News
Clifton planners: No public comment during wind farm meeting
June 13, 2013 by Nok-Noi Ricker in Bangor Daily News
June 13, 2013 by Nok-Noi Ricker in Bangor Daily News
A Superior Court judge has ordered town planners to reconsider two items - tower heights and sound levels - from its October 2011 approval of Pisgah Mountain wind farm, and the local panel decided Wednesday not to allow public comment during the remand process.
Governor to get bill to study changes to way Northern Pass, wind farms are sited
June 13, 2013 by Garry Raymo in New Hampshire Union Leader
June 13, 2013 by Garry Raymo in New Hampshire Union Leader
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, said it is "absolutely essential" to have a study, particularly of projects like Northern Pass and the wind farms proposed around the Newfound Lake area.
"This can't happen fast enough because we don't have good siting criteria," he said.
Also filed under [
New Hampshire]
Windfarm industry fears consequences of Coalition turbine noise policy
June 10, 2013 by Lenore Taylor in The Guardian
June 10, 2013 by Lenore Taylor in The Guardian
The yet-to-be-released resources policy is set to require all windfarms to provide "real-time" noise monitoring, with the findings immediately publicly available, so nearby residents concerned about the alleged health impact of windfarms can compare the results with strict state government noise controls. The Coalition resources spokesman, Ian Macfarlane, will also try to introduce the measures before the election with a private members bill.
Merkel vows to rein in renewable subsidies
June 12, 2013 by Vera Eckert and Madeline Chambers in Reuters
June 12, 2013 by Vera Eckert and Madeline Chambers in Reuters
Merkel's policy to wean Europe's biggest power market off fossil fuels and to embrace renewables has led to a boom in green energy sources, but ballooning costs have led to calls for cuts to feed-in tariffs and for industry to pay more.
"Dealing with the renewable energy reform is the most urgent of the energy topics, in my view."
An agreement announced Monday between Indiana Michigan Power and EDP Renewables North America (EDPR) will result in the construction of a wind farm in Randolph County.
I&M will add 200 megawatts (MW) of wind power to its generation portfolio.
"It was considered that the repair costs and ongoing maintenance issues meant that it was no longer viable and sustainable to keep the turbine.
"However, the council remains committed to sustainable technology, and continues to look at options for the future."
Richmond County and Scotian Windfields have reached a settlement which will allow a plan to build a wind turbine on Isle Madame to go forward.
The project has been in the works for five years, but the county and the company were in a dispute over rezoning for the turbine.
Local expert weighs in on wind farm concerns
June 4, 2013 by Carol Broeder and Shar Porier in Arizona Range News
June 4, 2013 by Carol Broeder and Shar Porier in Arizona Range News
In a March 25 letter to the County Planing and Zoning Commission, the Arizona Department of Game and Fish (AZGF) "states specific concerns and recommendations for birds, bats, and other wildlife in connection with the Red Horse 2 wind energy project, including a recommendation of two years of data collection as part of the site evaluation and pre-construction monitoring," he said.
Baldwin County crafts ordinance that prohibits wind farms
June 11, 2013 by Thyrie Bland in All Alabama
June 11, 2013 by Thyrie Bland in All Alabama
An effort by a Charlottesville, Va., company to put a wind farm in Baldwin County might be coming to a grinding halt.
Vince Jackson, director of the county's Planning and Zoning Department, has crafted an ordinance that would prohibit wind projects like the one APEX Wind Energy has proposed for southern Baldwin County.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Alabama]
The DEP had concerns that the proposed 275-foot wind turbine might exceed sound limit guidelines during the winter. So, the agency recommended three possible actions be taken: The applicant could withdraw its proposal without prejudice; recommend the Zoning Board of Appeals deny the requested special permit for the project; or Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC could implement mitigation measures.
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
Obama memo sets deadlines for transmission ‘corridors'
June 12, 2013 by Hannah Northey in E&E NEWS
June 12, 2013 by Hannah Northey in E&E NEWS
The White House last week set firm deadlines for fast-tracking the construction of new power lines needed to thwart cyberattacks and meet President Obama's goal of doubling renewable electricity generation by 2020.
Also filed under [
Transmission|
USA]
A federal appeals court found last week that it's unconstitutional for Michigan to discriminate against out-of-state renewable electricity - a decision being described as giving a major edge to clean power in the legal fight over the future of the U.S. grid.
Mass CEC releases shadow flicker study results
June 11, 2013 by By Kathryn Gallerani in Wicked Local Kingston
June 11, 2013 by By Kathryn Gallerani in Wicked Local Kingston
Of these 808, according to the results, 188 are expected to realistically receive greater than 10 flicker hours per year and 54 are expected to realistically receive greater than 30 flicker hours per year.
Also filed under [
Shadow flicker|
Massachusetts]
Applause broke out the Fairhaven Town Hall, after the Board of Health voted to shut down the Fairhaven wind turbines from 7 at night until 7 every morning, effective immediately.
The Health Department received over 400 complaints.
Lowell wind towns challenge noise reports, seek hearings
June 11, 2013 by Robin Smith in Orleans County Record
June 11, 2013 by Robin Smith in Orleans County Record
An attorney for the towns of Albany and Craftsbury say that violations in noise limitations from Lowell wind turbines are endangering neighbors' health and creating a public nuisance.
And the towns are asking for more indoor testing to make sure that noise levels inside homes are not higher than allowed.
Tim Yeo stands down from Commons committee chair
June 10, 2013 by Gavin Cordon and James Tapsfield in Belfast Telegraph
June 10, 2013 by Gavin Cordon and James Tapsfield in Belfast Telegraph
Tim Yeo - the Tory MP facing claims he used his position to help business clients - has announced he is to stand down as chairman of an influential Commons committee while he faces investigation into claims.
The former minister said he would be advising members on the Energy and Climate Change Committee that he should temporarily stand aside while the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner carried out his inquiry.
The white shirts were obviously on edge, ready to snap - and they did the next day, on Saturday, during another protest near the site.
Video footage obtained by the Times shows a larger number of white shirts pulling at and dragging protesters away, both near the site and atop the ridge.
Province announces overhaul of FIT program for renewable energy projects; Officials doubt new MOE process will help
June 5, 2013 by Barb McKay in Kincardine Independent
June 5, 2013 by Barb McKay in Kincardine Independent
"It remains to be seen just how, or if, this new direction will have any impact on Pattern and Samsung's project, which already has Feed-in-Tariff approval," Clarke said. "Going forward, if there will be a more inclusive process that engages municipalities, that's fine, but what does it mean for current projects?" ..."The devil will be in the details."
The Fairhaven Board of Health voted unanimously to shut down the town's two wind turbines between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. beginning tonight. ...the board of selectmen also voted to put the turbines' developers on 30 days notice because state testing of the turbines revealed that the turbines not only violated state noise regulation but also violated the contract between developers and the Board of Selectmen.
A new wind energy tax incentive signed into law last week was touted as a way to lure a wind farm worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Nebraska, but that's no sure thing.
The sponsors of the wind bill say the incentive has already drawn the interest of wind energy development companies, but there is no guarantee that the $300 million to $400 million wind farm will come here.