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Wind Power News: Americas
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.
Archer Co. Sheriff confirms identity of man in fatal wind turbine accident
The Archer County Sheriff’s Office identified the man who died after falling inside a wind turbine Wednesday evening. The man, 31-year-old Marco Anthony Portillo Jr. was a resident of Weslaco, according to Sheriff Jack Curd. Portillo was on the job of a windmill project entitled “Windthorst II Wind” on April 24 under supervision of EDF Renewables. When he began to climb into the turbine, he fell and was pronounced dead on the scene. The sheriff’s office, Air Evac, AMR and . . . Complete story »
Cutting down trees for offshore wind project puts homes at risk, residents say
Dominion Energy is under fire from homeowners in one Virginia Beach neighborhood as residents say all the trees the company has taken down as part of its offshore wind project has put their homes in danger. Right behind John Rooney’s property line in the Pine Ridge neighborhood, Dominion Energy has cleared a 140-foot wide strip of trees to make way for power lines that will carry power from the offshore wind turbines to a substation in Chesapeake. Rooney said that . . . Complete story »
Wind energy off Morro Bay faces fisher lawsuit and marine sanctuary issues
Three new wind farms in the waters north of Santa Barbara County have run into a few obstacles in their attempts to bring offshore wind to the Central Coast. On top of discussions with government agencies and the Northern Chumash tribe, the three developers face a lawsuit from two San Luis Obispo fisheries claiming that “best practices” are not being used in the process of approving and building off the coast of Morro Bay. The lawsuit was filed by the . . . Complete story »
WInd turbine fire
At 4:41am today the Fire Department and Ambulance responded to a report of a windmill on fire located at 876 Rte. 189, Churubusco. Chateaugay responded with mutual aid. Trucks remained on scene. Complete story »
3 New York wind farms scrapped
New York pulled the plug Friday on three offshore wind projects that encountered pricing problems after GE canceled the development of a larger turbine that the developers had been counting on. The decision is a setback for the US offshore wind industry and may have some cost implications for Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, which are in the midst of a joint procurement for offshore wind power. The three wind farms proposed for the coast off New York were all . . . Complete story »
New York says it is not moving forward with three offshore wind farms
New York State on Friday stalled three major offshore wind-energy projects after General Electric Vernova (GE.N) changed the turbine design, which the state said “materially altered” the plans. New York provisionally approved the projects in October 2023. They are Attentive Energy One being developed by TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), Rise Light & Power and Corio Generation; Community Offshore Wind, which is backed by RWE (RWEG.DE), opens new tab and National Grid Ventures (NG.L); and Vineyard Offshore’s Excelsior Wind. But since then, GE . . . Complete story »
Major offshore wind projects in New York canceled in latest blow to industry
New York’s signature offshore wind projects meant to boost confidence in the industry are being scrapped, a major hit to the industry in the state and the nation. The decision is another setback to New York’s aspirations to achieve 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 and be a hub for the nascent industry in the United States. It will also be another challenge for President Joe Biden’s already likely out-of-reach 30 gigawatt goal for offshore wind by 2030. NYSERDA, the . . . Complete story »
Trees removed for offshore Coastal Virginia Wind project
Construction and tree clearing near Naval Air Station Oceana is catching the attention of drivers and neighbors. Dominion Energy says work along Oceana Boulevard and Harper’s Road is part of the 176-turbine Coastal Virginia Wind project. Carrie Rose Pace, a senior communications specialist with Dominion Energy’s electric transmission department, explained that the tree clearing along Oceana Boulevard, across from the base, is related to this project. She described it as duct bank work to install cables for the power that . . . Complete story »
Kay County family frustrated by wind turbine leak
A Kay County family told News 4 a leaking wind turbine near their property has now prompted an investigation. The turbine in question is owned and operated by Deriva Energy. Stephanie Mayer said she hadn’t noticed any problems with it until last month. “We had little specks of brown stuff showing up on our windows of our vehicles, out of nowhere,” said Mayer. “When we went to wash it off, like it just smears, it doesn’t like to wash off. . . . Complete story »
BLM extends comment period on proposed Sweetwater County windpower facility
The Bureau of Land Management announced on Monday that it is extending the public scoping period for the Jackalope Wind Energy project in Sweetwater County to May 2nd. The proposed 213-wind generator project is planned on 293,000 acres of private, state and public lands in a checkerboard section of lands south of the Table Rock townsite west of Wamsutter. Less than half of the land, 146-thousand acres, is federal and administered by the BLM. At full capacity, the project could . . . Complete story »
