Several Phoenix residents are appealing a decision by the Baltimore County zoning board that would allow a couple to build a 120-foot windmill on their property. Neighbors say the windmill that Barry and Urszuela Antonelli hope to construct on their 97-acre property on Cooper Road would be an eyesore and would decrease their property values. "It's the equivalent of having a 12-story structure in your backyard," said John Reistrup, a marketing executive and one of the neighbors who is filing the appeal. "We bought our house specifically for the view."

The ruling released Friday grants the Antonelli family approval to build a 120-foot windmill in its yard, a special exception to a county law that caps poles on residential property at 15 feet. In his opinion, Deputy Zoning Commissioner Tom Bostwick said the windmill will keep seven tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year and provide a "working example of utilizing alternative energy sources." ..."We were surprised he approved it without any independent study on how it's going to impact the surrounding community," said Lisa Viscuso. "We're disappointed."

Frostburg resident John Bambacus wrote Delegate Wendell Beitzel in February, asking him to sponsor the repeal of a law passed in 2007 that exempts industrial wind farms from public scrutiny. He asked again this week in light of Gov. Martin O'Malley's apparent willingness to consider being a part of an industrial wind energy facility off the shores of Ocean City. This time, the former state senator received the answer he wanted. ...Right now, "land-based wind turbines are on a fast-track (approval process). They get no environmental, health or safety review" from the Maryland Public Service Commission, the Department of the Environment or other agencies, much less the general public.

Visibility was the top concern amongst Mayor and City Council members this week, as they heard the latest updates on the potential offshore wind farm off the coast of Ocean City. Bluewater Wind came before the Mayor and Council this week in an effort to keep the community updated on the potential offshore wind park, one they hope will come to fruition no later than 2013. ...Council member Jim Hall questioned the stability of residents' energy bills, pointing out that only 10 percent of energy bills would be affected by wind energy. "We would still have 90 percent, at least, of fluctuation in our bills," he said.

The Allegany County Planning and Zoning Commission was able to see proposed setbacks and buffers of wind turbines from schools, homes and other buildings Wednesday night. The public, however, was not. Phil Hager, county planner coordinator and executive director of the commission, called it "an internal document ... of my own creation," said it was "handed" to commission members - versus being presented to them during a public meeting - and after the meeting declined to give a copy to the Times-News. The document includes "performance-based" ideas for changes to the county zoning code. The intent, Hager told the commission, was to make the requirements tied to the level of impact a project would have "so we're not using a sledge hammer to kill an ant."

Maryland has opened energy supply talks with a Delaware offshore wind developer, hoping to tap into green energy from an expanded wind farm off Rehoboth Beach. State Energy Administration officials in Maryland said Wednesday that options now under review include using Bluewater's proposed turbine complex to power all of Maryland's state and county buildings, and possibly drawing energy from a second wind farm that could be built off Ocean City. ... "This is in its infancy. At first blush, I would say: Build it in Delaware, let us look at it, let us see how it looks and what kind of problems you have first," Hall said. Neither of Bluewater's talks in Maryland and New Jersey currently involve forced contracts or costly, regulator-driven deals of the type used in Delaware to produce the Delmarva contract.

What is the difference between a residential and industrial wind energy turbine? That's up for discussion before the Allegany County Planning and Zoning Commission today at the County Office Complex. The meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m., takes place on the lower floor in the county commissioners' chambers. Phil Hager, county planning coordinator, said at the commission's July 7 work session that there is little in the county ordinances to guide industrial or residential permits. His research showed other jurisdictions required setbacks, buffer zones and height limits, along with a public hearing process for both types of turbines.

"We don't want to see them. Standing on the beach, we don't want to see them," he said during the council's work session Tuesday afternoon. Councilman Jim Hall echoed the mayor's sentiment, saying the project could prove far more popular if the turbines were invisible from land. "If you can't see it," Hall said, "then you can add acres and acres of wind farms. I think people are going to eat it up." For Bluewater, it's an expensive courtesy. Lanard said pushing the turbines farther out to sea makes it more expensive. It costs $1,000 for every foot of cable connecting the wind farm to the shore.

The Allegany County Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday authorized county staff to draft definitions and discuss the differences between industrial and residential wind turbines. ...The commission authorized staff to develop draft language for industrial or commercial wind energy systems. The board also directed staff to distinguish residential turbines and suggest maximum height requirements - likely 30 feet - and minimum buffer zones, possibly between 1.5 and 2.5 times the height of a turbine as measured from bottom to the top of the tallest propeller.

Under the amendment, a new Article 12 would be added to the watershed ordinance that would define and prohibit commercial wind turbine structures. It would also define the territorial jurisdiction of the new article to include all lands in Garrett County except incorporated municipalities, explained John Nelson, director of the Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development. ..."I think sometimes your freedom as a property owner is going to infringe on my freedom as a property owner," said New Germany area resident Kathy Tunney. She said she and others ought to have the right to weigh in on the issue of wind turbines being built near their properties. "We want the right to say something about what our freedoms and rights are," Tunney said.

Area residents voiced their opinions on Garrett County's adoption of performance zoning and what many of its supporters hope it will prevent - the development of wind turbines - for more than two hours Tuesday. ...The public hearing was standing room only, with more than 50 people in attendance to discuss the controversial issue of bringing some form of zoning into Garrett County as well as the potential development of wind turbines that several there hope to see regulated.

The Garrett County Commissioners will be holding a public hearing today at 10:30 a.m. on the issue of performance zoning in Garrett County as a way to prevent wind turbine development. "The purpose of the meeting or hearing is to receive public comments on a proposal submitted by Barbara Boone and Nancy Nimmich to establish performance zoning throughout all of Garrett County," Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator, said. "Specifically, their proposal would add a new article entitled 'performance zoning' to the (Deep Creek Lake Watershed Ordinance) that would define and prohibit commercial wind turbine structures."

Frostburg's mayor and council tabled a possible moratorium on the construction of wind turbines in the city after Councilman John Ralston said he didn't believe that such a policy was needed since nobody has expressed interest in building any. At Thursday's public meeting, a motion to approve the moratorium had been made and seconded when Ralston - who was attending his final meeting before a new council is sworn in - spoke up.

The Allegany County Planning and Zoning Commission has authorized county planning staff to look into current code regarding wind turbines and what other jurisdictions have done to control both commercial and residential wind energy devices. Former state Sen. John Bambacus asked board members on Wednesday to draft a letter to the county commissioners recommending a six-month moratorium on the issuance of siting and grading permits related to wind turbines. Bambacus said he felt the moratorium was necessary because the issue is "much more complicated and complex that what I've heard tonight."

The Garrett County commissioners will hold a public hearing next Tuesday, June 24, at 10:30 a.m. in their meeting room at the courthouse on a proposal to amend the Deep Creek Watershed Zoning Ordinance. ...Under the amendment, a new Article 12 would be added to the ordinance that would define and prohibit commercial wind turbine structures.

Hutter said he fears the "unintended consequences" of quickly drafted ordinances for or against wind turbines. So does John Bambacus, who was formerly a state senator and Frostburg mayor. After nearly 40 years in public service, he plans to ask the county planning commission June 18 to declare a six-month moratorium on any applications for wind turbines, residential or industrial, to allow county officials time to decide what should be allowed, where and under what constraints, if any. "What I have found as I have become involved in this issue for the last year or so is that in other parts of the country, it's moving at warp speed," Bambacus said. "There needs to be adequate safeguards to protect the public environmentally, as well as for public health (and) public safety, especially in industrial turbines being proposed in this region. Some of these will be as high as 440 or 460 feet ... The fact there are no safeguards in place whatsoever in Garrett County and only modestly in Allegany County ... it seems to me that rural areas have to be on their toes.

Though two Synergics wind turbine projects in Garrett County have not yet been filed with the Maryland Public Service Commission, the energy expected to be produced by them has already been put under contract. ...The contracts signed are for a proposed Synergics project on Roth Rock bordering Mettiki Coal Co. on Backbone Mountain, according to Frank Maisano, wind-power industry spokesman. This project is expected to begin delivering 40 megawatts of power in September 2009. The second Synergics project will likely be on Four Mile Ridge near Avilton, where Synergics has meteorological towers situated to study the wind potential there, Maisano said. This project is expected to produce 60 megawatts of power by December 2010.

Allegany County's current zoning codes define key terms in regards to wind turbines - but not where, or under what circumstances, they could be allowed. During a work session Monday, the Planning and Zoning Commission heard reasons why county staff should pursue defining what is and is not permitted in the county for both industrial and residential uses. The commission is expected to approve a study at its June 18 meeting. Phil Hager, county planning coordinator, said a review should include economic impact, including job creation, the potential for lower energy costs, and the effect of wind farms on the natural habitat and wildlife.

A surcharge on electric bills in Delaware and surrounding states that was designed to increase generating capacity hasn't delivered on its promise, four states are arguing in a complaint filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The states of Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania filed the complaint late Friday, together with a coalition of electricity buyers and consumer advocates. They say the surcharge will overcharge electricity consumers in the 13-state territory in the PJM Interconnection grid by $12 billion between 2008 and 2011. As a share of that, Delmarva Power ratepayers in Delaware will overpay by about $125 million in "unjust and unreasonable" rates, the states claim.

The Maryland Public Service Commission is requiring more information from Criterion Power Partners, LLC for the proposed Backbone Mountain wind turbine project. According to a letter sent by Terry Romine, executive secretary of the PSC, to Kevin Rackstraw, developmental leader at Clipper Windpower, the commission has several questions about the interconnection agreement that would allow the wind turbine project to connect with the grid and Allegheny Power. "With this particular project," Todd Meyers, spokesman for Allegheny Power, said, "the company's studies were done three years ago.