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 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.
Schuylkill County Planning Commission approves letter urging ordinance update
POTTSVILLE – The Schuylkill County Planning Commission on Wednesday approved sending a letter to the county commissioners urging an immediate update to the 2010 zoning ordinance. Nearly 40 people packed into the Hoffman Room of the Schuylkill County Courthouse for the meeting. Many of them were there for two main reasons – to seek an amendment to the county’s zoning ordinance addressing wind turbines and to express opposition to Aqua Pennsylvania’s plans for the Eagle Rock ER-7 well station. Virginia Morton – with . . . Complete story »
‘Aviation is so important’: Sedgwick County bans wind farms, restricts commercial solar
There won’t be any wind farms generating electricity in Sedgwick County. The County Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to ban large-scale development of wind power countywide and to establish strict rules for commercial solar power installations. Planner Dave Yearout told the commission that large windmills can affect airport operations for a five-mile radius. He showed the commissioners a map with 10-mile wide circles drawn around every airport and private landing strip in the county. Only four small areas were outside . . . Complete story »
County commissioners fed up with road conditions
County commissioners, tired of roads in the Diamond Vista wind farm area not being maintained to their standards, discussed taking action against the company Monday. Damage from heavy rains has led to a dispute over whether the county or the wind farm company should be responsible for repairs. Enel Green Energy, the company developing Diamond Vista, considers the heavy rains to be an unforeseeable event not in the scope of their responsibility. Enel’s agreement with the county calls for the . . . Complete story »
Troubling questions, concerns raised about off-shore wind farms
NARRAGANSETT – Oceanographer Jon Hare listed the effects of offshore wind development on the marine environment. There’s disturbance to the sea floor during installation of turbine platforms. Noise from pile-driving and other activities. Increases in boat traffic. Lighting of the project site. Dredging for electric cables. The impacts can be far-reaching. “Putting a pile into the sediment in essence is habitat alteration,” said Hare, a science and research director with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “You’re . . . Complete story »
Some concerns about wind farm co.
Many of us in Cooke County have had concerns with transparency issues associated with Energias de Portugal’s (EDP) proposed Wildcat Creek Wind Energy project. I was surprised to recently learn from a May 14, 2018 Reuters story that China Three Gorges Corp. was a major stockholder of EDP (23% ownership) and was in talks to buy the remainder of the company. But there are others in talks to buy parts of EDP China Three Gorges Corporation will likely be forced . . . Complete story »
No wind farms in Monroe County at least for now
We have a follow-up on a story we originally brought you last fall on a controversial move to potentially put up a wind farm in Monroe County. The Monroe County Zoning Administrator Mike Fausz confirms that the Monroe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a moratorium on all wind farm projects in the county for up to 18 months. That decision came on Monday. Fausz says the Monroe County Planning Commission will now review the county`s ordinance on using wind . . . Complete story »
Third wind farm lawsuit filed
Opponents of the proposed Expedition Wind Farm filed a lawsuit against Marion County commissioners Aug. 14 appealing the commission’s approval of a conditional use permit for the project. The lawsuit, filed by Peabody farmer Randy Eitzen and 72 other opponents, claims approval of the permit “was unreasonable and therefore void.” Three plaintiffs own land in the county but reside elsewhere. Five live in the county but outside the vicinity of the proposed wind farm. They claim property owners were not . . . Complete story »
New Steuben County wind farm approved
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) today granted approval to Eight Point Wind LLC to build and operate a wind farm facility in Steuben County. The Siting Board’s decision follows a rigorous review and public participation process to ensure that the wind farm meets or exceeds all siting requirements. “In keeping with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s goal to develop clean energy resources in New York State and nation-leading Green New Deal, we . . . Complete story »
Don’t sell out to ‘Big Wind’
I read Karen Hochstein’s letter about “The Future of Energy.” (Press & Dakotan, Aug. 15).That should be an eye opener to the promoters of the wind energy scam including our governor, Legislature, the PUC, even the wind developers. Wind energy was here in the 1930’s and was replaced in our state mostly by hydro because of reliability. The taxpayer has subsidized this industry to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars with no end in sight. Although John Thune, . . . Complete story »
New regulations will ban large scale wind farms in Sedgwick County
Large scale commercial wind farms will be banned in Sedgwick County under new standards that have been adopted by the county commission. The standards were developed this year in response to a controversial wind farm proposal in Reno County, and a moratorium was placed on consideration of new wind and solar projects in Sedgwick County until the standards and requirements could be worked out. Dave Yearout with the Metropolitan Area Planning Department said the large scale wind farms will be . . . Complete story »
