| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: October 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.
Iberdrola could revisit plans for Horse Creek Wind Farm in Clayton
CLAYTON – The developer of the Horse Creek Wind Farm ceased planning its project about three years ago, but it appears the effort is far from dead. Iberdrola Renewables USA recently pledged to build at least 446 megawatts of new wind generation by signing on to the Obama administration’s American Business Act on Climate Pledge. The developer, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables in Spain, was among 81 companies nationwide that made energy-related pledges this month to take action on climate change. . . . Complete story »
Calhan residents looking for answers following damaged wind turbine
CALHAN, Colo. – Concerns in a Calhan neighborhood after neighbors say there have been repeated shootings. The most recent shooting involved a turbine in late September. The damage is estimated between $20,000 and $250,000. It happened near the intersection of North Yoder and Heaston roads. “We’re really not sure of the motive at this point,” said Deputy Scott Brettell. Neighbors in the area say this isn’t the first random shooting “There’s been one lady who had her brakes sabotaged and . . . Complete story »
Altamont Pass: Controversial wind turbine company blamed for bird deaths shutting down
LIVERMORE – A wind power provider that operates about 800 turbines in the Altamont Pass – where thousands of birds are believed killed by them each year – is shutting down its operations. Altamont Winds told the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service in an email Oct. 23 that it is ceasing operations as of Sunday. The decision was applauded by environmental groups, which for years have been fighting to build awareness around the large numbers of golden eagles, raptors, burrowing owls and other . . . Complete story »
State calls for investigation of Sheffield Wind noise
The state’s ratepayer advocates are asking regulators to investigate whether a wind developer in the Northeast Kingdom violated the noise provisions in the permit the company received nearly 10 years ago. The Public Service Department has filed documents asking the utility-regulating Public Service Board to investigate the noise concerns of a man who lives near wind turbines in Sheffield that were built in 2011, at a time when industrial-scale wind projects were popping up in the Northeast Kingdom. The department . . . Complete story »
Fantasy show on wind turbines
An outsider attending the wind-turbine meeting in Windham on Tuesday, Oct. 27, would have had the nostalgic sensation of being back in the 1950s and ’60s, watching beloved TV shows. First, there was the oddly sanctimonious moderator, who masterfully re-created the role of Miss Frances on “Ding-Dong School,” as he gently chastised the citizenry for their naughtiness in placing “No Wind Turbines” signs on their lawns. Next, a sprightly fellow did his imitation of Mr. Wizard, with a marvelous display . . . Complete story »
Outdoors enthusiasts celebrate as Talladh-a-bheithe windfarm plan for Rannoch is thrown out
Highly controversial plans for a giant Perthshire windfarm, which were branded “insane” by Outlander author Diana Gabaldon, have been rejected by Scottish ministers. The proposed 24-turbine Talladh-a-bheithe development at Rannoch Moor was widely criticised amid fears it could hit Scotland’s tourism economy. Gabaldon made headlines when she criticised VisitScotland for including the site on a tourist trail map for fans of her Outlander series. The 63-year-old said: “It seems insane to sacrifice one of (Scotland’s) most scenic landscapes for the . . . Complete story »
Protest at VT Dems rally, renewable energy in spotlight
BARRE, Vt. – With Senator Patrick Leahy, Congressman Peter Welch, and Democratic candidates for Governor in attendance, a group of people from all corners of Vermont decided the Harvest Rally was the perfect place to grab lawmakers’ attention. The group drummed outside the rally, advocating against a recently proposed wind turbine project in Swanton. They want lawmakers to re-evaluate the pace and size of the renewable energy projects popping up across Vermont. Specifically, the group believes people and families living near . . . Complete story »
Details, details: Site Evaluation Committee has to decide how many are needed
Whether a wind turbine is ugly, beautiful or somewhere in between is a matter of opinion. But its loudness, measured in decibels, is pretty objective. How to balance those two factors is a big part of the ongoing debate over how that dull-sounding but wildly controversial body, the Site Evaluation Committee, should proceed. The SEC, which dates back to Aristotle Onassis’s attempt to build an oil refinery on the Isles of Shoals four decades ago, is the state’s oversight group . . . Complete story »
United Illuminating buyer has multiple fraud and corruption cases in Europe
The proposed, $3 billion takeover of United Illuminating and Connecticut Natural Gas Co. by Iberdrola SA was already stacked with concerns when another hot issue brought some high drama to a regulatory hearing this month. Iberdrola has had five recent cases of fraud and corruption around the world, with millions of dollars in fines, tens of millions in proposed fines and a worldwide ban on World Bank financing. The cases have been public, if we consider docket transcripts in Spain, . . . Complete story »
Troy’s Take: When The Irrational Becomes The Absurd
At some point, perhaps, the irrational becomes so pervasive that it becomes the absurd, but does that mean that it eventually becomes rational? I say no. On November 9, our local legislators will converge on the Lawrence Memorial Auditorium to conduct the people’s business in the autumn version of our Annual Town Meeting—the town’s precious exercise of representative democracy. The menu always includes small servings of both nonsense and irrationality, and the presence of yet another spate of articles related . . . Complete story »
