http://www.windaction.org/ facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts en-us Windaction hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.windaction.org/articles/13150 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:54:40 GMT Technicians remove the blade assembly on Carleton College’s wind generator as the gearbox undergoes repair. The two-month process of fixing it involved finding a crane tall enough and heavy enough to remove the giant blade assembly from the top of the 230-foot tower. The crane was on site almost three weeks, at a cost of $5,000 a day. The wind turbine was erected in Sep 2004. http://chronicle.com/blogs/architecture/1178/fixing-a-wind-turbine-no-small-matter http://www.windaction.org/articles/13150 http://www.windaction.org/articles/9165 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:08:51 GMT Workers build a new powerline in southwest Minnesota to take energy from wind turbines into the national grid. Utility companies are planning hundreds of miles of new lines. http://www.windaction.org/articles/9165 http://www.windaction.org/articles/7972 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:17:03 GMT http://www.windaction.org/articles/7972 http://www.windaction.org/articles/7109 Thu, 28 Dec 2006 22:13:01 GMT A wind turbine tower waits to be built in a forest of already constructed towers on land just north of Taopi in this file photo. http://www.windaction.org/articles/7109 http://www.windaction.org/articles/9179 Wed, 24 May 2006 10:19:29 GMT A wind turbine looms behind a farm east of Pipestone, Minn., in this May 24, 2006 http://www.windaction.org/articles/9179 http://www.windaction.org/articles/21980 Tue, 04 Sep 2001 11:25:51 GMT Thunderstorms in the background of the Buffalo Ridge wind energy facility. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21980 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38533 Fri, 31 May 2013 10:45:05 GMT Jim Alders, Xcel's director of regulatory affairs, said Thursday that New Era has "failed to meet the requirements" of the 2010 contract, which required PUC approval. Attempts since December to cure the defaults have failed, prompting the recent action. http://www.windaction.org/articles/38533 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38512 Wed, 29 May 2013 18:05:18 GMT Jim Alders, Xcel's directory of regulatory affairs, said Wednesday that Xcel had been committed to the agreement but informed New Era in December that it needed to resolve outstanding issues with the project by early May. "We gave them [New Era] until now to cure those problems and they have not," he said. "We finally reached the point where the contract gives us the right to terminate." http://www.windaction.org/articles/38512 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38384 Fri, 17 May 2013 02:14:24 GMT The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is waiting to hear from Xcel Energy and New Era Wind in Goodhue County about what changes have taken place in the controversial wind project's power purchase agreement. http://www.windaction.org/articles/38384 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38347 Sat, 11 May 2013 13:19:48 GMT New Era was given until Sunday May 12 to resolve a delay in the production of a 78-megawatt wind farm in Goodhue County that is causing the company to default on an agreement to sell generated power, said Jim Alders of Xcel Energy. http://www.windaction.org/articles/38347 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38242 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:49:19 GMT "We are VERY unappreciative of this symbol being used by the USPS for Earth Day," Marie McNamara recently emailed postal officials in Washington. "Thanks for putting us on record as strongly objecting to the symbol of industrial wind turbines as a postmark. Thanks for putting us on record as wanting to see the postmark go away immediately." http://www.windaction.org/articles/38242 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38161 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:53:09 GMT A letter from the owner of a proposed wind farm to regulators shows his frustration in the permitting process and a willingness to sell off assets of his investment. "New Era has no confidence that due process for this project will ever end, nor that an ABPP (Avian and Bat Protection Plan) will ever be approved, however comprehensively and carefully drafted," said Peter Mastic, owner of New Era Wind Farm, in an April 17 letter to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. http://www.windaction.org/articles/38161 http://www.windaction.org/articles/38097 Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:28:29 GMT "New Era initiated discussion with NSP (Xcel Energy that was going to buy the wind power) to assign its power contracts to a third-party wind project developer and site," he wrote in a letter dated Wednesday. Three companies are interested and could get turbines turning this year or 2014. "Each of these projects is sited in a community that is far more receptive to wind energy than is Goodhue," he wrote. http://www.windaction.org/articles/38097 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37967 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:12:27 GMT U.S. District Judge Michael Davis dismissed a lawsuit filed by the developer of the 100-turbine Merricourt project, which remains unbuilt amid lingering fears that whooping cranes and piping plovers will be slashed to death by its turbine blades. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37967 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37856 Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:15:04 GMT The 171-turbine, 280-megawatt project - which would have been the largest wind project in Minnesota - was reduced to a 58-turbine, 116-megawatt development by eliminating many of the turbines that had been targeted by critics. Issues remain before the project will break ground. Per Thursday's approval, Gamesa must submit an avian and bat protection plan. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37856 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37786 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:25:33 GMT The most significant blow to the project may have been delivered last week, when PUC staff filed briefing papers. Staff recommended that the commission deny the requested amendments or table the request, require an avian and bat protection plan to be created and - perhaps most importantly - initiate potential revocation proceedings "since the permittee has not commenced construction." http://www.windaction.org/articles/37786 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37624 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:22:09 GMT The plug has reportedly been pulled on what could have been the largest wind project in Minnesota history. EDP Renewables, formerly Horizon Wind, recently mailed project participants in Goodhue, Rice, Dodge and Steele counties letters informing them that the initial contract period was up and it would not be renewed. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37624 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37562 Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:08:26 GMT The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission took another pass Thursday in deciding the fate of the controversial New Era wind project in Goodhue County. The commissioners voted unanimously to re-open the certificate of need docket, which was previously approved by the PUC in June 2011. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37562 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37559 Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:35:37 GMT The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday, Feb. 28, to re-examine the 78-megawatt New Era Wind Farm proposed for the area around Belle Creek, Zumbrota and Goodhue townships. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37559 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37561 Thu, 28 Feb 2013 04:41:40 GMT The delay is just the latest in a string of setbacks for the project, which ran into resistance as soon as it was introduced four years ago. Turbines were originally expected to be spinning by the end of 2011. Representatives for the developer acknowledged the project was taking longer than anticipated and that they remained uncertain how soon construction could begin if regulatory hurdles were overcome. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37561