www.windaction.org

Renewed push at State House for a moratorium on wind farms
March 24, 2013 by Ben Leibsdorf in Concord Monitor

"Some breathing room is what everybody is asking for, and a chance to have an independent study of the SEC and its processes and to perhaps recommend ways it could become more efficient, more sensitive to the voices of the people most impacted," Tuthill said. "You can back off take a year, and see what's happening."

Also filed under [ New Hampshire]

Wind turbines face opposition in Falmouth and across the state
March 24, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger

The turbine backlash has prompted some local communities to proceed more cautiously when considering wind turbine projects. In recent years, turbine proposals have been tossed around in Plymouth, Weymouth, Quincy, Milton, Marshfield, Norwell and Cohasset. Some of these plans have been met with resistance or been ruled out altogether.

Also filed under [ Massachusetts]

German energy company hits headwinds in India
March 24, 2013 by Jack Ewing and Vikas Bajaj in New York Times

With Japan’s crisis raising new questions about nuclear power, this might seem an ideal time for a company that is a global leader in alternative energy and has a big presence in an energy-starved country, India. But for Enercon of Germany, one of the world’s biggest makers of wind turbines, India is shaping up as a disaster.

Also filed under [ Zoning/Planning| Germany]

Urbana plans challenge to wind farm change
March 23, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun

The amendment filed by Buckeye this week asks the state to allow changes to its wind farm permit, including moving the site of three construction staging areas and relocating about six miles of power lines onto leased private property. But city officials in Urbana are concerned that one of the proposed construction sites would hurt a plan to extend a sewer line.

Also filed under [ Ohio]

Cape Vincent bloggers ask that defamation suit be dismissed
March 22, 2013 by Brian Kelly in Watertown Daily News

State Supreme Court Judge James P. McClusky is expected to decide next month whether a defamation suit against two Cape Vincent bloggers should proceed or be dismissed. Richard C. Wiley Sr., author of a blog at jeffersonleaningleft.blogspot.com, and Kathryn A. Hludzenski, author of pandorasboxofrocks.blogspot.com, were sued in July by several longtime Cape Vincent residents who are proponents of a wind farm development in the town.

Also filed under [ New York]

Poll finds Californians divided over value of strict environmental laws
March 22, 2013 by Timm Herdt in Ventura County Star

Forty-nine percent of all adults said the laws are worth the cost, and 45 percent said they hurt the economy. Among likely voters, however, the results were nearly reversed, with 49 percent saying they hurt the economy and 46 percent saying they are worth the cost.

Also filed under [ California]

Future of wind farms uncertain in Wisconsin
March 21, 2013 by Kyle Daly in Appleton Post-Crescent

Michael Vickerman, policy and program director for RENEW Wisconsin, isn't sure which direction the air will blow for Wisconsin wind farms in the years to come. "The future is pretty cloudy," Vickerman said.

Also filed under [ Wisconsin]

Maine DEP concerned by state board's overturning of department wind power project denial
March 21, 2013 by Samantha Warren in Maine DEP

"My predecessor picked wind as the energy favorite, and that came at a high price for Maine people and our state's natural resources and outdoor heritage," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "While the initial-and largely taxpayer funded-investment in wind-power projects may be attractive to some, one-of-a-kind views like the ones from Saponac Pond have great value, and are long-term drivers of Maine's tourism and natural resource-based economy.

Also filed under [ Maine]

Citizen board overturns DEP rejection of wind power project
March 21, 2013 by Christopher Cousins in Bangor Daily News

"Today's decision has the potential to control the future of wind development in Maine. Turbines have the potential to impact every landscape in which they're built. The impact of the turbine would be adverse, no question. But the question is this: Is the impact unreasonably adverse?"

Also filed under [ Maine]

Solar pain hits China as Suntech unit nears insolvency
March 21, 2013 by Sui-Lee Wee and Swetha Gopinath in Reuters

A group of eight Chinese banks had filed a petition for insolvency and restructuring of Suntech's principal Chinese operating subsidiary, Wuxi Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. "Wuxi Suntech today notified the Court that it will not file an objection against the petition."

Hurdles dim solar projects
March 21, 2013 by Patrick Cassidy in Cape Cod Times

Since then, that figure has been slashed to 24 megawatts on 23 sites. Projects have been eliminated or delayed because of problems with roofs, concerns over clear-cutting and a complicated approval process to connect to the grid or to locate panels on land used for other purposes.

Also filed under [ Massachusetts]

Communities ‘bullied' over wind schemes
March 21, 2013 by Victoria Prest in Ripon Gazette

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton, spoke of his worries about the "false economy" created by heavy subsidies for farms. "We are not being honest about the economics of wind farm investment. "The more I look into the economics of wind energy the more I am concerned."

Also filed under [ UK]

State board to rule on Passadumkeag Mountain wind project appeal
March 20, 2013 by Nick Sambides Jr. in Bangor Daily News

The Board of Environmental Protection will hear appeals filed by Passadumkeag Windpark LLC and landowner Penobscot Forest LLC. They are appealing Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Patricia Aho's rejection of the plan to build a 14-turbine site on the mountain.

Also filed under [ Maine]

Vestas opposes investor call for probe into accounting change
March 20, 2013 by Alex Morales in Reuters

Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS), the unprofitable Danish wind turbine maker, is fighting an attempt by investors to probe a change in its accounting policy that they say damaged the company's share price.

Also filed under [ Denmark]

Wind farm plan splits King Island
March 20, 2013 by Shannon Twomey in Stock & Land

A large scale wind farm proposed for the tiny Tasmanian island of King Island is dividing the local community. Hydro Tasmania is proposing to build a 600-megawatt which is expected to take up at least 12 to 15 per cent of the island.

Also filed under [ Australia / New Zealand]

New date set for Chokecherry state permit
March 20, 2013 by Kate Snyder in Rawlins Times

PCW originally planned to file the application on Jan. 21, but decided to wait to apply to see what would happen with Senate File 49, which, if passed, would have required projects requesting a permit from the ISC to spend 25 percent of anticipated project funds during the first two years of the project.

Also filed under [ USA| Wyoming]

Board to decide wind farm fate; Tipton will hear permit arguments tonight
March 20, 2013 by Ken de la Bastide in Kokomo Tribune

After months of discussion and debate, the Tipton County Board of Zoning Appeals will decide whether to issue a conditional use permit for the proposed Prairie Breeze Wind Farm. Developer juwi Wind is proposing a $300 million development to place 94 wind turbines in Prairie and Liberty townships in northwestern Tipton County.

Also filed under [ Indiana]

Fillmore County wind project seeks to have permit extended
March 20, 2013 by Brett Boese in Post Bulletin

The most significant blow to the project may have been delivered last week, when PUC staff filed briefing papers. Staff recommended that the commission deny the requested amendments or table the request, require an avian and bat protection plan to be created and - perhaps most importantly - initiate potential revocation proceedings "since the permittee has not commenced construction."

Also filed under [ Minnesota]

Energy bill splits environmentalists over role of Act 250
March 19, 2013 by John Dillon in VPR News

John Ewing, a former chairman of the state environmental board, says the issue has badly divided environmentalists. He supports the Senate bill. ...If there were "a more adequate environmental review and the impact on aesthetics that Act 250 provides, and opportunity for citizen participation that Act 250 provides, that would make a big difference and I think a lot of the conflicts that we see now and the gridlock would go away if we had a proper process," Ewing said.

Also filed under [ Vermont]

Cape Wind construction could begin off Massachusetts coast by year-end
March 19, 2013 by Scott DiSavino in Reuters

BTMU is providing a significant amount of debt capital that will be used to pay for development and construction of the project, Cape Wind said. The company could not say how much BTMU was expected to raise.

Also filed under [ USA| Massachusetts]

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