Ocean County could lose nearly $400 million in tourism revenues if a pilot project with wind turbines is placed 3 nautical miles off its coast, a new state-funded study says. But a wind farm farther offshore would have a much lower impact and would have a minimal economic impact overall if it were built off Ocean, Atlantic or Cape May counties. It could have a positive effect in some cases, according to the study by Global Insight, hired by the now-defunct New Jersey Commerce Commission. A project with dozens of wind turbines could be operating from 3 to 20 nautical miles off the coastline, from Seaside Park to Stone Harbor, in 2012. But most current proposals are for wind farms 8 to 18 miles off Atlantic or Cape May counties.

Giant wind generators planned in the centre of The Weaver Valley could cost the region's tourism trade millions in lost revenue - say objectors. The cluster of four 410ft high turbines, which are 100ft taller than Big Ben and would even dwarf the Fiddlers Ferry Cooling Tower, would be amongst the tallest in the UK. ... Mike Cooksley, chairman of tourism organisation Visit Chester and Cheshire ...said: "Regional parks should be protected, developed and enjoyed by both visitors and residents. "The countryside of Cheshire is epitomised by this site and is seen by many as the antidote to urbanisation and relief from city life."

Town council should be cautious in approving locations for wind turbine projects until important natural features have been assessed, says Phil Roberts of the municipal environmental advisory committee. ..."You need to exercise caution," said Roberts. "There's a big learning curve in all of this." He said the county's eco-tourism market -- based largely on the bird and hawk migrations -- has to be kept in mind as wind turbines are sited.

A spokesman for the residents' group, Peter Russell-Clarke, says the wind farms are inefficient and will ruin the landscape. He says tourism will also be affected. "A lot of the people in the McHarg range area were putting up B&Bs well those that started have now stopped and those that we're going to apply are now not going to apply," he said.

Earlier this year, the council decided to seek a full judicial review against the Secretary of State's decision to grant planning permission for a 66-megawatt wind farm at Fullabrook Down. The decision followed a Public Inquiry held between November 2006 and January 2007. During the Inquiry, the council argued strongly that the impact the development would have on the local landscape, the lives of those living in the area, the attractiveness of the area to visitors and local tourism far outweighed any benefits. It is challenging the Secretary of State's decision on landscape, noise and policy grounds.

On June 4, 2008, the Minister of Tourism confirmed the province's approval for the Wolfe Island Wind Project. Premier Dalton McGuinty asked the Minister to step in when the Environment Minister declared a conflict-of-interest on May 29, 2008. Controversy over the Wolfe Island Wind Project centres on the location of a handful of the 86-wind turbines that Canadian Renewable Energy Corporation hopes to build on the island later this year.

Raglan anti-wind farm activists feel vindicated by new Scottish research which suggests such projects tend to blow tourists away to more unspoilt locations. That's the same conclusion Raglan market research company Customer Value Management New Zealand reached with its own controversial survey, which was used in evidence to counter Wel Networks' application to build a 28-turbine wind farm at Te Uku. But Wel Networks says it is difficult to compare the Scottish situation with Raglan because of significant differences, particularly location. ...Scottish newspapers concluded wind farms could cost the tourism industry millions of pounds and hundreds of lost jobs in a "worst case scenario".

Wind farms could cost the Scottish tourism industry millions of pounds and hundreds of lost jobs in a "worst case scenario", a report warned yesterday. The findings came in research that found wind farms had the potential for hitting jobs in tourism. The research was commissioned by the Scottish Government from Glasgow Caledonian University to assess what effect official priorities for wind farms were likely to have on tourism, for good or ill. Four areas were studied - the Borders; Caithness and Sutherland; Dumfries and Galloway, and Stirling, Perth and Kinross. For each area, the researchers estimated the likely impact on the tourism economy by 2015 of all the wind farms needed to meet the renewables obligation, compared to a situation where there were no wind farms.

They learned that Brookfield could not agree to arrange scheduled bus tours of the wind farm, as outlined in the township's 2006 strategic plan, as bus tours would entail getting consent from all owners of private properties the buses would travel over, Lacourciere said. However, Brookfield has shown interest in the building of a viewing platform/ interpretive site, "where you can see multiple windmills and possibly a view of the lake," she added. "Both Brookfield and Tourism Sault Ste. Marie are committed to investing time to start that project, but no money has yet been officially invested.

Mr Gallagher's research underpinned by interviews with 85 tourists, selected at random on Raglan streets in January and February suggests visitor numbers would plunge from the current upward trend into decline, with most accommodation providers, tourism activities or attractions hit by the wind farm. ...The company found Raglan would go from a position of having "net word-of-mouth" of 75 per cent positive feedback from visitors to having a net word-of-mouth of 84 per cent negative. "In other words visitors would tell their friends to stay away.

Plans for two large windfarms in rural Denbighshire were yesterday snubbed by officials - despite Parliamentary orders to increase renewable energy production across the UK. Among the reasons cited were fears the removal of trees might lead to flooding, noise pollution and a possible adverse effect on tourism. Denbighshire councillors were advised by their own planners to give the green light to two windfarms totalling 29 turbines. But the county snubbed both plans - and went firmly against their officers' advice. The decision comes despite the same committee agreeing last year there should be windfarms on the exact same spot. ..."This sends a very clear message to the Assembly and to Westminster that local politicians want to determine local planning decisions made on local issues, and not be dictated to from elsewhere. "However, residents are very aware this is unlikely to be the end of the matter."

St. Lucie County's John Brooks Park and Frederick Douglass Park are beaches people usually go to relax and enjoy nature. Each public facility is set aside for conservation and recreation, but an ill wind has blown in a new swell of controversy for local surfers - and it's not red tide. It's Florida Power & Light's "Winds of Change" initiative to build nine commercial wind generators along St. Lucie County's remaining desolate beaches that has them all riled up. Standing roughly 412 feet tall, each white cylindrical turbine is almost 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and requires an impact zone of one acre. ..."As far as Surfrider goes, these wind turbines should not be built on land that is set aside for conservation and recreation," said Andy Brady, Fort Pierce surfer and chairman of the Surfrider Foundation's Treasure Coast Chapter. "We're all for alternative energy, but not on public land."

Plans for two separate wind farms visible from Exmoor have come up against another hurdle. Campaign group Open Spaces Society has launched objections to the projects, stating they would have a negative impact on the feel of the moor. The two projects are the Three Moors scheme at Knowstone, North Devon, where the company Airtricity Developments hopes to erect nine turbines, and Bickham Moor, near Oakford, Mid Devon, where Coronation Power want to erect four. Kate Ashbrook, Open Spaces Society's general secretary said: "We are dismayed that the wind-energy companies keep applying to erect turbines in this part of North Devon. There are already two outstanding applications nearby, at Batsworthy Cross and Cross Moor."

Greenhouse gas emissions generated by visitors air travel to New Zealand are far greater than commonly quoted, according to new research by University of Otago scientists. Physics researchers Dr Inga Smith and Dr Craig Rodger say their findings on the sheer size of the emissions and difficulties in offsetting them have far-reaching implications for both the tourism industry and efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. ...The researchers then went on to evaluate the feasibility of potential measures to offset the emissions to make the visitors travel carbon-neutral. We investigated several domestically-based offsetting scenarios involving either increased reliance on sustainable energy sources or reducing emissions. Unfortunately, none of the scenarios currently appear to be economically or technically feasible, Dr Smith says.

North Devon District Council wants a judicial review of plans for 22 turbines at Fullabrook Down. If the case goes ahead, the High Court could overturn the plans by Devon Wind Power. The plans were agreed by Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks, but the council says the impact on the area and local people outweigh any benefits. ...Council leader Mike Harrison said the authority had taken legal advice and it had a chance of winning its case. He said: "These are massive turbines and it will have a huge impact on the landscape. "It will affect people living nearby and the tourism industry."

Installing renewable energy is economically viable for tourist accommodation despite being considered too expensive and inefficient, according to the first Australian study of renewable energy in tourism accommodation. ...Dr Dalton found 50 percent of tourists were willing to pay at least five percent more to stay at a hotel with renewable energy but the other half, were not willing to pay any more. ...He found most types of renewable energy installations near a hotel were visually acceptable, with the exception of some wind turbines. ..."Wind seems to be a political hotcake that no one really seems willing to address and as a result doesn't seem to be promoted," he said.

A Pennsylvania company is asking the O'Malley administration for leases in two Western Maryland state forests so it can clear up to 400 mountaintop acres to build about 100 wind turbines. The U.S. Wind Force structures would be about 40 stories tall and visible from some of the region's most popular tourist areas, including Deep Creek Lake and the Savage River Reservoir. ...Dan Boone, a former state wildlife biologist who has been fighting wind farms in Western Maryland, said the Savage River and Potomac state forests contain rare old-growth trees and threatened species. "You are talking about taking one of the most spectacular scenic overlooks in Maryland and industrializing it," Boone said of a proposed site on Meadow Mountain in the Savage River forest. "It would be a real tragedy to take state lands and convert them into an industrial theme park for U.S. Wind Force."

THE tiny Greek island of Serifos, a popular tourist destination, depends on its postcard views of sandy beaches, Cycladic homes and sunsets that blend sea and sky into a clean wash of color. So when a mining and energy company floated a plan earlier this year to build 87 industrial wind turbines on more than a third of the island, the Serifos mayor, Angeliki Synodinou, called it her "worst nightmare."..."These are not just one or two turbines spinning majestically in the blue sky and billowing clouds," said Lisa Linowes, executive director of Industrial Wind Action Group, an international advocacy group based in New Hampshire that opposes wind farms.

Spencer Jones normally spends his day behind a desk in Garland. This weekend he's visiting Fredericksburg and the hill country. "One of the things I wanted to do was see this place," he said. He's referring to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.The giant granite dome attracts a quarter of a million visitors a year, many hike the trail to the summit. ...Robert Weatherford is the president of Save Our Scenic Hill Country, a group of land owners working to keep wind farms out of the area. "You will literally be able to see them for miles. So we do think that it would destroy the scenic beauty of the Texas hill country," Weatherford said.

Thirteen giant wind turbines will soon be towering over valley homes and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Neath Port Talbot Council has approved controversial plans for a wind farm at Maesgwyn, between Banwen and Glynneath. ...There were 45 objections sent in by residents, and concerns were also raised at public meetings, as well as by ward councillors. The main source of grievance was the impact the turbines would have on the area's countryside, as well as on tourism.