Ben Hoen, Dr. Ryan Wiser, and others conducted a national study to determine the impact of industrial-scale wind turbines on nearby property values. The preliminary conclusions of the report were announced in 2007, however, no report has been released. Windaction.org had an opportunity to review the study's methodology and provide comments to Hoen and Wiser. Our comments can be accessed by downloading the file at the bottom of this page.

On March 27, 2009, the residents of Mars Hill living within 3600 feet of First Wind's wind energy facility filed a civil complaint in Maine Superior Court seeking relief from the "significant harm" caused by the First Wind and others by the construction and operation of the site. The full complaint can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

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.

In this Article, the authors survey the green jobs literature, analyze its assumptions, and show how the special interest groups promoting the idea of green jobs have embedded dubious assumptions and techniques within their analyses. Before undertaking efforts to restructure and possibly impoverish our society, careful analysis and informed public debate about these assumptions and prescriptions are necessary.

This report was prepared for a presentation given at the South Plains Agriculture Wind & Wildlife Conference in Lubbock, Texas on February 13, 2009. The findings and conclusions contained herein are the exclusive property of Gardner Appraisal Group, Inc., and cannot be re-produced without the express written permission of Gardner Appraisal Group, Inc. Windaction.org wishes to thank Mr. Derry T. Gardner for kindly granting us permission to post his presentation to the www.windaction.org website. To access the document, click on the link at the bottom of this page.

Denmark adopted this policy in 2008-2009 which requires developers to pay compensation for loss of value of real property following the erection of the wind turbine. A summary of the policy is cited below. The policy document detailing the process of determining loss and compensation can be accessed by downloading the file linked to this page. This information was obtained from the Danish Energy Agency website.

Chris Luxemburger is a real estate broker, director of the Brampton Real Estate Board and the Chairperson of the Real Estate By-Laws Committee in Ontario, Canada. In his survey of the three-year sales records for the Melancthon Wind Plant and surrounding area, Luxemburger found significant differences among 600 properties within and beyond three nautical miles of the plant. Those in proximity to wind turbines had either a higher rate of non-sale (11% vs. 3%) or took twice as long to sell. He summarizes his findings in this presentation.

Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens is on a mission, and wants you to support his energy plan away from imported oil and towards natural gas and wind power. But commentator Will Wilkinson says to be wary of what you hear.