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Wind Power News: Victories
Note: This category refers to specific projects and plans only.
It does not include restrictive ordinances, moratoria, or bans.
See also: Renewable Energy Rejection Database (U.S.) at American Experiment
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission 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. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Citing environmental grounds, Swedish court revokes permit for large wind farm project in Baltic Sea
A Swedish court on May 21 revoked a permit for a large offshore wind farm project, citing environmental reasons. The Land and Environment Court at Nacka District Court revoked a Natura 2000 permit which would have allowed the construction of the Aurora offshore wind farm, a sizeable 5.5 GW project planned by developers OX2 and Ingka Investments. The decision left the project’s future in doubt, pending a possible appeal or a revised environmental assessment. Natura 2000 is the European Union’s . . . Complete story »
High Court orders total shutdown of three wind turbines in Wexford due to noise nuisance
The high court has ordered that three wind turbines in Co Wexford be totally shut down due to noise nuisance. It’s understood to be the first time that a court in Ireland has ordered the total shutdown of a wind turbine. Raymond Byrne and Lorna Moorhead live around a kilometre from the nearest turbine of the six-turbine Gibbet Hill Wind Farm near Bunclody in Co Wexford. Four of the turbines are near the summit of Gibbet Hill, with two located . . . Complete story »
Communities get their say on wind farm development
After a thorough assessment, including significant feedback from local residents and stakeholders, the Queensland Government has decided not to proceed with a proposed wind farm development. The assessment was led by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, and ultimately came to the conclusion that the proposed Moonlight Range Wind Farm, 40 kilometres northwest of Rockhampton, should not proceed. The project included plans for up to 88 wind turbines, a battery energy storage system, and related infrastructure covering 1,269 . . . Complete story »
Cork says no to eight new wind turbines
Cork County Council has refused to grant permission for eight new wind turbines near Dunmanway, Co Cork. Cork County Council gave two reasons for refusing the multimillion-euro wind farm. Firstly, it stated that the proposed wind farm development would be located in an elevated, exposed, and open unspoilt landscape. The development would lead to the removal of wet heath, blanket bog, and wet heath mosaic, all of which are considered habitats of special conservation significance. Given the extent of peatland . . . Complete story »
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie scraps $1bn Rockhampton wind farm
A $1bn wind farm project in central Queensland has officially been scrapped after Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie used ministerial powers to refuse the development application. The Moonlight Range Wind Farm, proposed by Greenleaf Renewables, was to include 88 turbines and a large battery energy storage system spanning 24 parcels of land at Morinish, about 40km west of Rockhampton. The project aimed to generate up to 450 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 260,000 homes annually. Despite receiving state . . . Complete story »
Court dismisses wind developer suit against Wisconsin towns’ ordinances
Background Marathon Wind Farm sued two towns—Brighton and Eau Pleine—claiming their local wind energy ordinances were too restrictive and therefore unlawful under Wisconsin state law. Specifically, they claimed the towns’ rules went beyond what is allowed under state law and Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations. Marathon Wind Farm asked the court to: Declare the local ordinances void, and Issue a permanent injunction preventing their enforcement. The towns responded with motions to dismiss, arguing the case should be thrown out because . . . Complete story »
Germany’s RWE has stopped offshore wind activities in United States
RWE has stopped its U.S. offshore wind activities for now in light of regulatory uncertainty under the administration of President Donald Trump, its CEO said in a speech manuscript published ahead of the utility’s annual general meeting. The comments by Markus Krebber highlight the challenges for European energy firms on the U.S. offshore wind market, which has become a primary target of Trump’s energy policy, with him likening wind turbines to "garbage" earlier this year. Last week, Norwegian peer Equinor . . . Complete story »
Court halts construction of wind power plant in Herzegovina
The Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) annulled the urban planning permit for the construction of the “Poklecani” wind power plant in Posusje, according to a statement from the environmental organization “Aarhus Center.” The court determined that in issuing the urban planning permit, the FBiH Ministry of Spatial Planning committed procedural and legal errors, and the decision was annulled and returned for reconsideration. The planned wind farm is located near the Blidinje Nature Park in western . . . Complete story »
Trump administration orders immediate stop to work on wind project near the coast of Long Beach
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered an immediate halt Wednesday to work on a planned offshore wind project near the coast of Long Beach, arguing the Biden administration rushed the approval process. A memo by Burgum directed Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to direct Norwegian energy developer Equinor to “cease all construction activities on the Empire Wind project” until a review is completed to address “serious deficiencies.” The company plans to erect 54 1,000-foot wind turbines, starting around 15 miles from . . . Complete story »
Trump admin halts New York offshore wind project, orders review of all existing Biden-era wind permits
The Trump administration is halting construction of a massive offshore wind project being built in federal waters off the coast of New York and ordering a sprawling review of existing offshore wind permits, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday to order foreign energy developer Equinor to cease all construction activities on its Empire Wind project, according to a memorandum obtained by the Free Beacon. Burgum said the . . . Complete story »
