Wind Power News: Tennessee
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.
Alexander says Tennessee has opportunity to decide whether wind turbines are acceptable
Lamar Alexander on Thursday said Governor Haslam’s signature on legislation approved by the Tennessee General Assembly will give Tennesseans “an opportunity to decide whether we want our landscape littered with unreliable wind turbines over two times as tall as the skyboxes at the University of Tennessee football stadium.” “I am glad Governor Haslam and the General Assembly approved legislation to prohibit the construction of some Tennessee wind farms for one year and instead give the state a chance to study . . . Complete story »
Senate vote last Thursday freezes Wind Farm project
On April 25th, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (85 to 3) in favor of Bill HB1021. But nothing was official until the Senate gave its stamp of approval. That happened last Thursday when SB1336 was passed with the same thunderous approval in Nashville— with 30 Ayes, 0 Nays and 1 PNV (Present not voting). “Great job to everyone involved! And don’t forget to thank Sen. Bailey and Rep. (Cameron) Sexton,” said a Cumberland Mountain Preservation Coalition representative. It . . . Complete story »
Purchasing wind power doesn’t make sense
You would think that if a utility buys wind and solar power that it would be a boon to consumers by lowering prices – but you would be wrong. Imagine that your utility calls and says we’ve had 10 days of rain and no wind and we don’t have enough power. You can have electricity six hours a day. Utilities have to maintain capacity with nuclear, fossil fuels and hydro. They have to keep these generating units and payrolls in . . . Complete story »
Landslide! Wind bill passes in TN Senate floor
Last week, the quest to stop the proposed Crab Orchard Wind Turbine project took a significant step forward as Bill HB1021 passed on the Tennessee State Senate Floor. Not only did it pass, it did so by a whopping 85-3 vote! Rep. Cameron Sexton successfully maneuvered and helped get the bill passed by a landslide in the Senate and know our bill faces the Tennessee House this week. If the Bill passes the House, this is what it would mean: . . . Complete story »
House votes to halt wind farm construction for 15 months
Legislators in the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to halt development of industrial wind farm projects in the state while a special committee is formed to offer recommendations on state-wide regulations for the power-generation developments. “All other energy has regulations,” state Rep. Cameron Sexton said Monday. “Wind does not.” Sexton said the bill will create a study committee and include representatives from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and stakeholders. The committee would be tasked . . . Complete story »
Alexander praises House wind power moratorium
NASHVILLE – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a longtime critic of wind-powered electricity generation, is praising a state House vote to place a partial moratorium on such developments in Tennessee while a special committee of state lawmakers drafts rules for regulating them. “This will give Tennesseans the opportunity to evaluate whether we want our landscape littered with wind turbines that are over two times as tall as the skyboxes at the University of Tennessee football stadium and produce only a small . . . Complete story »
State House puts curbs on wind farms pending study
The Tennessee House on Thursday voted to put curbs on wind farms pending a study. Senator Lamar Alexander said, “I am glad the Tennessee General Assembly is taking steps to prohibit the construction of some Tennessee wind farms and instead give the state a chance to study the issue. This will give Tennesseans the opportunity to evaluate whether we want our landscape littered with wind turbines that are over two times as tall as the skyboxes at the University of . . . Complete story »
Wind Farm Bill 1336 moves forward
This was Legislative Fireworks – Tennessee Style. For those of you that haven’t had the chance to travel to Nashville to show your support for the Cumberland Mountain Preservation Coalition’s (CMPC) Bill SB1336/HB1021— you don’t know what you’re missing. During the first senate committee hearing recently, our adversaries from Apex Energy, Inc. – proposers of a massive Wind Turbine project on Crab Orchard’s Millstone Mountain – had all their heavy weights assembled for an all-out assault against Tennessee Senator Paul Bailey and tried . . . Complete story »
Residents push back against wind farm
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Residents opposed to a massive wind farm on the Cumberland Plateau lobbied against a proposed bill, urging them to oppose the plan. The 23 turbines would be built on 1,800 acres of land near Crossville known as the Crab Orchard Wind Project which would be put on private land that will be leased from owners. At the Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers met to discuss state policy related to regulating wind energy. “I live right in the epicenter . . . Complete story »
Wind, coal bills take opposite paths in Legislature
NASHVILLE – A House subcommittee has killed an attempt to impose state regulations on wind energy developments while approving a renewed effort to have the Tennessee take over regulation of coal mining from the federal government. The actions came during a meeting of the House Agriculture Subcommittee with far more debate on the wind energy regulation bill, an effort inspired mostly by opposition to plans by Apex Energy Solutions to spend $130 million erecting at least 20 electricity-generating turbines on a . . . Complete story »
