The developer of a Greenbrier County wind farm said his company plans to immediately move forward with the construction of a wind farm in Greenbrier County. The statement by Dave Groberg, vice president of development at Invenergy Limited Liability Co., came after the state Public Service Commission said on Friday that it would not reconsider its approval of the $300 million project.

US WindForce will host a public meeting Monday evening at the Wind Lea Banquet and Conference Center as part of the company's ongoing efforts to keep the public abreast of its Pinnacle Wind Farm project near Keyser, with environmental issues again the focus of discussion.

Opponents of a large wind farm project in Greenbrier and Nicholas counties have been rebuffed once again by the state Public Service Commission. In an opinion issued Friday, the PSC denied petitions for reconsideration of the regulatory body's Feb. 13 approval of a siting certificate for the Beech Ridge Energy LLC project. The petitions were filed by Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy (MCRE) and Jeffrey and Alicia Eisenbeiss.

"Wind energy is something that is on the horizon," remarked Bland County Administrator Jonathan D. Sweet. "With technology constantly changing, we have to look at our zoning ordinance to address that." According to Sweet, the Bland County Board of Supervisors and the Economic Development Authority took a recent field trip to Grant County, W.Va., to see wind turbines in action. The Bland County Planning Commission will follow suit.

Opposition and proponents to the US Wind Force Pinnacle Project both admitted during a community meeting that they may never see eye to eye. "I don't think you all understand when someone is opposed to this," Mike Wilson, Keyser area resident, said. "We are selling our mountains, we are selling our souls. Are they worth it? You're not going to change their minds by having them talk to this person or that person. ... It's within our culture in West Virginia. These are our heritage."

Saying they "have lost faith" in state-run agencies, officials from Mountain Community For Responsible Energy on Friday criticized last week's decision by the state Public Service Commission that issued a building permit for a $300 million Greenbrier County wind farm. As of Friday, no legal papers had been filed by MCRE, the grassroots group which has been fighting the Beech Ridge Energy wind farm since 2005, asking the PSC to reconsider its Feb. 13 decision, the first of its kind since wind farm building permit rules were updated by state lawmakers. State laws allow for a 10-day appeal window after a PSC decision is published. ..."Our case is strong and our membership is solidified. Remember, this is our home. We won't abandon it to turbines."

Maine and County Planner Scott Clay recently presented a report on their research into wind power to the Mineral County Commissioners. Although Clay said the inches-thick binder of information he had gathered contained “both pros and cons” of wind power, most of what the two officials had to say seemed to be in opposition to the construction of wind farms in Mineral County.

"We are not surprised that the PSC ruled in favor of Beech Ridge. We've been expecting it. We're deciding on whether we're going to file for a motion to reconsider." Michael Rosalina with Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy says they've opposed the project since its inception in 2004. Despite a loud chorus of voices against the 119 giant wind turbines planned for 23 miles of ridge line, and against the advice of their own staff, the PSC went ahead on Friday and gave Beech Ridge the final approve to move forward with the $300 million project.

Wind turbines could continue to sprout along the state's Appalachian ridgetops, as state regulators approved a project on the Randolph/Barbour County border in November. The same company applied in December to build a project in Grant County, while another developer announced plans in January for a project near Keyser. Industry growth may be slowing, however, as the national economic recession dries up the investment capital needed to build new projects.

Just two days after Gov. Joe Manchin introduced a sweeping renewable energy proposal to lawmakers, the state Public Service Commission on Friday gave its final stamp of approval on a $300 million Greenbrier County wind farm. The much anticipated decision came nearly 4 1/2 years after Chicago-based Invenergy first applied for a siting certificate to construct 119 giant wind turbines on 23 miles of mountain ridges owned primarily by MeadWestvaco.

Residents filled the auditorium of Washington High School on Monday evening in hopes that their voices would be heard and a change would be made to the proposed route for a high-voltage power line slated for construction in the area. Nearly 150 people turned out for a public hearing about P.A.T.H., which stands for Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, and is a joint venture of Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power that was announced last year.

Disputing what's been called a "dialogue," several guests at Monday's US WindForce community meeting felt questions have gone unanswered just as the company recently announced its intention to file an application with the Public Service Commission for 23 wind turbines comprising the Pinnacle Wind Farm.

Fresh from beginning the formal application process with the West Virginia Public Service Commission, US WindForce will meet tonight with area residents as part of its ongoing public outreach efforts on the Pinnacle Wind Farm near Keyser. The Community Advisory Panel for the Pinnacle project will meet at 6 p.m. at the WindLea Conference and Banquet Center. The meeting is open to the public.

US Wind Force says its subsidiary, Pinnacle Wind Force LLC, is moving forward with plans to construct a 23-trubine wind farm in Mineral County. The Wexford, Pa.-based company said Friday it has filed a 30-day notice of intent with the West Virginia Public Service Commission. The notice is nesessary to obtain a siting certificate from the PSC. ...

The public hearing on the proposed ridgeline protection ordinance being considered by the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors will be held beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tazewell Middle School. This is the appropriate time for those who have an opinion on the windmill project - whether pro or con - to let their voices be heard and recorded in the official record. Dominion and BP Wind Energy North America have purchased 2,560 acres of land in Tazewell County.

The beauty of East River Mountain is in jeopardy according to a group of citizens who are against the proposed wind turbine project. This group has grown from a group of 6 to a group of 150. They have a laundry list of reasons why they don't want industrial size wind turbines on our mountains.

The magnitude of these structures shocked our county officials but will they generate revenue of the same magnitude? "Land owners get their annual fees from what is produced. Then also the county would only be able to do the personal property tax. And a personal property tax would be on each individual wind turbine. And under personal property, it would depreciate each year too." says Supervisor David Anderson. The construction phase would create some revenue as well.

Anderson, Bluefield, Va. Town Manager Todd Day, and other officials traveled to the Mount Storm windmill site in hopes of learning more about a large-scale windmill proposal for East River Mountain. Several companies are looking to develop as many as 60, 400-foot tall windmills along the crest of East River Mountain.

Area residents concerned about the growing visual footprint of the wind industry in the region, including a planned 23-turbine wind farm that will transform the skyline west of Keyser, gathered Sunday to form a citizens group that will seek to educate the public about wind energy. The new group, named Allegheny Front Alliance, met Sunday afternoon at Keyser Primary Middle School, with about 25 people in attendance.

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors had a heated meeting on Tuesday night with a lot of hot topic items on the agenda. A lot of people at the meeting were there because of the controversial wind turbine talk. The board met with a consultant group behind closed doors in executive session.