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Wind Power News: AMERICAS
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission 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. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Proposed wind farm in Lincoln raises local concerns
The proposal for a wind farm 5 miles north of Lincoln is in the very early stages of study and is years away if it happens at all, the development manager for the proposal said Thursday. “We can’t do this without local support, and wouldn’t do it without that,” said Madalyn Farquhar, development manager for RES, a global energy company with U.S. operations based in Denver. The company is talking with local landowners to see if enough support exists to . . . Complete story »
Massive wind turbine blade jumps median, blocks traffic on I-70 in Washington County
Traffic along Interstate 70 was backed up for several miles after a wind turbine blade on the back of a tractor-trailer fell across the highway Monday morning. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) said around 5:30 a.m., a tractor trailer heading westbound near I-70 and I-81 “was pulling a wind turbine blade that struck the guardrail, that caused the blade to go partially into the eastbound lanes, when the blade was then clipped by a tractor . . . Complete story »
Rural Columbus residents organize to battle Alliant Energy Wind Farm project
Columbus residents are calling for the town board to tighten restrictions on wind turbines, in light of a sizeable wind farm Alliant Energy is proposing for 48,000 acres in the southeast corner of the county. A special meeting was held in the town of Columbus on Wednesday at the request of residents who want address concerns over a planned Alliant Energy Wind Farm project. The purpose of the meeting was to set up a date to discuss a petition to . . . Complete story »
County extends wind energy moratorium
The Clinton County Board of Supervisors on Monday again extended a moratorium that wind energy proponents say has effectively frozen development. Despite saying they want the year-long zoning ordinance revision process to end as soon as possible, Supervisors Erin George and Jim Irwin voted to add three more months to the moratorium on zoning change requests for utility-scale wind energy installations, with the option for three more. “I am committed to getting this done prior to that,” George said. “Absolutely,” . . . Complete story »
RFK Jr. blasts offshore windmill farms for harming marine life as he tries to save whales and ostriches: ‘Make no economic sense’
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save the whales along with the ostriches. The Secretary of Health & Human Services – who recently went to bat for nearly 400 ostriches threatened by the bird flu in Canada – doubled down Sunday on his contention that offshore windmills need to be banned because they threaten whales and other marine life. The offshore contraptions also are a costly bust as a clean-energy alternative to fossil fuels, Kennedy told WABC 770 AM’s the “Cats Roundtable” . . . Complete story »
Potential Alliant Energy wind project in Columbia County draws opposition
Rural Columbia County residents are raising concerns about a wind farm proposed for about 48,000 acres in the southeast area of the county. Alliant Energy hosted a public information session June 12 at Rio Middle/High School about the project, which is expected to include between 40 and 50 large-sized turbines. Residents’ concerns include the presence of wind turbines on farmland, potential threats to birds, hunting infringement, firefighters’ ability to access turbine fires and decreased property values. Some also worry that . . . Complete story »
Anti–offshore wind groups target $426M grant for California port
A big-budget offshore wind project that would clean up a contaminated California port and turn it into America’s first hub for floating wind turbines is the latest target of an increasingly emboldened national anti-offshore wind movement. Representatives of a D.C.-based conservative think tank, Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), and a local California community group asked the U.S. Department of Transportation early this month to cancel a $426 million grant issued last year to repurpose the Redwood Marine Terminal in . . . Complete story »
Industrial wind scam returns – Is your town in the sacrifice zone?
The towns of Ellery, North Harmony, Stockton, Sherman, Westfield, and Ripley are being targeted by Bedrock Renewables. Bedrock gets lots of Federal, State and local subsidy money if they succeed in erecting 600-foot industrial wind turbines across the western portion of Chautauqua County. NYISO states the power realized from onshore wind is 24% of rated capacity but “is actually 10% due to being out of phase with grid demand” (Power Trends). One 450 foot wind turbine tower is made of . . . Complete story »
Landowners seek to stop wind farm
Opponents of a massive wind farm granted a permit by the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment vowed to continue the fight. They have hired Des Moines lawyers to try blocking construction. Attorneys David Fautsch and Elisabeth Tursi have filed a motion with the court in Dickinson County. The plaintiffs are listed as landowners Kristine Van Kleek, Aaron Janssen, the Sidles Family Trust; and are joined in the petition by the group calling itself Dickinson County Concerned Citizens – all who . . . Complete story »
Why wind farm developers are pulling out at the last minute
Building a wind turbine requires significant amounts of steel, copper and aluminium, all of which doubled or tripled in price between 2020 and 2023. An exponential increase in demand for scarce high-voltage cabling has already led to high-profile cancellations of offshore wind farms in the US. Rising demand for rare earth metals used to make magnets in turbine generators has also been snared by geopolitical issues. Complete story »
