facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts Windaction http://www.windaction.org/articles/c88+112?theme=atom Xarayar 2006-06-12T02:16:27Z .38267 2013-05-02T21:33:39Z 2013-05-02T21:33:39Z

Atlantic Wind, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, has yet to sign a contract with a power company to purchase electricity generated by the proposed 150 turbines, said Wayne Harris, director of economic development in Pasquotank County.

.37010 2013-01-12T06:52:05Z 2013-01-12T06:52:05Z

The Pantego project's spinning blades pose a potential threat to bald eagles roosting and foraging in Beaufort County, and they would create a collision risk for F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets making practice runs from nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Invenergy is considering whether to reconfigure the location of the giant turbines or give up on the site altogether and move the project.

.36197 2012-10-02T11:01:28Z 2012-10-02T11:01:28Z

The commissioners voted unanimously Monday for a resolution which called for much stricter regulation by the state of wind and solar energy projects to ensure they do not encroach on military training areas or routes.

.36157 2012-09-27T22:50:32Z 2012-09-27T22:50:32Z

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners are asking state legislators to pass a law blocking all encroachment or impairments to military training routes without state approval.

.35941 2012-09-01T00:00:00Z 2012-09-01T00:00:00Z

Through spokesmen and position papers, Republican presidential nominee Romney has made clear that he would urge Congress to end a federal tax credit for wind energy that makes the alternative power source economically feasible. But no matter who wins the White House, objections from the military lodged with Gov. Bev Perdue could be enough to kill this wind project and others.

.35695 2012-08-04T22:53:15Z 2012-08-04T22:53:15Z

Three large wind-energy projects in North Carolina that promised jobs and electricity for thousands of homes have stalled, facing hurdles ranging from a lack of power purchasers to migrating swans.

.34429 2012-02-25T21:52:19Z 2012-02-25T21:52:19Z

Wind energy is not going to be cheap. There is just no way that's going to happen ... that was recognized early on. But if jobs could come to North Carolina en masse ... that would overcome negativity with the cost of generating it." But the prospect for jobs locally is unclear. Any wind turbines erected off the coast would most likely be constructed in federal waters.

.33812 2011-12-15T03:46:05Z 2011-12-15T03:46:05Z

But months of talks with neighboring power companies have failed to yield a contract. Iberdrola will not be able to finance the project until it can show institutional lenders a long-term contract with guaranteed cash flow. Progress Energy in Raleigh, one of Desert Wind's potential customers, ended talks with Iberdrola after the parties couldn't agree.

.33802 2011-12-13T17:45:51Z 2011-12-13T17:45:51Z

The project has been approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission. It would cost about $600 million to build. And construction must start before year end to qualify for a 30% federal tax break. The trouble has been that Iberdrola has not been able to secure a contract from any utility that serves North Carolina to buy the power the wind-farm would produce.

.33601 2011-11-09T15:50:15Z 2011-11-09T15:50:15Z

Critics have pointed to several problems, not the least of which is the windmills - with blades turning at 200 mph - might be trouble for migratory waterfowl from nearby Pungo National Wildlife Refuge and other wildlife. Also, a successful project could result in more land might be gobbled up and more windmills erected, opponents say.

.20590 2011-09-30T17:33:57Z 2011-09-30T17:33:57Z

Craig Poff, the senior developer for Iberdrola Renewables’ 300-megawatt wind farm planned near Elizabeth City, says it is almost impossible complete his project by the end of 2012 if he has to wait months to get a contract. “The timing is unfortunate,” he says.

.32915 2011-09-06T20:42:23Z 2011-09-06T20:42:23Z

Chicago-based Invenergy has notified the N.C. Utilities Commission that it plans to build a 49-turbine facility on 11,000 acres in Beaufort County. If approved, the Pantego Wind Energy projectwould begin generating electricity in December 2012.

.32579 2011-07-26T04:50:24Z 2011-07-26T04:50:24Z

.32304 2011-06-26T00:44:27Z 2011-06-26T00:44:27Z

Onshore wind farms appear to be more hazardous to wildlife, said Dr. Peterson, mainly because there are more birds and bats on the coast than miles out at sea. Offshore, marine life could also be affected, he said, as the construction or sound of the turbines may affect their habitat.

.31973 2011-05-18T14:53:30Z 2011-05-18T14:53:30Z

Propes, however, said "these maps are sort of directional (and) are no way near final. There's still a heck of a lot of lease blocks that remain viable," though he admitted that the military exclusions were pretty much beyond change.

.31518 2011-03-27T13:57:05Z 2011-03-27T13:57:05Z

Gamesa intends to sell the electricity generated by the turbine to recoup some of its design-and-build costs - which, Hopper estimated, could be as high as $20 million. The company aims to install the turbine next year. As far as what the project could mean economically for Dare County, Hopper committed to nothing.

.30916 2011-01-28T03:24:54Z 2011-01-28T03:24:54Z

An Oregon company is seeking regulatory approval to erect North Carolina's first commercial wind farm in Pasquotank and Perquimans counties in the northeastern corner of the state. Iberdrola Renewables wants to build 150 wind turbines.

.29815 2010-11-07T20:35:27Z 2010-11-07T20:35:27Z

Property owners, including Wood, have talked with Iberdrola Renewables officials and have visited similar projects in other states, he said. Tall wind towers, even in the Bull Yard, could obstruct an airfield in Hales Lake. The two tracts are separated only by swampy woodlands, Wood said. Invenergy, a Chicago-based energy company, has also expressed interest in Hales Lake, he said.

.28820 2010-08-19T01:22:58Z 2010-08-19T01:22:58Z

Duke Energy Corp. said Thursday that it has dropped plans to install demonstration wind turbines on the North Carolina coast, saying the project was too small to be worth the cost. Duke Energy Carolinas had planned to install three wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound under a collaboration with the University of North Carolina.

.28067 2010-07-02T16:47:57Z 2010-07-02T16:47:57Z

"There's a long list of things (that will need to be done). Any one of those could kill a project," he said. Carrico said community support will be critical. The proposal has drawn criticism from nearby residents concerned about the noise and light that the wind turbines may produce. Carrico's response is residents living a quarter- to a half-mile away will hear nothing.