www.windaction.org

Major layoffs coming to Fort Madison plant
September 18, 2012 in KHQA News

The biggest cuts will come in Fort Madison, where 407 workers at a wind turbine blade factory will be out of work. About 220 workers there will be retained. The company blamed difficult market conditions due to lack of congressional action on a wind energy tax credit as well as increased use of natural gas-fired power plants and an overall sluggish economy.

Also filed under [ Iowa| Kansas]

Siemens laying off half its work force in Hutchinson
September 18, 2012 by Emily Behlmann in Wichita Business Journal

Siemens, a German conglomerate, announced Tuesday it is laying off 146 employees at its wind turbine nacelle plant in Hutchinson, leaving just 152 employees there. All told, 615 employees in Siemens' wind power business will lose their jobs. Siemens said the change would primarily affect employees in Iowa, Kansas and Florida.

Also filed under [ Iowa| Kansas]

Sarasota will tap into green energy fund
September 18, 2012 by J. David McSwane in Herald-Tribune

With commissioners Paul Caragiulo and Willie Shaw voting to keep the fund, the board's move sent a strong message that leaders in Sarasota are too broke to gamble on progressive energy efforts. "We need to get realistic," said Commissioner Terry Turner as he presented rough budget projections that show the city could face a $20 million deficit in 10 years.

Year-old wind turbines at Sebastian airport not working; plagued by software glitches, voltage problems
July 17, 2012 by Janet Begley in TC Palm

"We're not happy with the installation so far," said Griffin. "They're only working intermittently but they are under warranty." The two, 20-foot wind turbines adjacent to the new hanger "B" were supposed to generate enough energy from the wind to power security streetlights along Industrial Park Drive at the airport.

Palm Springs cleared in suit over wind farm notification
June 13, 2012 by Jeff Overley in Law360

U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real tossed the final remaining count in Wind Energy's lawsuit, which challenged the city's approval for a proposal from NextEra Energy Resources LLC to repower its 49.5-megawatt wind farm in Riverside County, Calif. - a project about which Wind Energy said it was not sufficiently notified.

FPL still plans to pursue wind power in St. Lucie County
March 30, 2012 by Christin Erazo in TC Palm

Satterlee said the Hutchinson Island project was put on hold while FPL assessed the wind speeds out west. He said while the large wind turbines on the beach were not supported by the public or county commissioners, no one seemed to have a problem with the more inconspicuous 200-foot wind towers.

Windfarm OK'd by county to generate power, jobs in struggling Glades region
March 22, 2012 by Jennifer Sorentrue in Palm Beach Post

Members of environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, pleaded with commissioners to delay the decision, saying more study is needed to determine the project's effect on migratory birds and bats. Others said flatly that the project would decimate Everglades bird populations.

NextEra executive: Florida isn't right for a wind farm
March 22, 2012 by Susan Salisbury in Palm Beach Post

Today, the Palm Beach County Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposed 114-turbine, 200-megawatt Sugarland Wind project that St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group wants to build on 13,000 acres of farmland east of Belle Glade. "If wind made sense in Florida, wouldn't we be proposing wind here ourselves?"

'Wind farm' next to Everglades gets initial go-ahead
March 2, 2012 by Andy Reid in South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"It has to be in the right place," said Jane Graham of Audubon. Building the wind farm without more study of the effect on Everglades birds "equates to gambling with the future of this world-class treasure," she said.

FPL gets green light for wind towers in western St. Lucie County
August 3, 2011 by Eric Pfahler in TCPalm

Florida Power & Light can build meteorological towers to test wind speeds in western St. Lucie County. So can anyone else as long as the towers are not more than 262 feet high and meet other standards set by the county. Whether the winds justify the creation of turbines will be a topic for another day.

FPL's proposed wind towers unopposed at St. Lucie County Commission hearing
July 5, 2011 by Jim Mayfield in TC Palm

FPL is seeking an amendment to the county's land development code that would allow it to build temporary towers not to exceed 200 feet tall to collect wind data, ultimately to determine whether wind turbines would be viable sources of renewable energy in the county's AG-5 zoning district.

Environmentalists want FPL out of Everglades National Park
June 27, 2011 by Laura Edwins in Miami Herald

On Wednesday residents and environmental activists encouraged the National Park Service to purchase the tract of land FPL owns in the Everglades, rather than trading for a parcel further east.

FPL wind towers in western St. Lucie County not creating controversy like turbine proposal
April 30, 2011 by Eric Pfahler in TCPalm

FPL has asked the county for permission to build 200-foot meteorological towers to gather wind data in western St. Lucie County. The data would determine whether there's enough wind to build turbines out west.

St. Lucie County planning board vote advances FPL wind turbine plans
March 17, 2011 by Eric Pfahler in TC Palm

The county's Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended Thursday that county commissioners pass a rule letting people put up 200-foot meteorological towers on land designated as Agricultural-5.

Wind Capital developing Florida's first wind farm
February 18, 2011 by Jeffrey Tomich in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Progress Energy to stop wind turbine research
December 20, 2010 by Heather Sorentrue in Central Florida News

After nearly a year of research, Progress Energy claims wind power just isn't practical here in Florida. ...Progress Energy's research project was supposed to run through the end of 2011, but with the lackluster results they will wrap up in January and write up a report for the state.

Wind power idea has potential but little momentum in Georgia island
December 6, 2010 by Steve Patterson in The Florida Times-Union

When wind-power boosters planned a town hall meeting Thursday in tiny Tybee Island, Ga., they slotted speaking time after the mayor for a manager from a British industry incubator.

Plans to build Florida's first wind farm face long odds
November 3, 2010 in St. Petersburg Times

In June, the company received an 18-month extension on its Hutchinson Island project. It's not pushing for a hearing and has agreed to put its application in abeyance, Martinez said. "While we wait for legislation, we will study the interior opportunities in the county," Martinez said.

FPL not about to blow chance to harness wind power
October 25, 2010 by Susan Salisbury in Palm Beach Post

The company envisioned a $45 million project with six wind turbines as tall as 40-story buildings, at about 400 feet, taller than the Statue of Liberty. The site was FPL land surrounding its nuclear plant. "We didn't want them to ruin our beaches in a place where there is no wind," said Julie Zahniser, founder of the Save St. Lucie Alliance.

Wind mill project generates discussion
August 9, 2009 by Rick Neale in Florida Today

A St. Cloud entrepreneur dreams of building wind turbines and a desalination plant 20 miles off the Port Canaveral shoreline, simultaneously generating electricity and drinking water. Ideally, this cluster of 50 to 100 windmills also would attract a bustling ecological habitat for fishing and diving -- and perhaps even an offshore casino. ...To date, no potential public- or private-sector partners have emerged. Hurley hopes to recruit a team of business leaders.

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