials said. Industry standards state if the machinery surpasses a 30-day milestone, it is considered to no longer have issues, said Tim Stearns, Aeronautica chief operations officer. “It’s operating properly now,” Stearns said. The town hired Stearns’ firm to help mitigate issues with the turbine. The turbine hit the 30-day mark last year, when it operated for 90 days . . . Complete story »
