The Whitehall Planning Commission is going back to the drawing board in preparing an ordinance to regulate development of renewable energy sources within the city. The planners came to that conclusion following its regular monthly meeting, Oct. 6, which mostly was filled with discussion about a draft ordinance first presented to the board in August. ...Now, planners may not hold a hearing before the end of the year.

The proposed wind turbine regulations are being sent back for a "do-over." After listening to citizens' input, the city council decided not to vote on a proposed new ordinance which would have regulated the construction and operation of wind energy conversion devices to capture the energy of moving air and turn it into electricity.

Land in northern Jasper County near a site once eyed for a landfill now is being evaluated as a possible wind farm location. Representatives of Iberdrola Renewables met Thursday at Carthage Memorial Hall with about 200 landowners about potential property leases. "We are looking at Jasper County and meeting with interested landowners," said Paul Copleman, communications manager with the company. "But, it's very early in the process."

Bingham County Commission Chairman Cleone Jolley said a public hearing held at Shelley City Hall Thursday was aimed at disseminating information and collecting public input related to a proposed new ordinance regulating siting of wind turbines. Jolley said the proposed ordinance also regulates future construction of wind farms in the county. Currently, Bingham County has no ordinance pertaining to the new energy technology.

Following numerous and heated public hearings, the zoning board approved a height variance for a meteorological tower on Tuttle Hill after just more than an hour of deliberation. Chairman John Kendall was the sole negative vote on the variance, which approved the construction of a 196-foot met tower on ridgetop property owned by resident Michael Ott. The decision will be effective at the end of the 30-day appeals period, but resident Richard Block has no intention of letting that happen. "It will be appealed, on a number of levels," said Block after the meeting.

A state Supreme Court judge likely will decide whether a town of Cape Vincent man can keep a personal wind turbine on his property. Roger D. Alexander, of 35157 County Route 7, filed an Article 78 action Tuesday at the Jefferson County Clerk's office against the town's Zoning Board of Appeals, asking that a judge reverse and annul a Sept. 14 decision by the board revoking a permit for the construction of a 92-foot turbine.

In other news, a proposed wind farm ordinance was on the floor for discussion during the board’s Oct. 8 meeting. But because of changes crafted the same day, which most board members were seeing for the first time, some were uneasy about putting the ordinance to a vote. Zoning Officer Troy Krup assured the board the intentions of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Zoning Committee had been maintained through the changes, but others weren’t so sure.

Planning bosses have refused permission for a wind monitoring mast to be built in Stinchcombe. Members of Stroud District Council's development control committee gave a majority vote against the application by green energy company Ecotricity on Tuesday. The company wanted to build the 70-metre mast at Standle Farm on land between the M5 and the A38.

The Mineral County Commission moved Tuesday to go on record in support of the proposed Pinnacle Wind Farm. The support, however, is not unanimous. After going into executive session to discuss "legal matters," which they later said related to the proposed contract in which WindForce will agree to commit itself to a "floor" for tax revenue to be generated by the project, two of the commissioners said they felt it was time for the county to commit to a position.

The Orleans Town Council canceled a wind power comment meeting that had been set for Oct. 21. The council had agreed to host the meeting after Horse Creek Wind Farm proponents balked at the recommendations from the town's Wind Committee for more restrictive zoning for commercial wind farms in the town. The council and committee discussed the recommendations at a meeting Sept. 17.

There are only 14 articles on the warrant for the Oct. 26 Wellfleet Special Town Meeting, but four of them are big ticket items, expected to generate a lot of discussion. Chief among them is article 2, which asks voters to appropriate $290,000 for the permitting and survey of the building site for construction of one wind turbine at Wellfleet-by-the Sea.

Roger D. Alexander can keep his 92-foot wind turbine, for now. Alan N. Wood, the town's zoning enforcement officer, said Mr. Alexander will be given another chance to appeal his case to the town's Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Wood said that he notified Mr. Alexander of his violation by mail last month and that a written response from Mr. Alexander's attorney, David B. Guertsen, arrived last week.

At Thursday's Orleans Town Council meeting, the town's Wind Committee submitted its second set of recommendations for wind turbine zoning. The first set had recommendations for noise rules and setbacks to avoid ice throw, turbine failure and flicker. These recommendations deal with other concerns, including well water disruption and radon exposure because of rock blasting.

Plans to erect an 18m. wind turbine on the outskirts of Burnley town centre have been given the green light. Neighbouring residents had objected to the turbine, which will be built on land by The Kestrels, in Manchester Road, due to the impact on the landscape and noise that will be made. However, Burnley Council's Development Control Committee passed the proposals despite reservations from some members.

Lincolnshire officials expect to extend a temporary ban on the construction of wind turbines and other alternative-energy generators, Mayor Brett Blomberg said. The moratorium was enacted in June with a four-month life span. ...The moratorium was enacted to allow village staffers to study the pros and cons of alternative energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels, and to draft a policy governing their use.

The Edgar County Board tabled action on a Wind Energy Conversion System Ordinance at a meeting Wednesday morning. The goal of the ordinance is to protect county and township infrastructure during the building of giant towers that convert wind power into electricity. Board member Dan Winans has mostly worked alone to create the ordinance by borrowing from existing ordinances in neighboring counties.

Albemarle County Planning Commission members sent a clear message Tuesday: The county should allow wind turbines. Turbines are prohibited in Albemarle, but the Planning Commission unanimously approved a resolution calling for the county to allow small power-generating wind turbines. However, some specifics about where turbines should be allowed and what restrictions should be established were left up in the air.

The Porter County Commissioners on Tuesday approved two amendments to the county's Unified Development Ordinance establishing the county's first-ever regulations on wind energy systems. One ordinance spells out the rules for small-scale, individual turbines, and the other consists of regulations for large wind farms. TradeWind Energy, based in Kansas, is currently in the process of getting leases in place from property owners in south Porter County.

Invenergy has formally submitted its application for a 59-turbine wind farm within the town. The Chicago-based company applied this past Friday to the town for a special use permit. ...The project -- much like the neighboring High Sheldon Wind Farm -- has already generated its share of controversy among town residents. Opponents and supporters are offering vocal opinions for and against the proposed development.

"We are hiring someone with expertise who can help us in reformulating this ordinance that will be beneficial for all of the taxpayers," Vergano said. The question of where turbines should be allowed has sparked an ongoing controversy since Robert Burke, owner of the Wayne Auto Spa, sought Planning Board approval to install a turbine at his Hamburg Turnpike quick lube and carwash. His proposal was met with fierce opposition by alarmed residents who say the turbine would be noisy, fling ice from its blades and have other potentially negative health impacts.