| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: Georgia
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.
Moratorium on wind turbines in Walker County
NO INDUSTRIAL WIND TURBINES WILL BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE IN WALKER COUNTY, UNDER A MORITORIUM SIGNED THURSDAY BY COMMISSIONER BEBE HEISKELL. IN SIGNING THE ORDINANCE, HEISKELL SAID “IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THIS IS THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR COMMUNITY”. SHE WAS REFERING TO A PROPOSED WIND-FARM ATOP LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. AN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION OBTAINED A PROMISE OF FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS TO BUILD UP TO 120 OF THE MASSIVE WIND-MILLS THAT PRODUCE ELECTRIC POWER FOR SALE. 80 OF THE 350-FOOT TALL TURBINES WERE . . . Complete story »
Wind power idea has potential but little momentum in Georgia island
When wind-power boosters planned a town hall meeting Thursday in tiny Tybee Island, Ga., they slotted speaking time after the mayor for a manager from a British industry incubator. Two weeks earlier, a Danish company that designs ships to install offshore windmills had announced it would open an office in Fort Lauderdale, despite a total absence of nearby wind farms. Both decisions underscore a message that environmental advocates worked to project last week by releasing a report that promotes the . . . Complete story »
Opposition to wind turbine farm on Lookout Mountain grows
A group against the project collected hundreds of signatures. And at least one Walker County leader doesn’t think it’s such a good idea. Chris Long, a plant manager for Iberdrola Renewables said in a training video, “Compared to other forms of power generation it’s totally clean energy. All we’re using is the wind.” But not if some residents can stop it. Nearly 550 people signed a petition against the wind farm. They gave Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell a copy. . . . Complete story »
Commissioners given petitions opposing Lookout Mountain wind project
Members of the Lookout Mountain Wind Project Task Force (LMWPTF) have presented 549 signed petitions in opposition of the potential development of an Industrial Scale Wind Turbine Farm on Lookout Mountain by Iberdrola Renewables, a Spanish Company. Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters and Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell received the petitions from Pam Vias and Carl McCleskey of the LMWPTF. The 549 petitions were gathered online or manually in the last 36 days. The petition states opposition “to the industrialization . . . Complete story »
McCleskey says Spanish energy company is after federal money
The debate over a proposed wind-farm continues in Chattooga County. After a report in the local paper interviewing a local resident who was in favor of wind turbine technology and it’s possibilities in Chattooga County, some Cloudland residents are vowing to continue to fight the idea. Carl McCleskey, a twenty plus year resident on Lookout Mountain spoke with AM 1180 about concerns residents on the mountain have with the wind farm idea. McCleskey said that the term “wind farm” should . . . Complete story »
Iberdrola Renewables – “We don’t feel welcome”
Residents of Lookout Mountain have protested very loudly the idea of putting wind turbines in the Cloudland Community. Friday a representative from Iberdrola Renewables told Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters and Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskel in a conference call “we don’t feel we are welcomed”. Commissioner Winters told AM 1180 on Friday afternoon that the conversation between the county governements and the energy company centered around the fact that Chattooga and Walker County residents on the mountain don’t want . . . Complete story »
Windmill company reconsidering farm along top of Lookout Mountain
Iberdrola, a private firm that builds and operates wind and solar alternative energy farms, has been shopping land lease contracts to residents along the brow of the 84-mile-long Lookout Mountain in Georgia's Walker and Chattooga counties for the past few weeks. Copleman had said the firm is contemplating up to 120 wind turbines if tests show the wind is right along the mountain's crest. The turbines normally are 300 feet tall and have two or three 135-foot blades. On Friday, Copleman said the company is surprised at some of the "misconceptions of wind power that we heard about generally." Winters said he and Heiskell didn't hear anything in the telephone conversation that changed their concerns about the initial proposal. Complete story »
Lookout Mountain residents organize against proposed wind farm
A large group of Lookout Mountain residents gathered Saturday, Sept. 25, to voice their opinions on a proposed wind farm on the mountain. The opinions ranged from skeptical to outright opposition. According to residents, a land acquisition specialist from Iberdrola Renewables has been contacting residents in recent weeks about leasing their property for an 80-120 wind turbine project. Iberdrola has currently completed 40 wind farms in 17 states, along with having several other projects in the works, according to its . . . Complete story »
Windstorm of debate
A proposal to put 120 windmills – each as tall as a football field is long – on the brow of Lookout Mountain is blowing up a windstorm of debate. “They’re loud. They vibrate,” said Carl McCleskey, of Cloudland, Ga. “This mountain has 2,000 caves in it and a geology like Swiss cheese. And when they blast to put these in, what’s going to happen to our water [wells, if the rocks shift]?” Iberdrola Renewables, based in Spain, proposes a line of . . . Complete story »
Cloudland resident says wind farm would harm camps and tourism
One of the most vocal opponents of the proposed wind farm on Lookout Mountain is Cloudland resident Carl McCleskey who is known for his company Wildlife Bronze LLC. (www.wildlifebronze.com). Mr. McCleskey spoke on Saturday afternoon about the affect a wind farm would have on the camping industry on Lookout Mountain. There are over 20 camps located on the mountain from Cloudland to Mentone. McCleskey told AM 1180 “Anyone pondering the idea (that the wind farms are viable for Lookout Mountain) . . . Complete story »
