Virginia's national forests are emerging as a potential battleground for wind energy, a key part of efforts to develop alternatives to coal and oil in the United States. Few proposals have been made so far for wind farms in the thousands of acres of Virginia national forest, but those that have been submitted have sparked intense disagreement. ..."The whole wind energy thing is brand new to the forest service. We don't really have any experience or guidance with this," said James T. Smalls, district ranger for the Lee Ranger District of the George Washington & Jefferson national forests in Virginia.

Jeremy Paxman's brother has launched a battle against plans for nine 120ft wind turbines overlooking Dartmoor national park which he said would "stick out like a sore thumb". James Paxman also criticised the Government's policy of subsidising wind energy, arguing that turbines were one of the least cost effective and reliable ways to generate electricity.

An Independence company is hoping to make wind turbines a more common feature of the Willamette Valley landscape. WindEnergy expects to have a handful of small-scale installations on residential properties by October. "We expect once one goes up in a neighborhood, others will consider it."

Wyoming's recent rush on wind power led by utility giant Rocky Mountain Power could settle out during the next year and not pick up again until major new power lines begin connecting to the state in 2014. But even that's not a given. "Good luck getting financed," said Nate Sandvig, project manager for Horizon Wind Energy. Wind proponents say credit markets make it difficult for independent generators and transmission companies to get into the game.

But reining in greenhouse gases globally could end up costing the Miiller's - and everyone else in the state - an extra $38 a month in higher electric bills. It's but one possible consequence for South Dakotans in the discussion about the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the landmark climate legislation being considered by Congress.

The North Carolina Senate voted overwhelmingly to ban large turbines from the state's ridgelines. The North Carolina State Senate has voted overwhelmingly to ban large wind turbines from the state's scenic western ridgelines. The 42-1 vote on Thursday represents the strongest stand against wind turbines taken by lawmakers in any state.

President Barack Obama's push for wind and solar energy to wean the U.S. from foreign oil carries a hidden cost: overburdening the nation's electrical grid and increasing the threat of blackouts. The funding Obama devoted to get high-voltage lines ready for handling the additional load of alternative supplies is less than 5 percent of the $130 billion that power users, producers and the U.S. Energy Department say is needed.

Proposition National cap-and-trade system will level out playing field between wind and other sources of energy: ministerFederal Environment Minister Jim Prentice says a national cap-and-trade system will not only curb carbon emissions, but also help boost the country's lagging incentives for the wind power industry. The federal government has recently been criticized for it's lack of incentives for wind power companies.

North Carolina senators have approved banning wind turbines from Appalachian ridges, balancing potential for green energy against unspoiled mountain vistas. The Senate voted 42-1 on Thursday to establish regulations for where wind turbines can be built. It next heads to the state House, where it may not come up until next spring.

As Michigan seeks to close its wind power gap with neighboring states, it is also approaching a formidable political hurdle. Is the state ready to accept offshore wind turbines in waters prized by boaters and wealthy lakeshore property owners alike? ... The Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council is recommending amending Public Act 325 to allow offshore waters to be included in the public trust. That would give the state authority to override local opposition.

A state senate panel has advanced a bill that would create a statewide standard for siting wind farms in Wisconsin. But senators changed the plan to add protections for people who live near the massive wind turbines. ...under a provision passed by a senate panel, the PSC would have to consider the health effects of wind turbines when they decide how far to set them back from homes.

Officials have interpreted the state's mountain ridge development law as banning large wind turbines on the ridges. The Senate Agriculture Committee this morning rejected a proposal that would have reversed that ban. Instead, a bill moving through the Senate will continue to call for cementing the ban.

A state Senate committee today voted 6-1 to approve a bill to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy projects. "It's time to make decisions and if we are to get away from reliance on Mideast oil, we need to find a way to site these wind energy systems," said Sen. Bob Wirch, D-Kenosha. Senate Bill 185 directs the state Public Service Commission to work on statewide siting standards.

It is a mistake for Wisconsin officials to focus on their goal of generating 25 percent of energy from renewable sources without keeping in mind the other 75 percent, according to state lawmakers. "If, in 16 years' time, we've got coal or nuclear plants being retired, we need to know what we're replacing that with," said state Rep. Jim Soletski, D-Green Bay. Still, Soletski said, the state's 25 percent by 2025 goal makes it difficult to break the focus on renewable energy - even for him.

A recent Wisconsin appeals court ruling wipes away ordinances written in Union and Magnolia townships to regulate wind energy systems, experts say. ..."Even though we apparently wasted $40,000 coming up with an ordinance, I don't think the money was completely wasted because I think we have solid, scientific facts that will give our community and the Union Town Board the basis for evaluating these proposals on a case-by-case basis."

The U.S. Senate has approved $5 million for a University of Maine research program seeking to develop wind turbine technology capable of operating in the harsh conditions in the Gulf of Maine. A state task force, meanwhile, continued on Thursday to discuss the enormous opportunities but daunting technological, financial and regulatory challenges of developing ocean-based renewable energy projects off the coast of Maine.

Today DNR has 24 active wind power leases in various stages. Five wind farms with 65 turbines operate on state trust land, all in Eastern Washington. The leases yield $670,000 a year. However, the DNR failed to consider whether allowing wind turbines on state land might conflict with the compact the state made with the federal government in 1997 when it promised to manage its land in a way that would minimize harm to threatened and endangered species. And Sutherland didn't foresee that some uses might not be compatible with the giant spinning turbine blades that feed renewable energy into the power grid.

The influx of wind developers to Wyoming has strained the balance of competing development interests for state-owned trust lands, officials from the state and various industries said Thursday. The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments hosted a forum at Casper College to discuss how compatible wind farms can be with agriculture, mining, and oil and gas development.

The Bonneville Power Administration in the Pacific Northwest has run smack into an issue that may well be repeated elsewhere as wind power gains a larger share of the electric power generation mix. The issue is wind integration and, more to the point, how to manage operational and cost allocation issues that arise as wind power projects come into service. It also touches on public perceptions about wind and what role it can and can't play in meeting electricity demand.

Regulators have put a big question mark over the province's strategy to tap run-of-river hydroelectric and wind power projects to meet growing electricity demand while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. A complex 236-page ruling by the B.C. Utilities Commission found B.C. Hydro overestimated future demand and rejected the basis for its call for independent power projects under its Clean Power initiative.