Wind Power News: U.S.
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
New technology required for Morton County wind farm, but not yet approved by FAA
A wind farm west of Mandan is scheduled to be one of the first in the state to implement an alternative to blinking red lights, but the company says it still needs federal approval before installing the technology. North Dakota legislators last year directed the Public Service Commission to adopt rules that require light-mitigating technology for wind turbines. Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said state regulators had already started requiring alternative lighting for wind projects approved since June 2016 to . . . Complete story »
Wheatland wind decision postponed
WHEATLAND TWP. – Waldron Road was crowded with cars on both sides as the Wheatland Township Planning Commission hosted a standing-room only public hearing on Thursday night to discuss the future of the township’s wind ordinance. While the meeting’s stated purpose was to make a decision on whether or not to change the township’s ordinances regulating wind energy to more closely resemble those of Gratiot County, the bulk of the meeting was devoted to residents arguing the question of whether or . . . Complete story »
Rehearing results in minor change to Cassadaga project certificate
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) convened for a rehearing Tuesday in Albany and reaffirmed its decision to allow Cassadaga Wind LLC to build and operate a wind farm in Chautauqua County. The Siting Board released a 28-page document explaining the ruling. “We decline to modify the findings, conclusions, or conditions imposed by our January 17, 2018 order granting the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to Cassadaga Wind, LLC, except . . . Complete story »
Cold snap tested reliability of region’s power grid and arguments against fossil fuels
As Maine and New England shivered through last winter’s historic cold spell, the region’s electric system faced an unprecedented prospect: rolling blackouts. Several troubling circumstances were converging. Natural gas was scarce and pricey. A power line failure sidelined one of New England’s largest power plants. Solar panels were covered with snow and wind turbines were buffeted by storms. The combination forced grid operators to ramp up 1960s-era technology to keep the lights on. For the first time, they strategically juggled . . . Complete story »
Andrew Cuomo’s wind farm won’t fly without fracking
New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo led the cheer squad last month when the Interior Department announced it would begin allowing offshore wind turbines to be built in the shallow waters between New Jersey and Long Island. Mr. Cuomo had recently announced a $6 billion plan to build 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, with the costs passed on to bill payers. But though Mr. Cuomo portrays himself as a champion of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, his simultaneous opposition to . . . Complete story »
Following the herd: New study to track pronghorn during wind energy development
A long-term study that began this spring will examine the effect of wind energy development on pronghorn. During a helicopter capture in March, scientists with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Kauffman Lab at the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit fitted 80 pronghorn does that winter in the Shirley Basin with GPS collars. Scientists plan to study the movement of the herd during the next six years. Meanwhile, the TB Flats Wind Energy Project is slated . . . Complete story »
Bigger than ever, wind is coming to Wyoming
The North Platte River weaves its way through ranch land and prairie as it flows east past Glenrock on its way to Nebraska. On the northern side, property owners have bartered contracts with energy companies seeking uranium, coal bed methane and oil and gas. The abundance of Wyoming’s natural resources pays for schools and county buildings. It also provides the economic fuel that many ranchers need to keep their agricultural business afloat. Rick Grant’s family ranch sits on the south . . . Complete story »
Changes to wind-farm rules could be finalized at next meeting
PAXTON – The Ford County Board’s zoning committee hopes that one more meeting will be all it takes to wrap up its discussions about proposed revisions to the county’s ordinance regulating wind farms. During a May 10 meeting, the five-member committee made progress in finalizing changes to the decommissioning requirements for wind farms. Meanwhile, further discussion about minimum setbacks, maximum turbine height and noise limits are expected to occur at the committee’s next meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 22, . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine setback reform gets mixed reaction, potentially pitting wind against clean energy advocates
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The wind industry this week said its member companies are ready to invest billions in Ohio if state lawmakers can rewrite the state’s four-year-old zoning rules that shut down new wind farm development. “The Ohio Senate has shown great leadership with their continued commitment to reforming Ohio’s wind energy setback policies,” said Andrew Gohn, policy director for the American Wind Energy Association. He was speaking of the decision by the Senate Republican leadership to rewrite legislation approved . . . Complete story »
DTE, Consumers strike clean energy deal with ballot initiative organizers
Michigan’s two largest utilities have struck a deal with the group Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan that will keep a renewable energy initiative off the ballot in November. The group, backed by California billionaire Tom Steyer, agreed to drop the ballot drive in exchange for a commitment from the utilities to rely on 25 percent renewable energy by the year 2030, and to increase energy efficiency by 25 percent by 2030. John Freeman is with Clean Energy. He says negotiations with . . . Complete story »
