Just days after a group of Tehachapi residents celebrated the collapse of a large windmill project, another group contacted 17 News about another wind project in the works. They say the windmills will destroy the natural beauty of their neighborhood.

The problem is that the City of Tehachapi, like many businesses, is on a Southern California Edison "power savings plan," which involves reduced costs when usage is lowered during peak hours, generally, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Penalty fees can be levied against the city if usage during those hours spikes. ...the turbines draw significant amounts of electricity when being started. This can result in thousands of dollars in added energy costs.

Sixteen species flutter around B.C.'s urban and rural areas in the nighttime hours, but the Environment Ministry is particularly interested in identifying four species of brown bats. ...Bat populations face numerous threats, ranging from forestry and wind-power development-- bats are often found dead around wind turbines.

Lisa Michaud, whose family has launched a $1.5-million lawsuit, claiming negative health impacts have been caused by a wind farm near their Thamesville hobby farm, would welcome studies at her property. She said the health impacts spread to their small goat herd, noting the animals would stand out in all kinds of inclement weather, refusing to go into their shelter.

During the meeting, Terry Wolfgang, an employee with the state Department of Environmental Protection Mine Safety division, asked the BP representatives if they are aware that Robert Rifkin, the landowner, has leased the same land to three or four different entities already - including a lease given for a timbering project, and mining previously done on the south end of the ridge included in the property.

As wind energy discussions within Goodhue County near a resolution this fall, Monday's six-hour meeting of the Planning Advisory Commission revealed tensions have already reached the boiling point. Prior to the start of the regularly scheduled meeting, the PAC spent nearly two hours discussing the county's draft ordinance created by a three-person subcommittee during the past two months.

That meeting was stopped for an hour by wind power opponents protesting action by the board, which has three members who have conflicts of interest with Acciona or BP Alternative Energy, the other wind developer in the town. Ms. Chase had a different version of the minutes that included the topic of the protest and said the board had proceeded with the meeting while the audience was unaware of its actions.

Just 80 of the Blayney Shire's 6,600 residents showed up to a town meeting to discuss the proposed $200 million Flyers Creek wind farm project on Monday night. A majority of the 80 people in attendance are opposed to the wind farm in live in close proximity to where it will operate.

Green Mountain Power, the company proposing the project, had three officials present to answer questions. Those officials took part under pressure with tough questions from the crowd of about 60 gathered in the Irasburg Town Hall.

The total cost of the project, which was brokered in part by the U.S. Renewable Energy Group, an American private equity company, was estimated at $1.5 billion. ...The group's calculations last week put the number of American jobs at a little more than 300 - most of them temporary construction jobs, along with about 30 permanent positions once the wind farm is operating. Mr. McGarr told The Wall Street Journal that more than 2,000 Chinese jobs would be created by the deal. That, along with the fact that the project was hoping to secure 30 percent, or $450 million, of its financing from U.S. stimulus funds, was enough to send tempers flaring.

Tempers flared last night after a wind farm hearing in Northumberland ground to a halt amid threats of legal action against borough planners. More than 200 people had packed Ancroft village hall almost to capacity to hear details of an application for 10 turbines on nearby Moorsyde. The controversial scheme had attracted massive publicity, with hundreds of letters of objection and the authority recommending approval.

Despite efforts to repair wind turbines in Juniata Township, Blair County, they still are generating unbearable noise to some residents. Tempers flared at a Juniata Township supervisors meeting Monday night as residents voiced their frustrations. Supervisors agreed to contract Paul Heishman, a professional engineer, to conduct an independent noise study by Jan. 30, when all repairs are expected to be complete. Babcock and Brown, owners and operators of the turbines in the township and neighboring municipalities, have repaired half of the turbines and will repair the rest by Jan. 30.

Feelings are running high in west Clare over the proposed construction of a €10 million wind farm, amid claims posters opposing the development have been taken down. A new local anti-wind farm action group has taken out an advertisement in a local newspaper appealing to people to desist from removing their posters.

With no discussion and a quick unanimous vote, residents approved a moratorium of 180 days on wind energy facility development to give time for a committee and selectmen to draft an ordinance to regulate commercial wind power development. Currently, no plans for development have been submitted.

Voters will decide on a wind energy moratorium at their March 7 town meeting. The moratorium would give the town time to prepare an ordinance to cover any potential development of wind farm projects. A committee of about a dozen residents formed Monday to discuss how to handle potential future projects in a way that best protects the town.

Tuesday night, the Temple Select Board unanimously agreed to allow Rob and Vivian Nicholl a permit to install a 40-foot Skystream wind turbine on their property.

It became clear to committee members Monday that their first task is to take the time to explore the options, Kimber said Tuesday. Seeking a moratorium on development for the next few months would allow the committee to work "without being under the gun," he said.

Voters at Monday's annual town meeting will consider a request to place a six-month moratorium on any wind-power project in Temple to give the community time to draft an ordinance regulating such facilities.

Without dissent or discussion, town meeting voters Monday night quickly approved a moratorium ordinance that will delay any wind-power project for 180 days.

With no discussion on the issues surrounding wind towers, the board unanimously approved a moratorium on action on all special use permit applications for the construction and operation of commercial electricity-generating wind towers within the county until Dec. 31 or until it takes other action, whichever is earlier.