www.windaction.orgfacts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impactsWindactionhttp://www.windaction.org/articles/c95+61?theme=atomXarayar2006-06-12T02:16:27ZWind turbine placement should take migrating birds into consideration, ornithologist says.239932009-11-08T14:11:49Z2009-11-08T14:11:49ZBill Evans wants to make it clear he's not against wind turbines.
"I'm not anti-wind. I'm a consultant who people call from both sides when there's a concern about the impact on migrating birds," he said.
Evans, 50, is an Ithaca-based ornithologist who has studied bird migration in North America for more than 25 years. He helped start the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's research into avian night flight calls in the mid-1990s and in 1998 founded the non-profit group Old Bird Inc.
Researchers look for ways to eliminate bird, bat deaths from wind turbines.230272009-09-07T21:18:13Z2009-09-07T21:18:13ZEvery state in the Northeast has set a target for increasing the amount of renewable energy it produces.
Wind power is a big part of this push, but it may pose a danger to birds and bats.
As part of a collaboration of northeast public radio stations, David Chanatry reports from the site of the biggest wind farm in the region.
Climate bill survives with narrow passage; House accepts plan to limit emissions .217932009-06-27T11:22:57Z2009-06-27T11:22:57ZFor the first time ever, the House on Friday passed a plan to combat climate change, a top priority of President Obama's that Rep. Brian Higgins said could rescue the Western New York economy.
The bill's opponents, however, were vehement in their contention that the bill could break the bank of the nation's consumers. ...The bill now moves on to the Senate, where its prospects are murky.
NYRI won't quit.217272009-06-23T00:31:14Z2009-06-23T00:31:14ZNew York Regional Interconnect Inc. is seeking help from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to revive plans for a large electrical transmission line from Marcy in Oneida County to New Windsor in Orange County.
In two years of meetings and hearings, the proposed line was condemned by most local residents, officials and activists, who deemed it unnecessary, too expensive, and a threat to health and property values.
Bill has help for energy projects.202532009-03-02T14:03:45Z2009-03-02T14:03:45ZTurbulent time for wind development in NY.189322008-11-23T03:17:37Z2008-11-23T03:17:37ZWind development in New York has hit a bit of turbulence.
The nationwide financial crisis has put the brakes on a wind farm under construction in northern New York and another developer has aborted possible projects in eastern and central New York after trouble securing land. And wind energy companies are now being asked to abide by a code of ethics by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.Need for tax breaks vexing; Subsidy opponents say taxpayer cash going to the rich.177282008-08-31T11:47:23Z2008-08-31T11:47:23ZMoney doesn't grow on trees, but it may grow on windmills.
The developers of the four proposed wind farms in Jefferson County could capitalize on tax breaks and incentives at the federal, state and local levels through their projects. Opponents say the subsidies take taxpayer money and give it to those who already are rich.
"It's the taxpayers and electric customers that are taken to the cleaners," said Glenn R. Schleede, a widely known wind power opponent who has worked for electric utilities and the federal Office of Management and Budget.
Power grid limits potential of renewable energy .176432008-08-26T00:14:09Z2008-08-26T00:14:09ZWhen the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.
That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, ...are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.
Wind turbines power energy debate.174772008-08-18T23:40:24Z2008-08-18T23:40:24ZMany US residents are passionate about a future propelled by wind. "The promotion of renewable power such as home-grown wind-generated power in New York is essential," said Ed Bennett, president of New York Interfaith Power and Light, a church group that backs renewable sources of energy. "New York has a tangible renewable resource in wind power that could supply 10 per cent of New York's electrical consumption in the very near future." ..."But the industry faces all kinds of hurdles, from right of way issues to groups opposed to the aesthetic intrusion of giant wind turbines. There are a lot of [people] that are going to have to be convinced before we get to something like 300,000 megawatts of electricity from wind."Scheduling Wind Power: Better wind forecasts could prevent blackouts and reduce pollution.159132008-04-17T06:38:23Z2008-04-17T06:38:23ZAs wind power becomes more common, its unpredictability becomes more of a problem. Sudden drops in wind speed can send grid operators scrambling to cover the shortfall and even cause blackouts; unexpected surges can leave conventional power plants idling, incurring costs and spewing pollution to no purpose. ...When wind farms were less common, grid controllers could essentially ignore their varying output, as it was all but indistinguishable from natural fluctuations in consumer use.Electric deal is sign of the times; Energy East takeover part of industry consolidation.135772008-01-13T16:29:04Z2008-01-13T16:29:04ZYou can almost hear the gnashing of teeth. A Spanish company, Iberdrola, is about to acquire Energy East, the parent of New York State Electric & Gas Corp. The company has received needed approvals from the federal agencies, and it is close to receiving the endorsement of four of the five state regulatory agencies. A decision from New York regulators is still some way off.
Critics of the deal express anxiety that a foreign company may eventually control electric distribution to 3 million customers in the Northeast. They wonder if it's wise to have such critical infrastructure out of the hands of a domestic owner.
But the reality is that the fragmented electric industry will undergo a vast restructuring over the next decade or two.
Clipper's 2.5-MW Liberty wind turbines malfunction.135182008-01-10T12:53:37Z2008-01-10T12:53:37ZThe largest wind turbine manufactured in the United States is running into some technical difficulty.
Clipper Windpower Inc.'s 2.5-MW Liberty wind turbines at the 20-MW Steel Winds facility in Lackawanna, N.Y., are malfunctioning due to faulty gear sets.
"At first, we were receiving great performance from the turbines," said Michael Alvarez, executive vice president and COO of UPC Wind Partners LLC, which co-owns the facility with BQ Energy LLC. "Over the summer, a gear-timing issue in the drive train's secondary stage was detected in some of Clipper Windpower's Liberty wind turbines at the Steel Winds site. The cause was found to be a supplier quality deficiency in the drive train attributable to the suppliers' manufacturing process. As part of Clipper's warranty, upgraded drive trains will be installed into all eight turbines at the Steel Winds site. Currently, two turbines are in operation."
Airtricity's US sell-off follows wind farms backlash.124162007-10-29T11:19:18Z2007-10-29T11:19:18ZAirtricity's €1.4bn sale of its North American subsidiary could prove to have been perfectly timed with the Irish firm looking set to exit its investment before opposition to wind power gathers momentum.
With opposition to the burgeoning wind farm business gathering pace, industry experts are questioning whether German-buyer Eon will ever justify the massive price it is paying a business still in early stage development.
"There has not been much focus on opposition to wind turbines in the States, maybe Airtricity are getting out before it becomes an issue," one consultant said last week.
Renewable energy projects will devour huge amounts of land, warns researcher.109572007-07-25T02:56:30Z2007-07-25T02:56:30ZJesse Ausubel, a professor of environmental science and director of the Human Environment programme at Rockefeller University in New York, found that enormous stretches of countryside would have to be converted into intensive farmland or developed with buildings and access roads for renewable energy plants to make a significant contribution to global energy demands.A Mighty Wind Is Pushing U.S. Renewable Energy Success.109332007-07-24T10:44:56Z2007-07-24T10:44:56ZThe United States is expected to be home to an anticipated 49,000 MW of installed wind-power capacity by 2015, making it the world's largest wind-power producer, according to a recent report. Developers are expected to invest more than $65 billion between 2007 and 2015 in wind-power facilities, researchers say.Coastal wind parks await consent.106222007-07-09T10:58:08Z2007-07-09T10:58:08ZWASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Multiple reports and studies, especially those published in the last year, suggest the United States, specifically the East Coast, has great potential for offshore wind.
The politicized debate over whether to develop wind power offshore has dragged on since the late 1990s, when the first project was proposed in Cape Cod, Mass., off the Nantucket Sound. Since then there have been several other proposals, none of which has been completely approved. House rejects amendment to stop power lines.102932007-06-21T11:34:23Z2007-06-21T11:34:23ZWASHINGTON - The House rejected a resolution Wednesday that would block government plans to spur construction of major new power lines in many states regardless of local opposition.
The issue has been contentious in parts of the East Coast and in the Southwest, where two high priority transmission corridors for power lines were proposed. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., warned colleagues that unwanted power lines could come to their district. Energy corridors draw fire.102202007-06-17T10:55:11Z2007-06-17T10:55:11ZProperty in Franklin, Clinton and St. Lawrence counties could be seized in the interest of national security if the land is where a federal commission says power lines should go.
The initiative is meant to improve the delivery of electricity to populated areas along the Eastern Seaboard.
And it is designed to prevent the kind of wide-spread, rolling blackouts and power interruptions that California experienced - situations that experts predict will start in New York and other eastern states in 2011 unless system upgrades are made.
But opponents, such as the Sierra Club and historic-preservation groups, contend that state and local governments would be stripped of the power to control what occurs within their boundaries under the plan and that host communities and land owners would get little compensation. Wind Power Capacity, Texas Leads.90972007-04-22T11:31:22Z2007-04-22T11:31:22ZA continued rapid pace of wind power development in Texas has firmed up its claim to the title as the state with the most wind power capacity.Rumors say Horizon Wind Energy is up for sale.66202006-12-01T12:53:42Z2006-12-01T12:53:42ZRumors fly that Goldman Sachs is looking for a buyer for Horizon Wind Energy, which is in the midst of developing Marble River Wind Farm in the towns of Clinton and Ellenburg.
Patrick Doyle, Horizon’s development director, said he couldn’t comment on the matter. But he said Marble River and, in fact, all Horizon’s projects “will carry on as usual.â€