Fifteen new letters of opposition were filed on the Ohio Power Siting Board docketing Web site Thursday after a public hearing on the Buckeye Wind case Wednesday night at Triad, during which some 50 people testified on the record about their views for and against the project. Public Utilities Commission of Ohio spokesman Matt Butler said Thursday it will take court reporters some time to complete a transcript of the public hearing and that it could be ready by the end of next week, prior to the start of evidentiary hearings.

Residents from Champaign County and beyond appeared in droves at Triad High School Wednesday evening to either give or hear opinions during a public hearing regarding the proposed Buckeye Wind Project. Upon arriving at the school participants could see the yellow "safe set-backs" signs and even hear blaring through a mounted speaker a recording one opponent had depicting turbine noise. Walking through the front doors individuals easily found themselves inundated with literature from both sides of the issue.

There is a statewide push for increased use of renewable energy in Ohio and efforts to bring one particular kind of energy to Champaign County are blowing in all kinds of controversy. There was a public hearing Wednesday inside Triad High School auditorium for people to express there opinions about the project will be suitable for the area.

A packed auditorium at a public hearing held at Triad High School Wednesday, Oct. 27, represented a community divided over a proposal to build 70 wind turbines across six townships in Champaign County. More than 50 people signed up to testify before representatives of the Ohio Power Siting Board. ...the testimony from dozens of residents who spoke was varied as locals either welcomed Everpower with open arms or told the company to leave Champaign County.

The turbines have inspired spirited opposition in rural Richland and Crawford counties. Karel and Jim Davis, who have lived on a 6-acre plot across from Baird's farm for 35 years, have placed "No Wind Turbine" signs on their front yard on Champion Road. "We don't want our property to feel like an industrial park," said Jim Davis, 65. "But we think they're well-meaning people." Construction for wind turbines is expected to begin in July 2010.

A hearing for a proposed turbine project in Champaign County has been rescheduled for next month, according to documents filed with the Ohio Power Siting Board this week. The adjudicatory hearing for the Buckeye Wind Project was initially scheduled for Oct. 27. It is now scheduled for on Monday, Nov. 9. The hearing will allow parties involved in the project to present testimony to members of the OPSB.

Julie Johnson considers herself in that "backyard," so she is part of a group pushing for better regulation of wind energy. She is concerned that the state will allow the turbines too close to homes. She said local sentiment remains strongly against the project and that people have concerns about safety, noise and potential environmental impact. Some residents thought that the energy produced would be used locally, and that their electricity rates would be cheaper, she said. Those people now understand that isn't the case.

Black Fork Wind Farm turbines may start popping up next year across Richland and Crawford counties, raising uncertainties about taxes and effects on property values. Gary Energetics, an alternative energy company (Denver, Colo.), plans to install 112 Vestas 1.8 megawatt wind turbines, starting in the second half of 2010. The turbines would be at various sites encompassing about 46,000 acres crossing the border of the two counties.

Urbana’s City Council voted unanimously Friday, Oct. 9, to file as an intervenor in a proposed wind turbine project, after concerns were raised that the project could impact approaches at two local airfields. ...Michael Speerschneider, a project developer with Everpower, said the company would work with the airport to alleviate those concerns. He said Everpower will not build a wind turbine that was deemed a hazard by the FAA. Instead, the company will offer to invest in localizer equipment at the airport to resolve the issue.

Cuyahoga County commissioners today rejected proposals to build a wind turbine at the county fairgrounds because the estimates were too expensive. Instead, the commissioners voted to seek proposals for a used, rebuilt turbine, similar to the refurbished machine at the Great Lakes Science Center.

Benton-Carroll-Salem Local School District officials briefed village leaders on tentative plans to install a 100 kilowatt wind turbine on a school property. Village Administrator Robert Pauley said the windmill will be for educational purposes and to save on energy costs.

The Ohio Power Siting Board has rescheduled dates for hearings on the proposed Buckeye Wind Project, as requested by parent company Everpower Renewables after a July 31 OPSB order that required Everpower to file additional financial data, projected population estimates and ecological impact studies as part of the application to install a power-generating facility with 70 turbines scattered over approximately 9,000 acres in Champaign County.

A major project that would dot Champaign County's landscape with wind turbines is moving slowly forward, with public hearings on the proposed sites scheduled for late October. The Buckeye Wind Project is undergoing a review process by the Ohio Power Siting Board. It would include building more than 70 wind turbines across six townships in Champaign County.

Adding 70 wind turbines to the landscape in Champaign County would be the first step toward energy independence, supporters say, but some critics argue the plan could disrupt quality of life. A company called Everpower wants to put the turbines in Union Township, located southeast of Urbana, 10TV's Kevin Landers reported on Tuesday.

North Perry Village voters might decide a proposed citizens referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot to forbid Village Council authorizing a contract or purchase exceeding $250,000 unless local voters approve the expense. ...Orosz said this year's issue revolves around Village Council spending $750,000 for land to join the Perry Joint Development District and agreeing on, but not yet spending an estimated $180,000 to $250,000 for land as a site for a proposed wind turbine.

Within the renewable energy debate is opportunity; the opportunity for communities to utilize their resources not only to address energy efficiency and environmental concerns, but also to stimulate business. According to Avon Lake Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch, there might not be a better opportunity than in Avon Lake. She said she first considered the idea after attending meetings in Cleveland.

Wind turbines won't deface the property proposed for Eaton Corp.'s new headquarters in the Chagrin Highlands. City Council passed deed restrictions Monday, prohibiting the windmills on the site ...City Council is simply following the other property owners who have already taken similar action.

Ever since the passage of Ohio Senate Bill 221 in May of 2008, which requires all utility companies to purchase a portion of their energy from renewable sources, Ohio has been opened up as a new market for wind energy developers. Tuesday night at ONU, JW Great Lakes Wind LLC held a public meeting to discuss their development of a wind farm west of Dola.

Riverstone, which has the world's largest renewable energy private equity fund, is committing $400 million to expand and support the new group's business. Beth O'Brien, spokeswoman for Pattern Energy, said that the purchase is a positive for efforts to bring wind turbines to Logan County. "All of it is great. It just means that we're infused with capital and we're really excited about it," she said.

Solar energy is much easier to determine. Solar isolation maps have been available for years. And solar is far less site-specific than wind. Scheutzow told committee members that the state offers grants for green energy, but it has stipulations. The system must prove it will be effective, efficient and installed by a certified contractor, of which Ohio's Department of Development has a list.