Wind Power News: Victories
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.
Case Dismissed: Wind farm drops judicial review request
With little fanfare, Big Blue River Wind Farm LLC has agreed to dismiss its case against the Henry County Board of Zoning Appeals. The wind farm company had asked a local judge to review the BZA’s November vote to uphold a decision by the Henry County Planning Commission to deny Big Blue River Wind Farm’s permit request. The original commission approved use (CAU) request was to build 38 turbines in northwestern Henry County. The planning commission was locked in a . . . Complete story »
The Supreme Court annuls permit for solar and wind farm in northern Yucatan
A cyanide production plant and a wind and photovoltaic park, the latter in Yucatan, have found judgments of opposition in the Supreme Court of Justice, which denied the protection against the first, but granted it against the second. The Second Chamber of the Mexican Supreme Court annulled the permission to develop the aforementioned wind and solar energy park in Yucatan, and ordered the development of a new process for evaluating social impact and consulting indigenous communities, stating that the project . . . Complete story »
US firm loses battle for Sh21b Lamu wind farm
US energy firm Cordisons International has lost an 11-year battle to put up a Sh21 billion wind power farm in Lamu County. The Supreme Court last week threw out the appeal by Cordisons that sought to compel the National Land Commission (NLC) to issue the firm with a leasehold to 11,000 acres of land in Kiongwe, Lamu County to build a wind farm. In its ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the decision made by the Court of Appeal in 2017 . . . Complete story »
Judge strikes plan to put wind turbines on Bethlehem Authority land
A Carbon County judge has sided with two property owners who appealed the construction of 37 wind turbines on Bethlehem Authority-owned property, arguing the structures would be too loud and ruin their property values. The judge also ruled that a special exception the turbine company, Atlantic Wind LLC, was seeking should be vacated because Atlantic Wind failed to show the project will comply with Penn Forest Township zoning codes. The judge’s ruling is the latest in drawn out legal proceedings . . . Complete story »
Community Windpower loses Sneddon judicial review
Community Windpower has lost a judicial review case seeking to restart construction at the 45MW Sneddon Law wind farm in Scotland. Lords Brodie, Malcolm and Pentland at the Court of Session have concluded that “none” of the developer’s legal arguments to overturn an earlier East Ayrshire Council stop order were “well-founded” and refused the appeal. The council served the stop order in August 2017 over water supply to a number of residential properties near the site amid concerns over risk . . . Complete story »
Permission refused for massive wind turbines in Offaly countryside
Planning permission has been refused for two wind turbines by Offaly County Council. A ten year permission had been sought for the erection of two wind turbines each with a maximum height of up to 169 metres at Derrinlough. The application also sought an upgrade to the existing site entrance, switch room, underground cabling and all other site works. Planning permission was refused on the basis that it would materially contravene objective EO-01 of the Offaly County Development Plan 2014-2020 . . . Complete story »
Holland wind turbine project officially over
Gov. Phil Scott vowed in his first campaign for governor to fight any new ridgeline wind projects that faced steep community pushback. Blittersdorf said he feels the commission “ran out the clock” on the project. “It became obvious that I was pounding my head against a brick wall on this, and so I had to cut my losses,” he said, estimating his losses at millions of dollars. Blittersdorf added that he ended up repurposing five wind turbines originally destined for Vermont projects to a wind farm in Massachusetts. Complete story »
Developer of Palehua Wind farm in Waianae withdraws its bid
Palehua Wind, a 46.8-megawatt wind farm proposed for Waianae on Oahu has been scrapped after four years of planning, according to Eurus Energy America, the company that was developing it. In a statement posted to the project’s website, Eurus said it had withdrawn its bid. “After dedicating four years to develop the Palehua Wind project in West Oahu, Eurus Energy America has decided to withdraw its bid,” said Eurus in its statement. “After much consideration, the risk factors associated with . . . Complete story »
Commission dismisses last wind project in Vermont
HOLLAND – State utility regulators have thrown out the application for permission to raise a single industrial-grade wind turbine on a farm field in Holland – ending the last active petition for a major wind project in Vermont. The Vermont Public Utilities Commission issued an order to dismiss with prejudice the petition by Dairy Air Wind developer David Blittersdorf. Complete story »
Berne, Knox, and Rensselaerville prohibit commercial wind turbines
After Shell WindEnergy in 2008 contacted local landowners about leasing property on the crest of the Helderbergs for fifty 380-foot wind turbines, the towns involved scrambled to put ordinances in place. At that time, New Scotland and all four Hilltowns were devoid of zoning related to wind farms. Berne, Knox, and Rensselaerville followed through with zoning laws; New Scotland did not, and Westerlo never undertook the task. Knox In 2008, Knox had zoning in place that prohibited industrial-sized wind turbines . . . Complete story »
