The 500-megawatt Duddon Sands offshore wind farm scheme planned off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, is one of the largest offshore wind farms to get the green light in the UK to date. Comprising up to 139 turbines near Walney Island, the wind farm was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a speech to business leaders at the CBI Scotland's annual dinner last night. ...An industry official said it would take several years to build a wind farm of this scale and that it would require investment of well over £1bn.

Several multi-million dollar projects, most of them dealing with energy production and distribution, are under way or are planned for Atlantic Canada, but they face some formidable financial challenges, the president of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) said yesterday. APEC releases a major projects inventory every year to highlight the most significant ventures in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. This year's inventory lists all projects worth $10 million or more. There are 425 of these projects worth a projected $84 billion.

If you ask the Sewer Commission how they feel about wind turbines, they would probably say, "great", but ask them how they relish the idea of placing such a structure hovering over the sewer plant and you will get a different answer. On August 27 the Commission wrote a four page letter to the Green Committee essentially tearing apart every aspect of the turbine, its placement and its financials. That correspondence outlines how the height of the turbine violates Kingston's own by-laws and places the sewer plant directly under its fall zone "rendering it inoperable for an indefinite period of time.

Theolia SA, the French wind-power company part-owned by General Electric Co., fell after reporting a first-half loss on higher costs and cutting a target for full- year operating profit. Theolia, based in Aix-en-Provence, fell 25 cents, or 1.8 percent, to 13.80 euros in Paris trading, its lowest close since January. The net loss was 25.3 million euros ($36.6 million), compared with a profit of 6.2 million euros a year earlier. The company, which had planned to sell about half its wind- energy capacity, now intends to retain installations to take advantage of higher demand for power from renewable-energy sources.

Despite the political momentum whipping up interest in renewable energy, one wind-power firm was not celebrating on Wednesday. Shares of French wind-energy firm Theolia, which is partly owned by General Electric, dropped 8.6%, or 1.21 euros ($1.74), to 12.84 euros ($18.51), during morning trading in Paris on Wednesday. ... Theolia could usually rely on the sale of wind farms to third parties to rake in cash, but it sold nothing in the first half of 2008; this is primarily because of Theolia's exposure to Germany, where a higher tariff structure set for 2009 gave little incentive for buyers to make deals before then.

T. Boone Pickens' joint right-of-way project has been suspended. Land owners from Roberts County all the way to Jacksboro County, near Dallas, may be getting a new letter from T. Boone Pickens company Mesa Power about acquiring their land. Pickens was proposing to build his own right-of-way that would have included an underground pipeline and an above ground power line. Now his companies have decided to split.

City Council in Conneaut is becoming increasingly skeptical of a proposed agreement that could help transform a large chunk of publicly owned land into a wind turbine farm. Council had plenty of questions Tuesday night regarding an ordinance that would sell 159 acres of the East Conneaut Industrial Park to SGR Site Associates of Willoughby. The lengthy contract, introduced for action last month, apparently is headed for a major overhaul before council gives it serious consideration.

A company that develops wind energy projects will be allowed to put more data-collection devices in northern Mower County, which could lead to a project involving more than 170 wind turbines. The Mower County Board unanimously approved on Tuesday a request from Renewable Energy Systems America for conditional-use permits to install and operate two meteorological towers in Waltham Township, one tower in Sargeant Township and one in Dexter Township.

First Wind, a wind energy company that has pledged $50 million to help buy Molokai Ranch lands, is under investigation on the mainland for allegations of improper dealings with public officials and anti-competitive practices. New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo began investigations in July to find out if the company obtained land-use agreements with residents and public officials through bribes and submitted false statements for permits and during environmental studies.

A fledgling investment group is eyeing the town as a location for a wind power project. Ronald J. Scrudato has talked to town Supervisor Clyde E. Moore and one landowner. He represents an investment firm so young, it's name isn't set yet. But so far, it's called Delfea and it is based in New Jersey. ...The company would offer leases of 50 to 100 years, with up to $5,000 per year per turbine for the property owner, but the compensation would depend on the productivity of the turbine.

The five-member group appointed by the governor in June has been giving the seven bids a "very thorough look" according to member David Farmer, who added that outside experts are being consulted. Fellow group member Saul Kaplan said he expected the group to finish its work by the end of the year. The wind farm proposal could have implications for Block Island - not only because it suggests locations close to the island - but because it also "strongly encourages" the winner of the bid to tie the system into Block Island.

A variety of opinions blew through the air at a public forum here Thursday to discuss one of six wind turbine projects proposed for Prince Edward County. Gilead Power Corp. unveiled more details of its plans to erect up to 12 turbines in an area west of Ostrander Point Road. While some scanning the visuals on display at Crystal Palace said the only thing that seems green about the project is the money the company stands to gain, others came to learn more about a growing industry they believe can benefit the environment.

Representatives for the town of Prattsburgh, the project developer for "First Wind," and many upset landlords will present their cases Friday in front of a State Supreme Court Judge in Bath. The dispute is over controversial votes by the Town Supervisor allowing the town to pursue eminent domain.

Manawatu locals are worried they'll lose the democratic process if Mighty River Power's application to "call-in" the proposed Turitea Wind Farm goes ahead. ...a call-in would see the application heard by either a ministry appointed board of inquiry, or the environment court.

Betts’ Gulf Shore Association waged a bitter battle against Charles Demond’s wind farm project that would have seen between 20 and 27, 100-metre-tall turbines erected between the Gulf Shore Road and the Irishtown Road on the outskirts of Pugwash. The battle that pitted grassroots residents against Demond’s corporation garnered national headlines when Anne Murray entered the fray against the wind farm. ...A petition circulated along the Gulf Shore opposing the wind farm had the support of 80 per cent of the population.

Wind Power engineer and community consultant Ross Richards said this week that the wind farm, named because it would include turbines on the Tuki Trout Farm, had received plenty of interest from land owners keen to be involved. ...residents opposed to the scheme say Wind Power should either put up a planning application for the wind farm, or leave the area in peace. The Spa Country Guardians, a group of residents mostly living within five kilometres of the proposed wind farm, said the issue was dividing the community - and even families.

Consultants recently told the Nauset Regional School Committee that the district will be able to pay off a proposed $2.7 million wind turbine at the high school in less than three years. But others with knowledge in the field say that is way too optimistic. ...Nauset business manager Hans Baumhauer is skeptical. Without knowing the size of the turbine, the height, or cost, he said it is too early to speculate on profit. "I have grave concerns about that number," Baumhauer said of Michelman's estimate.

Contact Energy has filed resource consent applications with the Tararua District Council for a 177-megawatt wind farm southeast of Dannevirke and there may be more wind farms to come on the same hill range. The 65 turbines would each be 150m high 100m at top of the hub and blades of 50m, standard size for modern wind turbines. Such turbines are visible 50km away, though they would appear small at that distance.

Suzlon has picked up another 22.48% stake in REpower Systems, earlier held by Martifer, for 270 million euros. This has taken Suzlon's stake in the company to around 90%, and is line with intentions expressed by the management earlier. REpower has reported a healthy set of numbers for Q1FY09, with revenues of €232mn (up 126%) ... However, while Suzlon has a controlling stake in a global major, analysts have concerns over the order backlog of the aforementioned company itself. Over the past quarters, Suzlon's global peers like Vestas and Nordex, among others, have reported 40-80% increase in their order book. However, Suzlon's order book over the last couple of quarters has declined.