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.
DeSantis’ office quietly backed Florida ban on wind energy
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office quietly helped write a bill to curtail wind energy in the state of Florida, email records provided to the Tampa Bay Times show. A version of that bill is now awaiting DeSantis’ signature to become law, which will ban offshore wind turbines in state waters. It also proposes to delete the majority of references to climate change found in state law, the Times previously reported. Florida lawmakers passed the bills, Senate Bill 1624 and House Bill . . . Complete story »
Right whales seem to not be a concern in new plans
Massachusetts fishermen say feds are hypocritical in Gulf of Maine wind energy designation. A move to designate two million acres in the Gulf of Maine as a hub for wind energy is snagging a sharp hook from Massachusetts fishermen who say the development overlooks risks to the North Atlantic right whale. A handful of Bay State fishermen advocacy groups are teaming with counterparts from across New England in criticizing the Biden administration’s plans to industrialize the area off the coasts . . . Complete story »
State police investigating shooting of wind turbines
Police are investigating after two wind turbines in Schuylkill County were shot at. According to Pennsylvania State Police in Frackville, two wind turbines belonging to Avangrid Renewables in the area of Raven Run Road and Ringown Boulevard in Union Township were intentionally shot at with a firearm. Anyone with information on the incident is being asked to contact state police at Frackville at 570-874-5300. Complete story »
Tolowa Dee-ni oppose Windmill Energy
The Tolowa Dee-ni Nation announced it has passed a Resolution opposing offshore wind energy. The Nation, which covers Del Norte County and much of southwest Oregon, urges the Department of Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt all scoping and permitting for offshore wind projects, until a comprehensive and transparent procedure is developed. The Tolowa Dee-ni is a federally recognized Indian Nation, one of 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States that depend on traditional places, foods . . . Complete story »
In-depth: Resistance to wind energy in two Wisconsin towns targeted by CCP-backed company
A wind company backed by an entity of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has taken the first step to sue two small Wisconsin towns in response to their effort to pass ordinances written to protect residents’ health and safety. But those local communities are fighting back. “Our resistance is spreading like a turbine fire,” Martin Machtan, an attorney and executive director of Farmland First, told The Epoch Times. Farmland First is an organization that aims to facilitate discussion among community . . . Complete story »
Commissioners approve moratorium on new wind farm projects
A moratorium on the development of any new wind farms in Madison County has been approved by the Madison County Board of Commissioners. The Commissioners Tuesday voted to approve the recommendation of the county’s Plan Commission to put in place the moratorium The county adopted a wind farm ordinance in 2002 and only one project has been approved since that time in northern Madison County. Larry Strange, director of the Planning Department, said the ordinance should be reviewed. “The ordinance . . . Complete story »
Janet Mills proposes rolling back dune protections to build offshore wind port
Gov. Janet Mills wants to roll back protections for the sand dunes that partially make up the state’s preferred site for a landmark offshore wind terminal. The Democratic governor’s bill, which was submitted this week by Rep. Gerry Runte, D-York, a member of the Legislature’s energy committee, is aimed at clearing the way for the terminal. The Mills administration picked Sears Island in Searsport over nearby Mack Point as its preferred staging ground for shipping wind components out to sea. . . . Complete story »
Biden administration sued over Virginia offshore wind farm approval
A conservative think tank on Monday sued the Biden administration in an effort to reverse approval of what would be the largest offshore wind farm of its kind. The Heartland Institute filed the suit with the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, a nonprofit that advocates for an economically libertarian approach to environmental action and has denied the existence of human-caused climate change. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to reverse the National . . . Complete story »
Langworthy, state lawmakers, others call for Great Lakes wind turbine moratorium
At the end of 2022, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released a feasibility study focused on wind turbine energy production in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The 136-page study and 51-page white paper concluded that offshore wind production on the lakes isn’t cost effective, nor a unique and critical contribution to the states climate goals. But Citizens Against Wind Turbines In Lake Erie (CAWTILE) are still fighting for their cause because the study does leave room . . . Complete story »
Feds announce possible location for Gulf of Maine wind farm
Maine’s lobster industry opposes plans for a commercial wind energy facility in a 2-million-acre swath of the gulf. Federal officials announced Friday they have identified a 2-million-acre swath of the Gulf of Maine for a commercial wind farm. The designated area ranges from about 23 to 93 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the area is 80% smaller than the initial proposal and avoids lobstering areas, tribal fishing grounds, . . . Complete story »
