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Wind Power News: September 2017
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.
Council of Canadians steps up to stop wind turbine construction
The Council of Canadians has taken a call to action from a local protest group to stop wind turbine construction in Chatham-Kent. Regional Organizer Mark Calzavara says Water Wells First contacted the organization in December of last year, asking for help to raise awareness about contaminated water wells in the municipality. Water Wells First is an activist group in Chatham-Kent that claims pile driving from wind turbine construction in both Dover Township and North Kent has disturbed the Kettle Point . . . Complete story »
KEAG vow to fight on in wake of Kildare wind farm judgement
Campaigners against Kildare’s first ever proposed wind farm have vowed to fight on despite the High Court’s decision to quash An Bord Pleanála’s decision to refuse it. Last October, the planning authority gave it’s verdict on Element Power’s Maighne Wind Farm, which would have provided for 46 turbines in Kildare and one over the Meath border. Element Power appealed the decision. The judgment, which was issued at 2.30pm this afternoon, came as no surprise to the Kildare Environmental Awareness Campaign . . . Complete story »
Giant wind farm bid near Hawick slammed as worst yet drawn up
A proposed wind farm at a remote location south of Hawick is one of the most “ill judged and deficient” schemes ever put forward, according to community councillors. Cheshire-based Community Windpower has submitted scoping plans for 46 wind turbines, some up to a maximum height of 200m, to be located on land at Cliffhope, north of Saughtree Station House in Newcastleton and a few hundred yards from the hamlet of Singdean. The development is so large that it will be . . . Complete story »
Complaints mount against North Kent Wind 1
Thirteen Chatham-area well owners have now filed water well interference complaints following the start of construction on a 34-turbine wind power project near their properties. The project developer, North Kent Wind 1, owned by Samsung Energy and Pattern Energy, started pile driving for the first turbine foundation in late June. The vibrations caused by the pile driving can be felt hundreds of meters away. Before construction began, experts predicted that local wells could suffer siltation problems from the vibrations. Some . . . Complete story »
Stung over bias claims with Wyoming wind project, Rocky Mountain Power now seeks renewable energy ideas in Utah
Rocky Mountain Power will now seek proposals for solar projects in Utah and other states to quell accusations that it showed bias in its recent choices on new power-generation investments. Company spokesman David Eskelsen said Thursday the state’s largest provider of electricity will issue its call for new solar proposals in the next 4-6 weeks, while it considers bids to construct the more than 1,100 megawatts of wind generation the company hopes to develop, primarily in Wyoming. State regulators had . . . Complete story »
Energy Department needs to push harder on energy development: Study
Wind energy would also require more study that examines how much federal subsidies factor into potential projects. "DOE should perform a sensitivity study that illustrates the potential for wind development on DOE-managed lands that addresses federal incentives such as investment tax credits, production tax credits, and renewable energy credits," the summary read. Complete story »
The Hughes County wind farm proposal
A California-based energy company has proposed building between 150 and 200 industrial wind turbines in Hughes County to produce and sell electricity. These turbines will stand between 400 and 500 feet high and generate some tax revenue, as well as lease payments to local landowners, many of whom are farmers and ranchers. The extra money sounds great, but there are hidden costs to everything. In this case, as in many other wind-farm proposals, neighbors are beginning to turn on one . . . Complete story »
Suddenly Southeast? Working to unlock the region’s wind barriers
“Wind isn’t a known commodity in the Southeast like it is across the rest of the country,” Katharine Kollins, president at the Southeastern Wind Coalition (SEWC), says. “Most state and local governments haven’t had to deal with wind farms, and if you’ve spent your entire life in the Southeast, odds are you haven’t seen one in person.” She continues, “Opponents of wind energy – or renewables in general – also recognize this and want to use this opportunity to cast wind in a negative light with local residents before they even need to consider having a wind turbine in their community. The way to solve this is through proactive, transparent engagement with elected officials at the state level all the way down to individual citizens. Complete story »
Laois TD Brian Stanley’s wind turbine Bill defeated in the Dáil
A Bill by Laois Sinn Féin TD, Brian Stanley, proposing a legal setback distance for wind turbines of 10 times the height of the turbine has been defeated in the Dáil. The bill received 40 votes for and 83 votes against with zero abstaining. Speaking after the vote, Brian Stanley has said that it is extremely disappointing that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have rejected legal protections on wind farm developments and have simply ignored the huge concerns across rural . . . Complete story »
Tax policy: Plan raises questions for energy, doubts about renewables
A fresh push by the White House and Republican leaders for slashing the corporate tax rate could jeopardize a range of tax credits and breaks important to the energy industry and environmentalists. The plan – out yesterday and being turned into legislation by tax-writing panels – would allow immediate expensing of capital investments for “at least five years,” which Republicans say would provide broad economic benefits, including to renewable companies and other energy sectors. However, the push to lower the corporate rate . . . Complete story »
