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Feds give wind farm a pass if turbine blades kill endangered condors
May 24, 2013 by Louis Sahagun in Los Angeles Times
May 24, 2013 by Louis Sahagun in Los Angeles Times
In granting a right-of-way, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, with approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will shield Alta Windpower Development from prosecution if a condor is fatally injured at its 2,300-acre site near the high-desert town of Mojave during the projected 30-year lifetime of the project.
Robert Arthur Reed, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty in federal court in Casper to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Four other co-defendants have entered earlier guilty pleas. ...An indictment alleges that they hired phone solicitors to make cold calls to investors, urging them to invest in wind farms by falsely claiming they were being constructed jointly by private investors and the U.S. government.
The overall direction of the market, however, has been down. You can get a sense of the amount of money that has been lost by investors from the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, which tracks the performance of publicly traded green energy stocks ranging from solar and wind to rare earth minerals and water companies. The market value of the companies in the index has fallen from a peak level of $231 billion in late December 2007 to about $108 billion today, a decline of 53 percent.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
USA]
A new hurdle for wind farm? Opponents want higher bar for approval
May 21, 2013 by David Giuliani in Sauk Valley News
May 21, 2013 by David Giuliani in Sauk Valley News
On Friday, Rockford attorney Rick Porter, who is representing Hamilton Township, informed Lee County of the township board's Dec. 11 decision to file an objection to the wind farm, known as the Green River project. ...By Porter's reading of the law, the township's written objection now means the project needs a three-fourths County Board majority for passage.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Illinois]
According to the project's final EIS, the geographic limits of the Grand Canyon condor population as determined by FWS overlap the project's proposed footprint. Condor can fly up to 160 miles a day in searching for food, and the Grand Canyon "experimental" population is well within that range of the Mohave County Wind Farm.
Can wind turbines make you sick? No easy answers as turbines pop up around the world
May 17, 2013 in Latitude News
May 17, 2013 in Latitude News
After years of complaints about noise and health effects, on May 21, 2013 residents of Falmouth, MA will vote on whether or not to tear down both of the town's wind turbines.
Windy debates: Each Indiana county has a different wind farm standard.
May 17, 2013 by Ken de la Bastide in Kokomo Tribune
May 17, 2013 by Ken de la Bastide in Kokomo Tribune
Residents in Howard County have recently begun urging the commissioners to change the setback requirements. Wind farm opponents are seeking a setback of 4,921 feet from non-participating property lines.
The Tipton County Board of Zoning Appeals approved the proposed Prairie Breeze Wind Farm planned by juwi Wind with the requirement of a 1,500-foot setback from property lines.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Indiana]
Siemens blade crashes at Ocotillo Wind Farm
May 17, 2013 by Mark DelFranco in North American Windpower
May 17, 2013 by Mark DelFranco in North American Windpower
NAW has learned that a blade belonging to a Siemens SWT-2.3-108 wind turbine came crashing to the ground at the 265 MW Ocotillo Wind Farm in the early morning hours of May 16. No one was injured.
A spokesperson from Pattern Energy, which owns and operates Ocotillo, corroborated the incident.
Wind Energy's Shadow: Turbines Drag Down Power Potential
May 16, 2013 by David LaGesse in National Geographic
May 16, 2013 by David LaGesse in National Geographic
In several recent published studies, Adams and other researchers have explored the issue of turbines stealing energy from the wind, creating drag or a "wind shadow" of air slowed by the spinning blades. Each turbine added to a particular landscape captures less energy. "You reach a point that if you add any more turbines, you get no more energy," Adams said.
Also filed under [
Technology|
USA]
Planning board recommends 6-month wind turbine moratorium
May 16, 2013 by Elizabeth McNamara in East Greenwich Patch
May 16, 2013 by Elizabeth McNamara in East Greenwich Patch
"We thought we would impose a moratorium while we study other ordinances and templates and models and what's happened in other places and draft something coherent," she said.
Other Rhode Island municipalities have imposed such a moratorium in advance of legislation, including North Kingstown, which ended up with a large wind turbine it didn't want on privately owned land on Route 102.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Rhode Island]
The Antrim Select Board voted to appeal the state ruling that denied a 10-turbine wind project after deciding to accept a $40,000 offer from Antrim Wind in a contentious meeting Monday that led to one resident being escorted out by police and several others walking away in frustration.
DOE to recast landmark 20% wind energy report; Study looks back, ahead
May 15, 2013 by Mark Del Franco in North American Windpower
May 15, 2013 by Mark Del Franco in North American Windpower
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Program is revisiting the conclusions from its 2008 study that contemplated the technological and regulatory road map for the U.S. wind industry to achieve 20% wind energy by 2030.
"What it boils down to is this: If you electrocute an eagle, that is bad, but if you chop it to pieces, that is OK," said Tim Eicher, a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enforcement agent based in Cody, who helped prosecute the PacifiCorp power line case.
By not enforcing the law, the administration provides little incentive for companies to build wind farms where there are fewer birds.
Latest cleantech funding woes spark fears of industry slide
May 11, 2013 by Peter Delevett in Mercury News
May 11, 2013 by Peter Delevett in Mercury News
The problem, he said, is that those big investment firms tend to focus on mature companies that are generating significant revenue, and there are few of those in cleantech. Meanwhile, more government investment seems increasingly far off as congressional Republicans demand answers about the failure of Fisker Automotive.
Hoopeston wind farm building permit extended for a year
May 11, 2013 by Tracy Moss in The News-Gazette
May 11, 2013 by Tracy Moss in The News-Gazette
The extension also allows the project to adhere to parameters set out in Vermilion County's original wind ordinance, requiring turbines to be 1,000 feet from a primary structure, which includes houses.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Illinois]
After turbulent hearing, supervisors postpone action on wind ordinance to May 15
May 10, 2013 by Sierra Robinson in East County Magazine
May 10, 2013 by Sierra Robinson in East County Magazine
After more than three hours of heated testimony on Tuesday, San Diego Supervisors opted to delay a decision on a controversial wind ordinance and changes to plans for two backcountry communities until May 15. The postponement came after a lawyer representing rural residents sent a last-minute letter claiming that approval of the project would be illegal.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
California]
The county first passed a moratorium to give staff time to draw up wind farm regulations, a requirement to fall in line with state laws. But the county’s rules are as of yet unfinished, and the moratorium was set to expire in late June.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Wyoming]
When taken in total the restrictions make it highly unlikely that a commercial wind energy conversion system could set up operation in Marshall County.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Michigan]
AWEA is trying to secure more stable policy to give stronger signals to investors. Those options include a phase out for the credit and making the incentive permanent ...But Republicans have told The Hill they believe a phase out is AWEA's stance.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
Moratorium sought on wind farm in Delaware County, IN
May 6, 2013 by Rick Yencer in Muncie Free Press
May 6, 2013 by Rick Yencer in Muncie Free Press
Bledsoe explained it had been been no secret that E-ON had been looking at Delaware and Randolph counties for wind energy and there was nothing for government to do until some rules were in place.
Rybarczrk had said other counties like Marshall at Plymouth, were imposing a moratorium for wind farms.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Indiana]