Gamesa Energy USA's plan for a 25-turbine wind farm that would straddle the Centre-Blair county border will be up for review at the Centre County Planning Commission's August meeting. The Sandy Ridge Wind Farm will be built on 4,683 acres of land, some of it in Taylor Township, for which the company has lease agreements allowing placement of the turbines. The turbines will be 404 or 475 feet high. ...The project has sparked opposition from residents and organizations concerned about the potential negative effects of splitting up the forest.

Tuesday's meeting of the Butler Township board of supervisors seemed more like a court of law as the supervisors and the zoning officer were questioned over and over about wind turbine issues. At times, the questioning seemed more like an interrogation of supervisors Kevin Kowalick, David Kessler and Robert Burns as well as Zoning Officer Thomas Squires.

The Brady Township supervisors agreed Monday to draft an ordinance to regulate wind energy in the township after a hosting a public forum on the issue. "If every single one of us would go by the old saying 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you,' (it) wouldn't be necessary for any ordinance to ever be drawn up - but life isn't that way," Supervisor Chairman Les Wachob said.

The Gamesa plant in Cambria Township will be idled in what executives call "fits and spurts" starting later this summer. But there will be no layoffs for the approximately 300 workers at the wind-turbine plant. And, although the economy is slow and some energy tax credits have expired, the idle periods are not related.

The developer of a proposed wind turbine project that was again halted by the Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board last month when the board denied requests for eight of 22 turbines has filed an appeal in Fayette County Court asking that the denial be reversed because the company cannot receive a fair and impartial hearing before the zoning board.

An Oregon company that last month received a split decision on its request for special exceptions for 22 wind turbines filed an appeal Wednesday against Fayette County's zoning hearing board. Iberdrola Renewables, formerly known as PPM Atlantic Renewable, claimed it has not "and cannot receive a fair and impartial hearing" before the zoning hearing board.

Twelve miles of underground cable, 15 miles of new road and 35 towers standing more than 260 feet tall will add up to Somerset County's newest wind farm. ...The site, measuring 4,313 acres, will sprawl over three townships: Allegheny, Shade and Stonycreek.

Logan Township supervisors will allow a wind farm developer to build the nation's next-to-tallest wind turbines in Chestnut Flats. Supervisors voted 4-to-1 Thursday night to allow Gamesa Energy to build 19 turbines north of Altoona, making them visible from 17th Street, Mill Run Road, Old Mill Run Road and along Route 36. Because of the vote, the turbines can placed on 335-foot towers, rather than 270 feet as allowed by ordinance.

Much of the Brady Township Supervisors July meeting dealt with the concerns of residents Gary and Sharon Gilmore and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Swope regarding the proposed wind farm in the township. ...Gary Swope said the township cannot write a weak ordinance due to the fear of litigation and Sharon Gilmore added that if the ordinance does not contain restrictions that will protect the health of all residents, litigation could come from residents.

Although the zoning board now has ruled to approve a portion of the proposed wind turbines, recent action by the board of county commissioners would allow a wind power project to start without going before the zoning board. Earlier this month, Commissioners Vincent Zapotosky and Vincent A. Vicites voted to change the zoning ordinance to allow wind turbines as a permitted use in A-1, M-1 light industrial and M-2 heavy industrial zones. Previously, wind turbines were only permitted after obtaining a special exception from the zoning board.

Fayette County's zoning hearing board on Monday issued a split decision on an Oregon company's request for special exceptions for 22 wind turbines, granting 14 of the requests while rejecting eight others. ...The board then denied setback variances and special exceptions that had been requested for eight of the towers, meaning 14 of the towers have all of the required approvals for construction. The company will have to ensure those 14 comply with a number of conditions imposed by the board, including a measure that could shut them down temporarily if the blades kill too many bats.

Fayette County commissioners on Thursday approved an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that eliminates the need for a special exception for wind turbines. ...Prior to yesterday's action, a special exception and approval by the zoning hearing board were required to erect wind turbines on land zoned for agricultural and industrial use.

In a split decision on Thursday, the Fayette County commissioners voted to amend the county zoning ordinance to allow windmills/wind turbines as a permitted use in certain zoning districts, eliminating the need for wind energy companies to seek approval from the zoning hearing board.

The company granted approval this year to construct an electricity-generating wind turbine project in Fayette County when a judge overturned a decision denying the request by the Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board will have to wait a bit longer for the board's ruling. Despite objections from attorneys for the wind turbine company and a landowner participating in the project, the zoning board voted Wednesday to rule on the request within 45 days.

A group of Butler Township residents has challenged a permit issued to a company planning to erect wind turbines along the Broad Mountain that would allow structures higher than the 35-foot limit. During Tuesday's meeting of the Butler Township Board of Supervisors, it was announced that an appeal has been filed to reverse the decision by township Code Enforcement Officer Tom Squires to allow the variance.

The wind, a favorite power source of the green energy movement, seems to be dying down across the United States. And the cause, ironically, may be global warming - the very problem wind power seeks to address. The idea that winds may be slowing is still a speculative one, and scientists disagree whether that is happening. But a first-of-its-kind study suggests that average and peak wind speeds have been noticeably slowing since 1973, especially in the Midwest and the East.

The company proposing to develop a wind turbine farm on Buck Mountain will go before Black Creek Township for approval of its land development plan. The township supervisors accepted preliminary plans at its Tuesday night meeting. Penn Wind LLC of Sunbury wants to construct 22 wind turbines on top of the Buck Mountain ridge.

Wind turbines in Juniata Township sometimes make annoying and atypical noise, but not enough to violate the township's ordinance, a Vermont company has concluded. RSG Inc., which specializes in environment, energy and acoustics studies, has issued a 36-page report determining that noise made by Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm turbines in Juniata Township is less than 45 decibels, the maximum level allowed by ordinance.

A farm of 20 to 30 commercial wind turbines set upon three ridges has been proposed for Bethlehem Water Authority watershed lands in Penn Forest Township. ...Although the project specifications have not been developed, Renz said the company is looking at two wind turbine models. ...These turbines are approximately 260 feet in diameter and 400 feet at the upper reach of the blade.

Fayette County commissioners took public comment Thursday on a proposal to eliminate the need for a special exception for wind turbines, but they did not immediately vote on it. Under the county's zoning ordinance, a special exception and approval by the Zoning Hearing Board is required to erect wind turbines on land zoned for agricultural and industrial use.