Opponents of a 124-turbine wind farm proposed for southeastern West Virginia urged the state Supreme Court on Wednesday to consider anew whether regulators correctly approved the project. Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy and a Greenbrier County couple are challenging the state Public Service Commission decision in February to permit Beech Ridge Energy LLC to start construction.

It's coming. Wind energy is making it's way across the country and throughout Nebraska. Now, there's a good chance it will be coming to Hamilton County. While there aren't any large wind farms in the area to date, there are some individuals in the area looking to make use of the renewable energy resource.

The Brady Township Supervisors held a workshop conference call in relation to developing a wind turbine ordinance. The conversation was with Thomas Tuffey, the director of PennFuture's Center for Energy, Enterprise and the Environment covered many areas of interest for the supervisors, who are currently writing an ordinance that will place regulations on the wind turbines currently being proposed by Iberdrola, U.S.A. in the township.

The only proposed amendment generating pubic comment, though, was one that would govern wind turbines, which would be allowed at heights of up to 60 feet for residential use and 80 feet for non-residential use. "It would give folks the opportunity to do something (with wind power), but also have constraints," said Board Chairman Kevin Cochary.

The Gilberton company that wants to build windmills in Butler Township has asked Schuylkill County Court to reinstate its zoning permit for the project. Broad Mountain Development Co. LLC wants the court to allow it to construct 27 wind turbines near Fountain Springs and alleges the township zoning hearing board incorrectly revoked the permit on July 29. Serious harm would result if the court does not reverse the board's decision, according to the appeal filed Tuesday.

The Clayton Town Council agreed to keep the sound limitations and most of the setback recommendations from the Wind Committee and forward them to the town attorney to begin writing a new zoning law for wind power development. The council, meeting Wednesday night, held voice votes on all 16 recommendations forwarded from the committee. The only point dropped by the council was a recommendation to site turbines so there would be no flicker effect falling at road intersections.

A wind energy ordinance breezed through the village's Planning Commission process Tuesday night with no objections. Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance, modeled after suggested Ottawa County language. Village Council will make a final decision on it, possibly as early next month. The Planning Commission made a few changes to the county model - including reducing height restrictions from 120 feet to 50 feet.

Lochaber's first windfarm was given the go-ahead yesterday, but it took the votes of councillors from outwith the area to approve the controversial four-turbine project. Caol and Mallaig councillors Bill Clark, Allan Henderson and Donald Cameron all opposed the development by Edinburgh-based North British Windpower, but an amendment by Black Isle councillor, Isabel McCallum, seconded by her Lochalsh colleague, Isabel Campbell, won the vote 6-3.

Motorimu Wind Farm has officially been scrapped. Liquidators for the company have "surrendered" its resource consent to Palmerston North City Council, ending any prospect of the 80-turbine farm near Tokomaru being built. Scrapping the farm came after a deal was struck between the liquidators and Mighty River Power.

The Orleans Wind Committee is calling on the Town Council to adopt stricter noise and setback regulations for wind power development. The committee submitted the first part of its recommendations, covering noise and setbacks, to council members at the end of July and publicly during the council's meeting last week. The second part, including recommendations on stray voltage, fire risks, water and aquifer effects, turbine lighting, radon and security, are still being finalized.

PacifiCorp was granted a conditional use permit for its Dunlap Ranch Wind Energy Project by the Carbon County Planning Commission on Monday. The Planning Commission voted unanimously, after a public hearing, to grant the permit to allow PacifiCorp to build the wind farm on mostly private land about eight miles north of Medicine Bow.

Granite Reliable Power LLC, the company that plans to build a 33-turbine wind farm in Coos County, asked the state last week to deny two motions for a rehearing. The motions were frilled Aug. 14 by the state attorney general's office, which serves as counsel for the public, and the Industrial Wind Action Group, which opposes the project. In his motion, Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Roth argued for a rehearing, stating that GRP does not have the financial capability to carry out the project and there is no "assurance the project will be constructed and operated in continuing compliance with the certificate."

City council members in Champaign will talk Tuesday about wind power - not the hot-air-politics type, but the wind turbine type. ...the city planning staff will discuss wind energy conservation systems, particularly small wind turbines within city limits and how to regulate wind farms near city boundaries. City Planner Bruce Knight said state law requires cities to regulate wind turbines within 1½ miles of their city limits. The Champaign County Board has adopted a wind farm ordinance, he said.

The mayor and council members will hold a public hearing today at 6:15 p.m. at City Hall concerning the proposed Zoning Text Amendment of the zoning ordinance to allow for wind energy systems within the city. "In a nutshell, (the amendment) says that only small wind turbines will be allowed as an accessory use in most zones.

Richard Jolly, the man who filed the Goal 5 amendment aimed to disallow windmills in a 200,000 acre area of the Blue Mountains, may re-file his amendment. Jolly said he wanted to rewrite it to include more than just the viewshed, which was the basis of his Goal 5 amendment addressed by the Umatilla County Planning Commission at its last two meetings. The proposal has flared up opinions on both sides - those who want to preserve the beauty of the Blues without wind farms, and those who want a chance to get their share of the wind energy gold rush.

Despite the push towards cleaner energy, one Colorado town is putting a hold on wind turbines used to generate electricity. Concerns over how the turbines look in Estes Park have prompted the town to put a temporary halt to any new electricity-generating windmills.

The Tehama County Planning Commission Thursday approved a use permit for a series of 330-foot meteorological test towers outside Mineral. With use permits issued for as many as five towers to test the feasibility of installing wind turbines, Padoma Windpower has been granted the authority to build and keep the towers on Sierra Pacific land for as many as 36 months.

An Aug. 13 decision in Bingham County court has delayed development of a 150-turbine wind farm in Wolverine Canyon near the Bingham-Bonneville county line. Judge Richard St. Clair ruled that because of errors in its application, and some conflicts of interest, Ridgeline Energy would have to go back to the county planning and zoning board to re-apply for a special use permit if it wants to build the Goshen South wind farm.

Abutters and area residents of the Tuttle Hill area in Antrim rallied against the proposal of a temporary meteorological (met) tower at the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) meeting on Tuesday. The tower would collect wind and weather information to assess whether wind turbines would be practical in the area. Chairman John Kendall, faced with a growing amount of information for board members to consider for a height variance, continued the meeting to Sept. 15.

Following fiery criticism Tuesday of an application for a meteorological tower on Tuttle Hill, the zoning board will continue the public hearing in September. Eolian Renewable Energy of Portsmouth has applied for a height variance under the small wind systems ordinance to construct a 197-foot meteorological tower (met tower) on a 290-acre parcel owned by Michael Ott on Tuttle Hill, the fourth highest peak in Antrim.