Wind Power News: News
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Navigating errors saw vessel twice collide with offshore wind turbine
A report has been issued about an incident that saw a vessel collide with an offshore wind turbine. The report from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) said the vessel collided with a working platform on a wind turbine transition piece. The incident occurred during worsening weather conditions. The vessel was in dynamic positioning (DP) mode when it was decided to pull off. While moving away from the tower, a switch was made from DP to independent joystick control. Once . . . Complete story »
Annoyance with wind turbines may affect quality of life
People who can see wind turbines from their homes may be more annoyed by these machines and more likely to report quality of life issues than individuals who live further away from wind turbines, an industry-supported study suggests. Wind turbines have become more common in recent years as a source of clean renewable energy that doesn’t cause air pollution or contribute to global warming. But as more wind farms dot the landscape, some residents in surrounding communities have complained that . . . Complete story »
100% renewable energy omnibus clears Massachusetts Senate
Dive Brief: On Thursday, the Massachusetts state Senate approved 35-0 a package of energy bills including provisions that would set a 100% renewable energy standard by 2047, remove the state’s net metering caps and increase the state’s energy storage mandate to 2 GW by 2025. One of the bills in the package, S. 2545, would also stipulate that utility regulators can only approve demand charges for customers with devices that provide “near real time” monitoring of energy consumption and only . . . Complete story »
Global wind turbine makers hit by subsidy squeeze
Shares in rival wind turbine makers Siemens Gamesa and Vestas fell on Friday as a squeeze on prices caused by reduced state subsidies took its toll on quarterly profits. The wind power industry is undergoing a period of painful readjustment as governments from Europe to Latin America rein in subsidies and turn to competitive tenders, putting pressure on prices throughout the supply chain. “It’s challenging across the board, it’s very competitive,” Vestas’ Chief Financial Officer Marika Fredriksson told Reuters. Vestas’ . . . Complete story »
As Hopkinton moves forward wind law, Avangrid meeting log causes controversy
The most recent update to the tracker log also prompted a note from Parishville Town Supervisor Rodney Votra, who said that Avangrid did not include several important meetings. “It appears as though Avangrid representatives are less than complete with their submission,” Mr. Votra wrote to the Department of Public Service. “Most importantly, of the missing information, is Avangrid’s decision to exclude the Town of Parishville from the proposed project. ... I request that you address Avangrid representatives and instruct them to include these events in the PIP tracking report.” Complete story »
Killings and threats against land rights defenders soar in 2017: rights group
Mining and agriculture remained the most affected sectors but attacks related to renewable energy projects, like dams and wind farms, were rising fast, fueled by growing investments in clean energy, the group said. Complete story »
Wind energy is supposed to help fight climate change. It turns out climate change is fighting back.
A changing climate is beginning to change wind energy’s potential to provide power in key regions, part of what could be a broader diminishment of a key renewable energy source in part of the world, according to two scientific studies. The world is turning more and more to renewable sources of energy – wind, solar power, and in some cases energy from flowing water – to fight climate change. But what if climate change itself alters the distribution of wind, . . . Complete story »
Cape Wind pulls out of Nantucket Sound wind farm project
Cape Wind Associates has officially pulled out of its bid to develop a wind farm in Nantucket Sound, bringing an end to the controversial project that began in 2001. “Cape Wind has confirmed to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that it has ceased development of its proposed offshore wind farm project in Nantucket Sound and has filed to terminate its offshore wind development lease that was issued in 2010,” the company stated in a press release sent out on . . . Complete story »
Big Wind and Tax Reform
Conservatives make fun of indulgent liberal parents whose offspring remain dependents well into their 20s. But Republicans rewriting the tax code in Washington are coddling a millennial of their own: the wind lobby. In the 1980s wind power was dubbed an “infant industry” that needed federal help to grow. More than three decades and tens of billions of dollars in subsidies later, the business of making electricity from spinning turbines remains inefficient and heavily dependent on federal aid—i.e., the American . . . Complete story »
Wind energy feels the force of world markets
The prevailing wind has dramatically changed for the world’s biggest maker of the swooshing blades that dot landscapes from Argentina to Mongolia. Vestas Wind Systems A/S lost about a fifth of its stock market value after the Danish company said it was squeezing less profit out of sales of equipment and services compared with a year ago because of increased competition. Before Thursday’s plunge, the shares had risen 15 percent this year. For skeptics in the energy industry, it provides . . . Complete story »
