AES' Laurel Mountain wind energy facility in West Virginia experienced significant bird mortality over the weekend of October 1, 2011. Nearly 500 birds were reportedly killed after lights were left on at the electrical substation associated with the wind project. The deaths occurred due to collisions with the substation and apparent exhaustion as birds caught in the light's glare circled in mass confusion. The incident report of what happened can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 61400-1 for the design of wind turbines does not explicitly address site-specific conditions associated with anomalous atmospheric events or conditions. Examples of off-standard atmospheric conditions include thunderstorm downbursts, hurricanes, tornadoes, low-level jets, etc.

A suit filed against the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) challenged the adequacy of the Agency's Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Coyote Wind energy facility. A portion of the wind energy project would be located on State-owned lands. The court found that there was clear and convincing evidence that the DNRC's decision to issue a lease to Coyote Wind was arbitrary and capricious and not in compliance with the law. The ruling by Judge John C. McKeon can be downloaded by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.

Acoustics expert, Mr. Richard James, filed these comments on behalf of the Protect Our Communities Foundation and Backcountry against Dumps, Inc. as part of their public comments on the BLM EIS/EIR for the proposed Imperial County, Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility. Mr. James' testimony details the major problems with Cadna/SoundPlan and other commercial noise modeling software products based on the ISO 9613-2 noise modeling standard.

The purpose of this Ordinance is to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents and property owners of Caratunk by establishing reasonable and uniform regulations for Wind Energy Facilities (WEFs).

The Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (WA EFSEC) recently recommended approval, with conditions, of 35 turbines as part of the Whistling Ridge wind energy project. Fifty turbines were defined in the original plan submitted to the State. The final adjudicative order can be downloaded through the links at the bottom of the page. Of particular interest, readers are encouraged to reference the concurring opinion filed by the Council's chairman, James Luce, and included in the order. An excerpt of his letter is provided below.

This paper compares the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of individuals residing in the proximity of a wind farm to those residing in a demographically matched area sufficiently displaced from wind turbines. The study employed a nonequivalent comparison group posttest-only design. Self-administered questionnaires, which included the brief version of the World Health Organization quality of life scale, were delivered to residents in two adjacent areas in semirural New Zealand. ...Those exposed to turbine noise also reported significantly lower sleep quality, and rated their environment as less restful. The data suggest that wind farm noise can negatively impact facets of HRQOL.

Travis Air Force Base midair collision avoidance pamphlets (MACA) from 2007 and 2011. The 2011 pamphlet was amended to address the impact of spinning turbine blades on radar. Both pamphlets can be downloaded by clicking on the links below. The third 1-page document shown below is taken from the 2011 MACA.

Wind turbines emit low frequency noise (LFN) and large turbines generally generate more LFN than small turbines. The dominant source of LFN is the interaction between incoming turbulence and the blades. Measurements suggest that indoor levels of LFN in dwellings typically are within recommended guideline values, provided that the outdoor level does not exceed corresponding guidelines for facade exposure. Three cross-sectional questionnaire studies show that annoyance from wind turbine noise is related to the immission level, but several explanations other than low frequency noise are probable. A statistically significant association between noise levels and self-reported sleep disturbance was found in two of the three studies.

Dr. Michaels' testimony before Congress concerning the economics that underlies H.R. 2915, and the consequences of repealing the Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA) $3.25 billion borrowing authority under The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. His testimony explains the realities of renewables as a source of job creation.