In February, the Board of Supervisors approved changes to the county code in an effort to streamline the permitting process for renewable energy projects. The new mandates require the maximum height of wind turbines on private properties between 2 1/2 to 5 acres to be no more than 80 feet tall. The maximum height for wind turbines on property that is 5 acres or more is 100 feet.

Households that get their power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power could see their electric bills go up between 8.8% and 28.4%, depending on where they live and how much energy they use, under a plan unveiled Monday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Appearing with labor and environmental leaders, Villaraigosa said the proposed increases would ensure that the DWP meets his goal of securing 20% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar by Dec. 31.

Facing enormous costs and fierce opposition from environmental groups, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Wednesday announced that it has dropped plans to build an 85-mile-long "green" power transmission line across desert wilderness preserves and scenic ridgelines. Controversy surrounding the proposed Green Path North Transmission Line had tarnished Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bid to portray himself as the leader of the "cleanest, greenest big city in America."

Block Island could meet most of its electricity needs through clean energy generated by the eight-turbine wind farm proposed for southeast of the island, at reasonable prices usually associated with fossil fuel generation, Deepwater Wind CEO Bill Moore testified to the Pubic Utilities Commission Wednesday. However, that does not factor in the cost of a cable connecting Block Island to the mainland — essential to the viability of the project — or the above-market costs that mainland ratepayers would have to shoulder.

The executive director of the Energy Council of Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization known as TEC-RI that represents 35 of the state's biggest manufacturers, universities and hospitals, testified on Tuesday against an agreement under which Deepwater Wind would sell power generated by the offshore wind farm at more than twice the price National Grid pays for electricity from conventional sources.

Some of Rhode Island's largest users of electricity have come out for the first time in opposition to a proposed power-purchase agreement between National Grid and the developer of an eight-turbine wind farm in waters off Block Island. ..."We have concluded that this contract includes a price that is so high that it more than negates any other potential attractive features."

Landlord Bill Sioulas thought he'd be paying less for hydro after cutting his consumption by almost 20 per cent. ...Expecting big savings, Mr. Sioulas says he was shocked to open his hydro bill and find a skyrocketing provincial fee had eroded the payoff of his conservation efforts.

A group of senators wants to halt stimulus funding for several wind projects regarding concern that the program has subsidized too many jobs overseas. The dispute began after a planned Texas wind farm with substantial Chinese investment announced it would seek a $450 million stimulus tax credit. The developers initially said the project would support 3,000 jobs in China and about 300 in Texas.

The Nebraska Power Association Board of Directors has released the results of a yearlong, statewide study that determined various cost and operational impacts of adding large amounts of wind-powered generation to the state's electric power grid.

A group of Democratic senators may seek to halt stimulus funding for wind-energy projects over concerns that the program is subsidizing jobs overseas. The dispute was prompted by a proposed wind farm in West Texas, whose investors planned to use Chinese-made turbines and seek a $450 million stimulus grant. The senators insist that stimulus funds shouldn't go to projects that get most of their materials from abroad and create "the bulk of their jobs" in other countries.

As intermittent energy such as wind spreads, the grid will need to rely on more expensive thermal generation such as natural-gas peakers to meet demand not met by renewables, according to a February 2010 paper from James Bushnell, director of the UC Energy Institute. What's more, adding large amounts of wind won't reduce the need for thermal generation by that much.

When 11 wind turbines stood idle about a month ago, some in the Minnesota wind industry worried that the machines were generating something other than power -- bad publicity. At a time when wind power is getting federal energy grants, the fear was that people might question taxpayer subsidies and how effective wind energy is ...The stalled machines were giving Minnesota wind energy "a black eye."

A heated national debate is now occurring over whether renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, create a substantial number of jobs for Americans. A controversial analysis recently undertaken by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University alleged that stimulus money intended to bolster the renewable energy industry continues to flow overseas. The analysis also claimed that "while some construction jobs are created when a wind farm is built, they last, on average, nine months."

Since the city joined the 15-municipality agency in October 2008, Ames has paid more than $197,000 toward feasibility studies for a yet-to-be-developed wind farm near Ridgeport in Boone County. Assistant City Manager Sheila Lundt said staff "cringe" at paying about $56,000 more to IAMWind to exit from the agency, but "We just don't want any more financial entanglements than we already have."

An occasional critic of state and federal energy policies, Van Scotter said he doesn't see that help coming anytime soon. He believes that while government pursuit of alternative energy sources is basically worthwhile, wind power is still far too erratic to provide much immediate relief to state industry.

The city has been continuing its fight against a Southern California Edison plan to erect high-voltage towers that would carry wind-generated energy from Kern County through this city. Chino Hills officials are expected to discuss the status of the challenge at a public information meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Bird migration concerns did little to stop the Planning Commission from rubber-stamping a wind turbine for the Walmart distribution center. Two men, whose workplace or property neighbor the center, were the sole opposition present at a meeting Thursday morning, and both said they were worried the wind turbine would interfere with birds attracted to a series of retaining pools that collect on the land.

Federal agencies cut corners and violated environmental laws in approving San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s Sunrise Powerlink, opponents of the big power line claimed yesterday in a lawsuit. They are asking a federal judge in Sacramento to keep construction of the proposed transmission line from the Imperial Valley to San Diego from starting until a new review of the project is completed.

The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound blasted the findings of a recent study which repeats the myth that offshore wind contributes to lower electric rates. "Nothing could be further from the truth," said Audra Parker, president and CEO of Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound. "To repeatedly mislead already overburdened electric ratepayers with the myth of cheap offshore wind is worse than disingenuous; it's a deliberate attempt to hide the true cost to consumers of Cape Wind."

San Bernardino County supervisors approved new height limits for wind turbines Tuesday despite protests from industry advocates who called the rules too restrictive. The limits were adopted as part of a group of land use code changes, including those affecting renewable energy projects. The ordinance reduces the maximum height for wind turbines from 120 feet to 100 feet for parcels larger than 5 acres.