Wind Power News: Complaints
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.
Gratiot County couple shares wind turbine story with Cato Township
CATO TOWNSHIP – As the Cato Township Planning Commission continues to work on amending its wind energy ordinance, a Gratiot County farming couple attended a July 14 meeting to share their experience. Dan and Nancy Welke live in Merrill, Lafayette Township, where they say they have one turbine less than 1,600 feet from their home and another one about 2,600 feet away. They say they have been “battling” with DTE Energy and Gratiot County officials for the last year and a . . . Complete story »
County, Apex to inspect damaged roads
ERIE – Neosho County officials, an engineer, and a representative of wind farm developer Apex Clean Energy will tour roads in the Neosho Ridge Wind project area to view damage to county roads. Road and Bridge Director Mike Brown, County Counselor Seth Jones, engineer Tanner Yost with the firm Kirkham Michael, and Chris Weatherford of Apex will tour the area covered in the county’s Road Use Agreement with Apex. Yost said he reviewed the area and submitted a report June . . . Complete story »
North Stormont resident fed up with wind-turbine side effects
“When they are running, you’d think I’m living between the 401 and the Queensway,” he said. “It sounds like a jet that’s about to take off but never does.” A video recorded by Lamb seemed to confirm his claims — the three blades swirling in the wind give off a continuous highway-like sound. “You think you’d get used to it, but you don’t.” Complete story »
Legal challenge threatens viability of Waterford wind farm, court told
A challenge to planning permission for an underground connector to an eight-turbine wind farm in Co Waterford could threaten its viability, the Commercial Court has been told. Knocknamona Windfarm Ltd got planning permission in 2016 for the turbines, with an overall height of 126.6m, at Tinakilly/Monageela/Kilatoor in Dungarvan. That permission was challenged and ultimately dismissed by the Commercial Court in 2017. In 2021 the company got another permission for 1,940m of underground medium-voltage cabling, and ancillary works, linking the Knocknamona . . . Complete story »
Wind energy development caused millions in road damage
MOUND VALLEY – A road use agreement between Neosho County and wind developer Apex Clean Energy did not keep roads from sustaining millions of dollars in damage and the developer has not repaired them, persons attending Tuesday’s wind development meeting at the Mound Valley Community Center heard. A report from engineering firm Kirkham and Michael, hired by Neosho County to evaluate roads after construction of the Neosho Ridge Wind project, found $4,960,464 in damage to roads in the project footprint. The . . . Complete story »
Windfall: one third of Scotland’s biggest wind farms linked to tax havens
Nearly a third of Scotland’s biggest wind farms have owners with links to offshore tax havens in the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg, Guernsey and Jersey. An investigation by The Ferret has also revealed that 39 of the largest 50 wind farms are ultimately owned outwith Scotland in England, Spain, France, Germany, Norway, China and elsewhere. Campaigners allege that the wind industry’s tax havens have deprived public services of “many millions” of pounds, while boosting private profits. Scotland’s renewable energy wealth is . . . Complete story »
State: Company illegally storing hundreds of old wind turbine blades at three Iowa sites
State environmental regulators say an out-of-state firm has illegally stored hundreds of wind turbine blades in three Iowa towns and should be investigated by the attorney general’s office. Global Fiberglass Solutions Inc. has a combined 1,300 turbines at sites in Newton, Atlantic and Ellsworth. Since 2017, the Washington state-based company has said it plans to recycle the blades. It hasn’t. So Wednesday, the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission voted to refer the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ case against Global to . . . Complete story »
Questions on permit violations raised at Lowell wind project hearing
Environmental groups have questioned whether the state’s largest commercial wind farm is skirting permit rules. The issue came up during a hearing this month and led to calls for independent monitoring of nearby water quality. “It sounds like there’s photographic evidence that permit conditions are not being met,” Mark Whitworth, president of the group Energize Vermont, said at the hearing June 16. “It sounds like monitoring is not being conducted in a broad enough way, and it sounds like Green . . . Complete story »
State hired consulting firm to write new green energy rules, lawsuit charges
The regulations governing New York’s new green energy review process were written by a company whose clients include solar and wind power developers, according to a lawsuit filed last week. The suit, filed by towns and citizen groups around the state – including the Western New York towns of Cambria, Somerset, Yates and Farmersville – seeks to invalidate the 143 pages of regulations adopted in March by the newly created Office of Renewable Energy Siting. “They do not require that . . . Complete story »
Spanish court puts Iberdrola CEO under investigation in alleged spying case
Spain’s High Court on Wednesday placed Iberdrola (IBE.MC) Chief Executive and Chairman Ignacio Sanchez Galan under investigation as part of a probe into an alleged spying case dating back to 2004-2017, a court document showed. The court will investigate Galan’s connections with the hiring of former police chief Jose Manuel Villarejo, who was released from jail in March after three years of pre-trial detention in a separate case based on allegations of money laundering and bribing public officials. The decision . . . Complete story »
