www.windaction.org

Request for wind turbine grounded in Lampasas
April 29, 2013 by Brenda Young in Killeen Daily Herald

Robert Guptill had the wind blown out of his sails earlier this month when the City Council turned down his request for a specific use permit to allow a wind turbine on his property. Guptill has tried for four years to get the council's approval for the project, which was rejected because of its height. At 43 feet, it's eight feet higher than the city ordinance allows.

Also filed under [ General]

Research documents Lesser Prairie Chickens
March 26, 2013 in Texas Tech University

"What people need to understand is that it's not just prairie chickens. It's really the inter-connectedness of these biotic communities," Boal said. "When we have indicators like a prairie chicken, and there's something going wrong, that's an indication of that biotic community as a whole. We need to think about, ‘what is the world we want to live in?'

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA]

Wind turbines violate City of Canyon ordinance
March 8, 2013 by Mari Samarripas in KVII-TV

"In 2009, we passed an ordinance that stated, wind energy turbines would only be allowed in commercial and industrial districts," said Danny Cornelius Canyon Code Enforcer Director. Even then, a specific use permit must be approved by the planning and zoning and city commission.

Also filed under [ Impact on Landscape| Impact on Views]

Texas Legislature: Gas takes wind from turbines' sails; Wind power fights to keep legislative edge
March 3, 2013 by Matthew Waller in San Angelo Standard Times

On Thursday conservative representative State Rep. Scott Sanford, R-McKinney, filed legislation to remove a signature weapon from the wind energy arsenal. ...Wind power already generates almost 10,000 megawatts, but taking away the mandate to create energy would hurt the renewable energy credit trading system in place, Clark said.

Also filed under [ General]

Texas' wind industry battens down
February 14, 2013 by Kate Galbraith in The Texas Tribune

As the session progresses, renewable energy advocates are bracing to defend critical policies that have helped Texas become the leading wind-power state. The ascendancy of the Tea Party, an abundance of cheap natural gas and tighter budgets have reduced the sway of the wind industry. Solar power advocates anticipate limited gains at best.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| Energy Policy]

Industry works to avoid listing of prairie grouse
February 12, 2013 by Associated Press in The Daily Times

Oil, gas and wind energy producers are working to persuade federal wildlife officials not to enact protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a move that could force them to halt or significantly alter their operations to protect the species' dwindling grassland habitat.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA]

Winds of uncertainty still blowing through Texas turbines
January 26, 2013 by Bill Hanna in Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"The PTC [production tax credit] is helping projects that are ready to go, that are shovel-ready, but the thing that is hurting the industry is really low gas prices that make it fairly hard to obtain financing," said Jimmy Horn of Horn Wind Energy.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies]

Wind industry secures tax credit, but damage may be done
January 4, 2013 in KERA News

The wind energy industry is dependent on something even more unpredictable than wind: Congress. Hidden in the turmoil over the "fiscal cliff" compromise was a tax credit for wind energy.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Wind energy credit extension brings little certainty for wind industry
January 2, 2013 by Adam D. Young in Lubbock Avalanche Journal

Sweetwater Mayor Greg Wortham, executive director of the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse, said he was unimpressed by the one-year extension of the tax credit. He estimated 40,000 wind energy jobs have been lost as companies have halted production, not put up turbines across the state and wait to see what Congress does with the tax credit.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies]

Environmentalists criticize federally backed Texas offshore wind project
December 14, 2012 by Simone Sebastian in Fuel Fix

In a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers in May, a top Texas Parks and Wildlife official said his agency had serious concerns about the project. "Numerous federal and state-listed threatened and endangered species and species of concern have been documented within or near the proposed corridors within which transmission lines would be constructed."

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| USA]

E.ON Sells Half of U.S. Wind Parks to PensionDanmark
October 8, 2012 by Peter Levring in Bloomberg News

EON AG agreed to sell a 50 percent stake in three U.S. wind farms to Danish pension fund PensionDanmark as Germany's biggest utility seeks to free up capital. ..."The return is very similar to what we can get on listed equities, though with a very limited downside risk," thanks to fixed prices negotiated on the power generated by the turbines over the next 15 years."

Also filed under [ General| USA| Pennsylvania]

South Texas wind farm developers cautious as tax credit expires
September 30, 2012 by Mark Collette in Corpus Christi Caller

Expiration of the credit would have a significant impact on development of about 80 turbines near Petronila in Nueces County, said Patrick Woodson, chief operating officer for Germany-based E.On Climate & Renewables in North America. The company wants to build in 2013.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Wind power doesn't blow Austin away
September 25, 2012 by Bettie Cross in KEYE TV

If you're looking for an eco-friendly way to cut your utility bills, wind power may not be it. While residential wind turbines are flooding the retail market, folks who live in Austin need to think hard before making the investment.

Also filed under [ General]

Texas wind boom threatened by expiring tax credit
September 14, 2012 by Kate Galbraith in Texas Tribune

Some wind experts think the credit extension will ultimately pass Congress, albeit after the November election ...others do not, and the industry is left to bemoan the difficulty of long-term planning. A one-year extension could mean the wrangling resumes next year. Hornaday said that Texas could benefit more than other states from a one-year extension because there are fewer rules here, making wind farms easier to build.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Job outlook unclear for DMI workers; Dallas-based firm buys plant for $20M
September 7, 2012 by Marino Eccher in INFORUM

The prospect of the sale was first announced last month, when Otter Tail said it had a nonbinding letter of interest to sell DMI. The company said the economics of the wind power industry and expiring tax credits were hurting demand for turbines.

Also filed under [ General| Oklahoma]

Two Nueces County school districts oppose wind farms
September 7, 2012 by Mark Collette in Corpus Christi Caller

The governing boards of the London and Bishop districts each unanimously approved the measures, saying industrial-scale wind turbines are unsightly, devalue surrounding property, create noise and affect wildlife and livestock. The resolutions come as E.On Climate & Renewables hopes to begin construction on its 80-turbine farm near Petronila in 2013.

Also filed under [ General]

Renewable incentives spark debate at Texas hearing
September 7, 2012 by Kate Galbraith in Texas Tribune

"Federal incentives for renewable energy, I believe, have distorted the competitive wholesale market" on the Texas grid, Nelson told the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Nelson said she believes those distortions are "one of the primary causes" of the current strains on the grid, and added: "I think we all need to move with extreme caution before adopting any additional incentives or mandates."

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| Energy Policy]

Gulf turbine plan sparks wildlife debate
July 29, 2012 by Colin McDonald in San Antonio Express-News

"Construction of the proposed North Rio Grande and Rio Grande offshore wind energy development sites in South Texas would result in a nearly contiguous string of wind energy developments within a 35-mile wide corridor from San Patricio County southward to Cameron County," wrote Ross Melinchuk, deputy executive director of natural resources at TPWD.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife]

Wind energy industry faces stiff headwind; Projects race against deadline for tax credit
July 15, 2012 by Kevin Welch in Amarillo Globe-News

Two large wind energy projects in the Texas Panhandle are racing against a looming Dec. 31 deadline when a critical federal tax credit expires, threatening to toss an already tumbling industry into freefall. Project leaders are confident about the immediate future, but they and the companies that build the components used in wind farms are worried about next year.

Also filed under [ General| USA]

Potential loss of tax credit becalms wind industry
July 11, 2012 by Simone Sebastian in Houston Chronicle

Many supporters are optimistic that the credit will be renewed, but doubt it will happen before the November election. And a last-minute deal probably won't prevent mass casualties for the U.S. wind power business. "Most of the damage has already been done," said Matt DaPrato, senior analyst for IHS Emerging Energy Research. "There's going to be a big drop-off in 2013 either way."

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]