Documents
Category:
General or Europe
Jacques Whitford Stantec, by its successor in interest, Stantec Consulting LTD., filed construction liens in the amount of $242,296.58. A total of 150 landowners were cited in the claim.
Summary of recent research on adverse heath effects of wind turbines
October 20, 2009
by Keith Stelling with additional files from Carmen Krogh
This document provides a useful compilation of recent research pertaining to the impact of wind turbines on human health.
Economic impacts from the promotion of renewable energies: The German experience
September, 2009
by Dr. Manuel Frondel, Nolan Ritter, Prof. Colin Vance, Ph.D. et.al.
Abstract:
The allure of an environmentally benign, abundant, and cost-effective energy source has led an increasing number of industrialized countries to back public financing of renewable energies. Germany’s experience with renewable energy promotion is often cited as a model to be replicated elsewhere, being based on a combination of far-reaching energy and environmental laws that stretch back nearly two decades. This paper critically reviews the current centerpiece of this effort, the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), focusing on its costs and the associated implications for job creation and climate protection. We argue that German renewable energy policy, and in particular the adopted feed-in tariff scheme, has failed to harness the market incentives needed to ensure a viable and cost-effective introduction of renewable energies into the country’s energy portfolio. To the contrary, the government’s support mechanisms have in many respects subverted these incentives, resulting in massive expenditures that show little long-term promise for stimulating the economy, protecting the environment, or increasing energy security. In the case of photovoltaics, Germany’s subsidization regime has reached a level that by far exceeds average wages, with per-worker subsidies as high as 175,000 € (US $ 240,000)
The Bingham County Idaho County Commissioners approved a wind proposal involving the construction of 81 miles of road and erecting 150 wind turbines across more than 17,600 acres of Wolverine Canyon. The area is locally designated as a Natural Resource/Agriculture district which, by definition, does not permit industrial, energy-producing, structures. The Commissioners ruled that since the wind energy facility was a "wind farm" it was therefore an agricultural use and thus permitted. The residents in the area filed an appeal with the courts. This document is one of several responsive briefs filed by the residents.
The U.S. wind industry experienced a banner year in 2008, surpassing even optimistic growth projections from years past. At the same time, the past year has been one of upheaval, with the global financial crisis impacting near-term growth prospects for the wind industry, and with significant federal policy changes enacted to push the industry towards continued aggressive expansion. Dr. Ryan Wiser, and others, prepared this detail analysis of wind development in the United States.
Wind advocates like to say "The wind's always blowing somewhere" to counter concerns about the variability of wind power. This is true, and it means that wind can always be relied on to produce some power, but that does not mean that wind can always meet demand. In the United States' Great Plains wind belt, wind is typically anticorrelated with demand.
Freedomworks submitted a proposal for erect three meteorological towers on North Mountain in the George Washington National Forest. The request was in in early December, however the company's plans were known for about one year ago.
The forest supervisor, Maureen Hyzer denied the request in this April 2 letter. Reasons for the denial were that the request did not comply with the forest management plan and there was no rationale specified for why the use of national forest land was necessary. The complete memo can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.
More than thirty speakers from Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Britain, and the United States presented at an international industrial wind conference entitled, The Landscape Under Attack, held on March 27, 28 in Palermo, Italy. Speakers at the conference confirmed that thousands of massive wind turbines are planned for Italy. In response, leaders in Sicily, Rome, Tuscany, and Calabria met with energy experts throughout Europe and the United States to exchange ideas and agree on principles for protecting both the landscape and the consumer. The conference concluded with the Charter of Palermo, a statement of purpose, which called for an immediate moratorium on wind development, a thorough examination of its costs and benefits, and protection in perpetuity for the landscape's cultural heritage.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Europe]
Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources
March 27, 2009
by Gabriel Calzada Álvarez PhD. et.al.
US President Barack Obama defends his energy subsidy package to invest billions into alternative energy generation by citing examples from Spain, Germany, and Japan. He has pointed to the renewables industry as a way to create new and sustainable jobs during a period of economic downturn. But this recent report prepared by Dr. Gabriel Calzada, an economics professor at Juan Carlos University in Madrid, shows that for Spain the “green employment opportunity” has proven elusive and unsustainable. The executive summary of Dr. Calzada’s report is posted below. The full report can be accessed by selecting one of the links at the bottom of this page.
This open letter to representatives of British Petroleum and Acciona/AES appeared in New York's Watertown Daily Times newspaper in response to questionable business practices by the developers seeking to build wind facilities in Cape Vincent, New York. The full letter can be accessed by clicking on the link below.