facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts Windaction http://www.windaction.org/articles/c93+112?theme=atom Xarayar 2006-06-12T02:16:27Z .17344 2012-08-05T13:31:38Z 2012-08-05T13:31:38Z

Five large-scale transmission projects are in varying planning and development stages around the state. Together, they could provide enough capacity to transport more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity to western markets ...But none of those projects will come on line until at least 2015, and most will take longer.

.32075 2011-06-01T16:43:07Z 2011-06-01T16:43:07Z

Patrick Lyons, a Republican who chairs the commission, said he would oppose additional state requirements for solar production by private companies. Lyons said alternative energy sources must be increased, but the state would be out of bounds to tell a private company where to invest its money.

.30445 2010-12-19T18:54:13Z 2010-12-19T18:54:13Z

Portales Mayor Sharon King was a member of the JLUS policy committee. She said many of the concerns brought to the committee were from landowners whose property lies around the base or range. "They were mainly concerned about their land or intrusion on their land. Especially with building wind turbines. The number one concern is height restrictions," King said. "That concern came up at every meeting."

.28973 2010-08-31T10:17:48Z 2010-08-31T10:17:48Z

One of the concerns expressed by area residents was building wind turbines on their property, Bauer said. Bauer said Cannon AFB officials must be notified if turbines are built, because anything taller 75 feet tall can potentially interfere with the base�s radar systems.

.28656 2010-08-08T11:26:56Z 2010-08-08T11:26:56Z

Opposition to a possible Invenergy development in San Miguel started mounting two years ago as word spread that the company was looking to lease land and obtain easements from area residents. It was also in 2008 that Invenergy signed a two-year lease option with the State Land Office for 7,063 acres of state trust land atop a mesa near Bernal.

.28467 2010-07-23T11:03:59Z 2010-07-23T11:03:59Z

An inducement resolution to pave the way for the Macho Springs Wind Energy Project was unanimously approved during a Thursday special meeting of the Luna County Board of Commissioners. The resolution is the first of many steps to help Oregon-based Element Power erect 28 wind turbines in Northeastern Luna County.

.28303 2010-07-15T12:50:07Z 2010-07-15T12:50:07Z

A local rancher, Joe Bill Nunn, whose family owns ranches in the area, voiced concerns that wind turbine development could not only hurt the aesthetic value of the grasslands, but the property value as well. "We don't want to sell our property," Nunn told commissioners. "We plan on dying on this land, but we want to preserve the value of these lands.

.27081 2010-05-01T06:56:55Z 2010-05-01T06:56:55Z

High voltage transmission lines were the topic of discussion at a public scoping meeting put on by the Bureau of Land Management, the lead agency that oversees the environmental impact statement and possible resource management plans for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. About 90 residents attended the open house Tuesday, April 27, hoping to gather additional information.

.26790 2010-04-15T11:37:14Z 2010-04-15T11:37:14Z

With plans for windfarms in northern Lincoln County percolating, a public hearing will be scheduled during the May meeting of the Lincoln County Commission on a proposed ordinance to regulate the towers. Commissioners reviewed the draft last month, but took no action.

.25088 2010-01-11T18:34:02Z 2010-01-11T18:34:02Z

A proposal for a grid of 400-foot-high wind turbines miles northwest of Taos has hit some turbulence. The wind farm plan by Taos Wind Power LLC, was blocked by the Taos County Commission last week when it reversed earlier approval by the county Planning Commission.

.24732 2009-12-22T17:04:22Z 2009-12-22T17:04:22Z

A year after it was granted preliminary approval, a proposed wind farm near Tres Piedras met with denial by the Taos County Commission. ...The county's formal findings and conclusions will be brought before the commission for approval Jan. 5, after which the applicant will have 30 days to appeal the commission's decision. "There were a lot of problems with that application," Martínez said. "I think it would be irresponsible to come in with the same application."

.22273 2009-07-21T11:57:01Z 2009-07-21T11:57:01Z

Mike Newman from First Southwest Company in Dallas, an investment banking firm that specializes in public finance, told commissioners at their special meeting earlier this month wind farms in northern areas of the county appears to be on horizon. He explained the advantages of an ordinance, the use of industrial revenue bonds for financing a project and providing tax breaks, and the dollar savings of coordinating with a neighboring county.

.22224 2009-07-19T12:04:18Z 2009-07-19T12:04:18Z

Under state regulations, utility companies in New Mexico must produce 20 percent of total energy needs from renewable resources by 2020, at least 20 percent of that from wind. For all the support of wind energy, some people still worry about the impact of a string of massive wind farms across New Mexico. They believe the rules governing wind farm placement need to carefully consider the impacts.

.21845 2009-06-30T20:45:57Z 2009-06-30T20:45:57Z

Two wind-testing towers came down this week after Taos County threatened to prosecute Taos Wind Power if it did not remove them. One located on private property approximately 8.2 miles southeast of Tres Piedras and another 3.5 miles north of Tres Piedras, the towers were approved by the county Dec. 4, 2007.

.16262 2008-06-09T12:09:44Z 2008-06-09T12:09:44Z

The Labs' Wind Energy Technology Department and the U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program have embarked on a project to determine if a roughly 30-megawatt plant is viable, the base and labs said in a news release. A private company would design, build, and operate the farm, and DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia and Kirtland would buy the electricity, Sandia said.

.12536 2007-11-06T19:12:44Z 2007-11-06T19:12:44Z

It's round two for green power in Farmington today, with utility customers attending another City Council work session to protest a recommended $40 renewable energy fee. "A bunch of us are going to turn up again," said Mike Eisenfeld, New Mexico staff organizer for the San Juan Citizen's Alliance. "I think the city needs to do the right thing and shuck the recommended policy." ..."All I can do is present the information and they will make a decision." "Customers who choose to utilize renewable energy should do so because they believe it is the right' thing to do, but should also understand that these options are more expensive than traditional carbon-based resources," the report reads.

.8472 2007-03-17T10:48:49Z 2007-03-17T10:48:49Z

Gov. Bill Richardson approved all items in the capital outlay bill, including about $1.9 million to develop the site for and plan, design, construct, equip and furnish the North American Wind Research and Training Center at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari. Going into the legislative session, Mesalands officials had expressed hope for a larger appropriation because costs of wind turbines escalate with the rising costs of fuel, metals and manufacturing. Mesalands has been on spring break for the past week and Phillip Barry, college president, could not be reached for comment. The college wants to install a single wind turbine that could be used for maintenace and operational training of technicians and research on wind energy.

.8277 2007-03-06T14:00:31Z 2007-03-06T14:00:31Z

Governor Richardson has signed into law two bills he says make New Mexico what he calls the �clean energy state.� One measure quadruples the use of clean electricity. It requires that by the year 2020, utilities must be getting 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources. The other bill creates a transmission authority that will help the state export solar, wind and other renewable energy. The governor says the measures not only will help keep New Mexico�s air clean, but will create new high-tech jobs in the state.

.7431 2007-01-18T13:12:46Z 2007-01-18T13:12:46Z

New Mexico State University has launched a project to track wind speeds in Eastern New Mexico to determine potential locations for commercial wind turbines. NMSU's Agricultural Science center at Clovis erected a 50-meter meteorological tower in November at a site 13 miles north of Clovis to gather wind data. The science center will work with NMSU's Institute for Energy and the Environment and the College of Engineering to process the data, calculate potential to power wind turbines, and make the information available to the public.

.6700 2006-12-05T17:45:49Z 2006-12-05T17:45:49Z

Santa Fe city government wants to start buying its electricity from a new wind power company, but it may run into opposition from Public Service Co. of New Mexico, the state regulated power monopoly. Delaware-based Patriot Wind, in cooperation with Santa Fe-based Windforce Inc., has plans to build a 20-turbine wind ranch in eastern New Mexico. The ranch is to be built on 640 acres of state-owned land about 30 miles southeast of Springer. But before Patriot Wind can get financing for the project, according to a memo from Santa Fe City Attorney Frank Katz, it needs to get commitments from potential customers to buy the electricity -- a prospect that could prove daunting, considering PNM's monopoly..........PNM already has a program in place called Sky Blue that allows customers to purchase energy generated from a wind farm in southern New Mexico. Customers pay 22 percent more for their electricity after enrolling in the program.