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/14894 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:49:59 GMT Smoke pours from the top and bottom of one of the wind turbines at the Ewington Wind Farm near the Heron Lake exit north of Interstate 90 Wednesday (Mar 26) morning. The Brewster and Okabena Fire Departments responded to the scene, but upon the advice of Suzlon Wind Energy officials, the fire was allowed to burn itself out. (Brian Korthals/Daily Globe) http://www.windaction.org/articles/14894 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/14798 Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT Catastrophic equipment failure at the wind energy facility near Lake Wilson, MN in September and November 2006. http://www.windaction.org/articles/14798 http://www.windaction.org/articles/14799 Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT Catastrophic equipment failure at the wind energy facility near Lake Wilson, MN in September and November 2006. http://www.windaction.org/articles/14799 http://www.windaction.org/articles/14800 Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT Catastrophic equipment failure at the wind energy facility near Lake Wilson, MN in September and November 2006. http://www.windaction.org/articles/14800 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/24150 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:45:02 GMT During the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) public hearing in Harmony on Monday, Nov. 9, to gather public input regarding the proposed EcoHarmony West Wind Project, several individuals voiced concern as to how the wind farm would impact the karst topography of the area. The proposed wind project will be sited in an area of about 23,000 acres west of Harmony. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24150 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24119 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:38:33 GMT City officials are going back to the drawing board with their proposed wind turbine ordinance. After debate Monday, the Austin City Council decided to table the proposed ordinance because council members said it needs more research. Planning Commission chairwoman Lynn Spainhower heard from angry residents of Oak Park Village, who took exception to her remark to the council that the 350-foot setback the commission added last week was "arbitrary." http://www.windaction.org/articles/24119 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24108 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:27:02 GMT A vote was scheduled for Austin's City Council, on a proposed wind turbine ordinance, in the city. It would allow turbines, with several restrictions to be placed in industrial parks and commercial areas, but 350 feet away from residential buildings. ...But Monday's council never saw a vote on the issue, it was tabled on the overwhelming support of some concerned residents. A lot of people showed up to voice their disagreement with the ordinance, though it wasn't a public hearing. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24108 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24133 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:37:39 GMT Concerned residents have relentlessly questioned how far wind turbines should be set back from other structures in rural Goodhue County. Commissioners learned Tuesday that addressing those concerns locally regarding two proposed wind farms could be difficult. ...[County Attorney Stephen] Betcher said state law now allows counties to step in and regulate wind farms between 5 and 25 megawatts as well with PUC's help. In doing so, commissioners could impose stricter standards - including for setbacks - than the state currently does on mid-range and larger projects. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24133 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24085 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:38:11 GMT A wind farm planned for southern Dakota County is getting some blowback from nearby residents. In a barrage of comments submitted to the state's Public Utilities Commission, neighbors and even a few people from other parts of the metro area criticized the proposal for a 10.84 megawatt wind farm in Greenvale Township, northeast of Northfield. The project would be the first to concentrate multiple windmills in the seven-county metro area, and many people objected to that idea. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24085 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24078 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:39:59 GMT Critics of a proposed wind farm near Goodhue urged a state commission Thursday to scrutinize the project. Goodhue County landowners attended the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission meeting asking commissioners to question Goodhue Wind's status as a Community-Based Energy Development. C-BED developments are supposed to guarantee some level of local project ownership. The group also briefly discussed setback concerns. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24078 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24063 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:06:20 GMT The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) held a public hearing in Harmony on Monday evening to gather public input regarding the proposed EcoHarmony West Wind Project. The proposed 280 megawatt wind project will be sited in an area of about 23,000 acres west of Harmony and will consist of about 134 turbines ...The hearing was part of the public process for EcoEnergy's certificate of need and site permit application. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24063 http://www.windaction.org/articles/24026 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:55:45 GMT This is the first in a series of stories about wind turbines and their impact on the rural landscape. Future articles will look at projects coming to Nobles and Jackson counties and the impact wind farms have on our region's transportation system. A couple of years ago, Murray County collected more than $1 million in production tax revenue from the wind turbines that span the horizon along the Buffalo Ridge. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24026 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23925 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:40:39 GMT Minnesota Power is seeking an almost 20 percent increase in rates for its residential customers to cover investments made in cleaner, greener energy. For the average residential customer, that amounts to $13 per month. "We know this is unwelcome news at an unwelcome time," said Pat Mullen, the company's vice president of marketing and public affairs. "These are improvements that need to be made. ..."The average citizen in Duluth is not going to be able to afford an increase like that," said Sue Siverson of Duluth. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23925 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23862 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:10:02 GMT It's one step forward, two steps back for the Greenvale Wind Farm. The two local companies behind the development of a proposed wind farm have asked to temporarily halt any further action on the 11-megawatt project located in Greenvale Township. In an Oct. 14 letter to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Sparks Energy and Medin Renewable Energy, the two companies behind the development of the proposed wind farm, say they need more time to listen and respond to residents' concerns about the development. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23862