Wind Power News: Colorado
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.
Logan County adopts amended wind turbine regulations
After nearly two years and numerous delays and amendments, Logan County finally has regulations governing the installation, maintenance and decommissioning of wind turbines. By a 3-0 vote, the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday adopted the amended, 13-page document after nearly an hour of public comment. The commissioners were tweaking the language of the regs right up until the 9 a.m. start time for their work session. Later, during the business meeting, the board adopted nine individual amendments before adopting the . . . Complete story »
Lawmakers crack down on wind-turbine lights that flash all night
For pilots flying over rural America, a string of red lights flashing along the horizon is a warning that there might be a wind farm ahead. But for many residents on the ground, the lights are an eyesore that has ruined their view of the night sky and disrupted the bucolic stillness that defined their counties. “Imagine … red blinking stoplights…every night, all night long … and not in sync,” Gayla Randel, who can see the lights on more than . . . Complete story »
The wind turbines on his Colorado farm are 20 years old. Who’s going to take them down?
Peetz – It was the spring of 2000 when two wind company representatives came to Tom Fehringer’s farm near the Nebraska border. They told him about a coming wind project and pressed him to sign a contract on the spot to lease his land for turbines. Fehringer consulted an attorney in Sterling who said the contract was vague but fairly similar to what an oil and gas company might present. The agreement was signed within a few weeks. Fehringer soon had . . . Complete story »
Niyol wind turbine comes crashing down; NextEra is investigating
NextEra Energy is investigating the toppling of a wind turbine south of Fleming Wednesday. Steve Stengel, a spokesman for NextEra, said the company is looking into what caused the mast of the 300-foot turbine to buckle. Emergency responders first were notified late Wednesday afternoon that blades were falling off of a wind turbine in the Niyol Wind Farm near the intersection of County Roads 16 and 59, roughly 10 miles southeast of Sterling. When they arrived the found that the . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine snaps in half in Northeast Colorado
In Northeastern Colorado a sea of wind turbines spins to provide renewable energy for thousands. Fleming Volunteer fire department says they received a call Wednesday of blades falling off one turbine. When crews got on scene they found an entire tower had snapped in half and collapsed. Sterling Fire says it happened in the area of county road 16 and 59. There is no word yet on what caused the break to happen or how the turbine will be repaired . . . Complete story »
Wind tower falls over in Logan County
Fire officials say a wind tower fell over in Logan County on Wednesday. The Fleming Volunteer Fire Department said it was called to County Road 61 on reports that blades were falling off a wind turbine. The Sterling Fire Department also responded and said it was near the area of CR 61 and CR 59. Fire officials who responded found the tower “had fallen over,” according to the fire department in Fleming. Photos show the tower folded in half, its . . . Complete story »
A land rush for renewable energy is transforming the Eastern Plains
Colorado’s Eastern Plains – from Yuma County cornfields to Prowers County feedlots and the wheat and sorghum fields in Kiowa County – are set to undergo their biggest transformation in more than a century as clean electricity is added to the crops they produce. There is already a flurry of activity as wind and solar developers – more than a dozen have turned up in Yuma and Kiowa counties – are locking up acreage for prospective projects in leases with ranchers and farmers. “We’ve . . . Complete story »
Interior approves big power line for renewables in U.S. West
The Interior Department yesterday announced the final approval to construct a 416-mile transmission line intended to move renewable energy across three Western states. The Energy Gateway South transmission line from PacifiCorp will support the utility’s renewable expansion and will carry wind energy from Wyoming to solar-rich areas of Utah, as well as power from traditional plants. The line is set to originate near Medicine Bow in southeastern Wyoming, travel through northwest Colorado and end outside of Mona, Utah. The project . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine blocking Highway 47 in Pueblo
A major roadway in Pueblo is shut down after a wind turbine fell off a truck. Pueblo police say the turbine fell onto Highway 47 just east of the interstate. The area is on the north end of town. The Eastbound lanes of Highway 47 are closed from the I25 off-ramp to Dillon Dr., due to an accident. Please use alternate routes to access business in the area. The road will be closed for several hours. We will update when . . . Complete story »
Not here, not now, not this kind
An Ellsworth, Maine, newspaper columnist lamented voters’ defeat of a transmission line to bring renewable energy. “Talk about mixed messages. We want renewable energy but not here, not now, not this kind. We have to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but we won’t support a project to replace them.” Voter schizophrenia is not unique to Maine – it is nearly universal. It’s understandable because no source of energy is entirely green. For 40 years energy companies, utilities and government researchers . . . Complete story »
