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Wind Power News: U.S.
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.
Meeting airs concerns about wind turbine development
A public information meeting held at St. Mary’s School in Bloomington on October 23 painted a grim picture of the relationship between wind farm developers and land owners in Grant County. Pete Moris, who owns a farm in Grant County, claimed that developers “don’t give a crap about anyone in our county; they care about making money.” Moris moderated the presentation, which included five speakers: Rob Danielson, secretary and treasurer of Save Our Unique Lands of Wisconsin (SOUL); Chris Klopp, . . . Complete story »
Floyd Co. supervisors to form mediation team for wind turbine ordinance
On October 29th, Floyd County Supervisors voted to table the third reading of the County’s controversial ordinance regulating the construction of wind energy systems. If approved, amendments to the ordinance by Supervisors Jim Jorgensen and Dennis Keifer would likely kill wind farm projects, proposed by Invenergy and NextEra Energy, in the western sections of the county. It’s also likely to result in litigation against the County. However, after outside counsel, Des Moines attorney Thomas Reavely, recommended that the third reading . . . Complete story »
Could proposed wind farm have impact on fishermen’s livelihoods?
On Oct. 29, a lengthy article was reprinted in The Times Record from the Portland Press Herald on proposed wind farms in Casco Bay. The article had only one small quote from the New England Stewardship Association stating that the wind farm will “threaten mariners (fishermen) and the marine environment.” This year, a science journal reviewed all studies on the effects of high voltage electrical lines that would run from each windmill to the shore. Their conclusion was that these . . . Complete story »
After rejecting restrictions, Gov. Inslee approves huge Horse Heaven wind farm stretching 24 miles; developer wants more
Gov. Jay Inslee has approved Washington state’s largest wind farm to be built along 24 miles of the Horse Heaven Hills just south of the Tri-Cities, the Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council announced Friday afternoon. The approval for the project includes eased turbine restrictions for endangered ferruginous hawks and traditional cultural properties compared to those initially recommended by the council. Inslee’s only regret is that it took years for the final approval of the project, he indicated, and . . . Complete story »
Harvest arrives before debris is cleared from Cedar County wind turbine fires
On Aug. 15, Sally Freeman received a call from a neighbor. “Your wind turbine’s on fire again,” the neighbor said in the 5 a.m. call. By the time Freeman looked out her window at the family farm near Mechanicsville, most of the turbine blade already had burned. Her parents, Steve and Teresa Weets, agreed in 2012 to an easement with Acciona Wind Power to install two turbines on the family farm in Cedar County. But within the last 18 months, . . . Complete story »
Kirkwood to decommission its landmark wind turbine
More than a year after “parking” its 12-year-old wind turbine due to its age and maintenance needs, Kirkwood Community College on Friday announced it will “decommission” the 417-foot-tall landmark structure on the north end of the college’s main campus in Cedar Rapids. The 2.5-megawatt Clipper wind turbine was built in 2012 as both a training tool for students in Kirkwood’s former Energy Production and Distribution Technologies program and a revenue maker – generating more than $2.2 million for the college over . . . Complete story »
Another turbine collapses in Schuyler County
Another wind turbine collapsed in Schuyler County Thursday. It happened around 1:30 p.m. off Route D, southwest of Downing. A resident that lives a quarter-mile away from the turbine told KTVO the blades were first to fall, two of them shattering. Its base then bent and collapsed on itself soon after. Nearby neighbors could hear a loud boom. The turbine is part of a wind farm owned by Ameren Missouri. It spans across Adair and Schuyler Counties. We reached out . . . Complete story »
Report: N.J. offshore wind turbines could interfere with NORAD radars, Joint Base
A report authored by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management last spring raised concerns that wind turbines off the New Jersey coast could interfere with radar systems associated with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, including those at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The report came to light after U.S. Rep. Chris Smith this week slammed the federal agency for issuing a new memorandum of understanding between BOEM and the U.S. Department of Defense to collaborate on offshore wind development, saying . . . Complete story »
Maria Mitchell Association pulls out of Good Neighbor Agreement
The Maria Mitchell Association has pulled out of the Good Neighbor Agreement with Vineyard Wind. The organization signed the agreement with the wind farm, intended to mitigate the visual impacts of turbines 14 miles southeast of the island, along with the town and Nantucket Preservation Trust in 2020. “Based on Vineyard Wind’s failure to meet its obligations under the Good Neighbor Agreement, the Maria Mitchell Association has decided to exit the Agreement,” the organization announced in a press release Wednesday. . . . Complete story »
Ocean City, others sue federal government over offshore wind project
After months of threats, Ocean City on Friday filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the siting of a massive wind farm a little more than 10 miles off its coast. The Maryland tourist town was joined in its suit by a large and eclectic group of plaintiffs, including Worcester County, a Delaware town, a host of community associations, a hotel management company, the Ocean City Marlin Club and a national group dedicated to protecting the endangered right whale. . . . Complete story »