The city committee that rejected Ottawa's first application for a residential wind turbine did so because the proposed location of the turbine is too close to neighbouring property lines, not due to its noise or visual impact. ...Zoning bylaws require that accessory structures to a house not exceed 4.5 metres in height and that their height must equal their distance from property lines. The committee rejected Mr. Findlay's proposal after a public hearing on Oct. 1, but only released its rationale on Friday.

That denial came after an appeal to Superior Court that had resulted in the court remanding it back to the board for reconsideration. After considerable discussion of the Howlands' application to build wind turbine on their residential property, the board voted 5 to 2, with Douglas Shearer and new board member Louis R. Gallo dissenting, to deny the request based on public safety concerns. The Howland turbine was the first to be reviewed under the town's Residential Wind Energy Conversion System bylaw.

The Westfield Town Board adopted a Final Scoping Document for Babcock & Brown's proposed Ripley-Westfield wind turbine project at its October 1st meeting. The Final Scoping Document was prepared by the Town Board, as co-lead agency with the Ripley Town Board, in conjunction with consultants from Environmental Design & Research. The Ripley Town Board is expected to discuss the document at an upcoming meeting.

A proposed wind farm at Thorpe Marsh has moved a step closer after Doncaster Council gave the go-ahead for tests to be carried out. Members of the borough's planning committee unanimously backed the request for permission to set up equipment to measure the wind strength at the site in fields at Arksey Common Lane. But Coun Mick Jameson asked council officers to ensure developer Simon Kerrison fully restored the site to its original state when the tests were completed.

Construction of a residential wind turbine east of Lebanon is being challenged by neighbors who claim the tower is not only a threat to their children and the environment, but illegal. ...Douglas and Nancy Miller, 1265 John Bart Road, want a court to overturn the BZA's approval, saying the 4-0 decision was "illegal, arbitrary and capricious." They filed suit on Sept. 28 in Boone Superior Court I. The Millers are represented by Krieg DeVault LLP, a Carmel law firm.

An application to build two wind turbines in Almondsbury has been re-submitted. In August Almondsbury Sports and Social Club made an application to South Gloucestershire Council to build two 15-metre high wind turbines. ...last month the application was withdrawn because of concerns raised by local Highways officials. The application has now been re-submitted after alterations were made as to where the two turbines would be located on the club's site.

The township has received an application for a conditional use permit from a company that wants to build a wind turbine facility. BP Alternative Energy plans to build a facility with as many as 89 turbines in the southern part of Wyoming County, within the boundaries of Noxen, Eaton, Forkston and Mehoopany townships. On Tuesday, Supervisor Randy Ehrenzeller said the application permit calls for 17 turbines.

The inquiry will look into the appeal by Pennant Walters Hirwaun Ltd against the failure of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council to determine within the statutory eight-week period an application for planning permission for 12 wind turbines and ancillary infrastructure on the mountainside south of the A465. In April councillors rejected the wind farm plan following a recommendation from planning officers that it be refused.

The first step in getting wind towers in Iroquois County was passed last night. The Iroquois County Regional Planning Commission approved unanimously the conditional use of 47 properties in the Milks Grove Township. The township, in the northeastern most corner of the county, would have just a portion of the wind tower farm to be spread across Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston and Ford counties.

Commission Chairman Tom Martin said the need for an ordinance addressing wind turbines surfaced because the city Building Safety Department has received numerous inquiries from residents who want to install wind towers on their properties. The ordinance regulates the allowable height of wind towers and appropriate the square acreage of properties where they could be installed. "We just didn't want them in the center of town," said Department Director Pete Wilt.

The Town Board is taking the advice of its new lawyer and will introduce a one-year moratorium on wind farm proposals, pending changes to the town's Wind Energy Facilities law that was adopted last year to regulate permits. During a special board session Monday night, acting Town Supervisor Joe Brodka said the step is being taken to protect the town. He assured about a dozen property owners and residents in attendance that the move shouldn't cause Noble Environmental Power to abandon its plans for a project in the town.

A public inquiry into whether a wind farm can be built in the Vale of Belvoir was teetering on the brink of collapse today after queries were raised over the accuracy of environmental assessments. Representing BLOT - Belvoir Locals Opposing Turbines - Tina Douglass questioned whether several of the assessments were based on plans for ten or seven turbines at the site at Thackson's Well, near Normanton and Long Bennington. At one stage, it looked as though the inquiry could be called off ...

County resident Sam White alerted the county to another possible conflict of interest Davis might have in regard to the ongoing discussions of wind turbines and the proposed zoning text amendments. White also raised the allegation against Bill Duvall, commission chairman. ...The Frostburg resident [David] has owned about a half-acre of land with a trailer for nearly 30 years. The property is adjacent to the current planned wind turbine project atop Dan's Mountain. In addition, Davis' employer has listings in the nearby Harwood subdivision.

The Palmerston North City Council last night took the first steps towards developing best-practice guidelines for the development of wind farms in the city's boundaries. At the planning and policy committee meeting, councillors voted to instruct staff to start working on guidelines to help steer wind-farm development in the future. The idea was moved by Cr Michael Feyen, and seconded by Cr John Hornblow. Cr Feyen said it was essential to start the ball rolling, before the hills were inundated with turbines.

Landowners could erect 100-foot-tall wind energy towers on their property, and their neighbors wouldn't be notified or get a chance to comment, under new rules the County Council is considering. The draft law aims to make it easier for people to take advantage of wind turbines, an environmentally friendly and renewable form of electricity, to help power their homes. "It's a great thing if people can produce their own clean energy," said County Council member Barbara Brenner, who, along with council member Carl Weimer, pushed for rules allowing residential wind energy systems. "My biggest concern is if we make it too difficult or cumbersome to get through the process, probably a lot of people who would have done it won't."

Exasperated by rising energy costs, this summer Money Lewis decided it was time to take advantage of the strong breeze that blows across his Selsey Road property. In July, he signed a $15,000 contract with a Delaware company to set up a 33-foot wind turbine on his .7-acre waterfront property. ...However, he's heard he will have to wait until the county creates an ordinance to dictate the placement of the turbine.

"We don't matter." Two Allegany County residents told members of the Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday that certainly seemed to be the case. They spoke of the planned 25-unit wind turbine project atop Dan's Mountain by Dan's Mountain Wind Force LLC, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based U.S. Wind Force LLC.

Garrett County finally has a new comprehensive plan that will serve as a policy for decisions made by the county's government. ...While the county commissioners did approve a final plan, it was without the protection of ridge tops as sensitive areas. This had been an issue of contention for the commissioners when they discussed their opinions on the draft plan at the September planning commission meeting. Their concerns were the lack of specification as to the definition of a ridge top or what kind of development would be prevented.

A feasibility study says that a 450-foot wind turbine installed on city-owned land could cost about $4.7 million to build, but could produce a revenue stream of about $180,000 per year for the city. City officials paid a Sandwich-based engineering firm to see if a wind turbine could be installed near the Water Department's Falulah Water Treatment facility in northwest Fitchburg. It's estimated the 1,500 killowatt wind turbine could produce enough power for the entire Water Department ...The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative -- a quasi-public agency that advocates for renewable energy resources -- did a study of the site in 2007, Streb said, and found that the site may not have enough wind to support the cost of a turbine.

A proposal to erect a 65-metre wind turbine near the peak of Grouse Mountain will be going before District of North Vancouver council Monday night. If approved, the tower will be visible from much of North Vancouver and other parts of the Lower Mainland. The 21-storey structure (34 storeys to the tip of the blade) is slated to begin operating at the top of Peak Mountain next to the Heaven's Sake ski run in 2009.