Alex Attwood said the reason a final decision had not yet been issued on the long standing proposal to erect a single 60 metre turbine close to Lough Patrick indicated that concerns about the land's religious significance were being factored in.

A major portion - 75 percent - of the proposed Fourmile Ridge wind project in eastern Garrett County is in the state's designated "sensitive areas" as having rare, threatened and endangered species, according to Jim Torrington, chief of the Garrett County Permits and Inspections Division.

Senior councillors opted to go into the agreement in February last year, after a report was made to the council's cabinet. But so far it has not been signed off, with delays put down to the decision to carry out a "fresh internal review", looking at issues including the impact on wildlife and the location of the site.

Baidya Roy said wind turbines generate wakes in the air, akin to those motorboats make in the water. "The turbulence in the wake, what it does is it kind of triggers a mixing effect in the atmosphere," he said. He theorizes a turbine's wake mixes cooler air with warmer air, changing the temperature.

The question of where renewable energy plants can and should go has prompted debate across the West, in New England and in numerous other parts of the country. What makes the debate so heated is that it forces people to reconcile two imperatives: developing sources of alternative energy and supporting preservation-whether of a Civil War battlefield, an endangered species' habitat, or a sacred Native American burial site.

Cape Wind, the plan to harness wind power out off the coast of Nantucket, has raised the ire of residents and environmentalists. Now, another plan to put tall turbines on private property right near the gateway to Cape Cod has residents saying "not in my back yard."

The Planning Board Tuesday night supported amendments to zoning laws to match the town's Comprehensive Plan that restricts wind turbine impacts to vistas, but the current proposal for a 294-foot structure off Paradise Road will be unaffected.

Contractors for Roaring 40s Wind Farm developers at Waterloo made such a mess of nearby rural roads that the local council had to step in. Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council staff held a site meeting with wind farm management in February, regarding the traffic management plan. Major issues were dust and unapproved routes being used by contractors.

Villagers fighting a wind farm in their midst are hoping evidence of a Roman settlement may sway planners against the scheme. ...But residents have hired architect Niall Hammond, from Teesdale, a former county archaeologist for Durham and an adviser to the Ministry of Defence, to carry out an investigation into the village's history.

As Virginia wrangles over the visual impact of 400-foot towers on nearby historic properties, a similar situation in West Virginia resulted in a $10,000 grant offer from a wind energy company building 23 wind turbines overlooking some 18 historic places in Mineral County. Not everyone agrees it's an appropriate solution, but Pinnacle Wind Force LLC offered to make that amount available for historic preservation efforts after the West Virginia Division of Culture and History (the State Historic Preservation Office) found its wind project would have an adverse impact on historic resources nearby.

History may judge Cape Cod renewable-energy initiatives sooner than many expected. Although the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm is the most prominent example of conflict between history and renewable-energy efforts, less well-known projects face scrutiny from historic preservation advocates across the Cape.

In employment terms, wind farms are large construction projects. Most of the jobs are temporary. Permanent jobs that might be considered wholly wind energy related are few in number. Greg Efthimiou, a spokesman for Duke Energy, said peak employment during construction at the Campbell Hill project near Casper is expected to be about 150 workers. The company will erect 66, 1.5-megawatt General Electric wind turbines in the Cole Creek drainage.

Scientific consultant Brian Patrick, of Alexandra, gave evidence on the proposal as a witness for appellant Ewan Carr. His evidence included planned mitigation measures and whether they were appropriate. During cross-examination, Mr Patrick said Meridian's plan to store spoil, including soil taken from the site during construction, in various disposal sites on the proposed 92sq km property would unnecessarily threaten indigenous flora and fauna of the Lammermoor Range.

But the visibility issue had several Comstock-area residents questioning the project and its effect on the historic mining district. "This is a very special piece of real estate, and a very fragile piece of real estate," said Ron Reno, an archaeologist who lives in Silver City. "Right now, the landmark is officially listed as threatened. It can't absorb much else that alters the nature of this historical district." The question that is unanswered is just how visible these wind turbines will be from Virginia City.

In a packed Town Hall auditorium, the continued public hearing on the proposed twin wind turbine project off Route 3A began to give residents a better picture of the breadth and impact of the project. The nearly three-hour meeting was a mix of technical information, questions and answers and airing of resident concerns. The 100-plus audience was well informed and it was clear through many of the comments made residents had done their research on turbines. Dozens spoke on myriad concerns from noise to shadow flicker to the impact on property values.

The California Desert Coalition, which formed to oppose the proposal, took out a newspaper ad that urged residents to wear red to display their anger. Many did so, wearing red shirts, hats, scarves, and even tiny rubber bands to hold back their hair. They said they weren't against a quest for renewable energy but wanted it done without harm to their homes and the environment they hold dear. "We have a lot to protect here; we have a lot to fight for," said April Sall, a coalition leader. Russell Betts, a Desert Hot Springs city councilman, said one transmission route would economically harm the town by slicing through a proposed commercial zone. He suggested that Los Angeles officials are expecting desert residents to "absorb the cost of their operation."

The Resource Management Act states clearly in section six of ‘purposes and principles' that matters of national importance include the protection of historic heritage and outstanding natural features and landscapes from ‘inappropriate subdivision, use and development'. Both the consent authority's commissioned Landscape Architect Ben Espie and Planner David Whitney thought so, suggesting formally that Project Hayes should be declined. Barrister John Matthews, who chaired the Hearing panel and issued a dissenting decision recommending that Hayes be turned down, thought so too. Yet the All-of-Government submissions in support of Hayes evidently held sway, for Project Hayes was given consent in November 2007, with the decision ‘owned' by Central Otago District Council.

Plans to transport windfarm components through a Powys town by lorry have been criticised by the local county councillor. Stephen Hayes, Powys County Councillor for Montgomery, said he is concerned at plans to transport parts for the proposed Llanbadarn Fynydd Windfarm through the market town of Montgomery. The proposed windfarm will have 17 turbines which will be 126.5 metres from the ground to the blade tip. And Montgomery is one of a number of towns which could be affected. ..."I'm concerned about people living here," he said, "their houses are right on the street. To come up here they will have to clear all the traffic on the road which will cause disruption. "I am also concerned about damage to the fabric of Montgomery, it is one of Montgomeryshire's most spectacular towns in terms of architecture."

The Unamaki Institute of Natural Resources, based in Eskasoni, is calling for consultations with the island's First Nations communities. The Pitu'paq committee, comprising Cape Breton's municipalities, First Nations communities and government agencies, has called for a full panel federal environmental assessment and independent Mi'kmaq environmental assessment. Laurie Suitor, intergovernmental relations adviser with the Unamaki institute, said Lisi, who is also Cape Breton Explorations chief financial officer, has yet to sit down with aboriginal groups to discuss the company's plan for 44 wind turbines and a hydroelectric plant powered by water from Lake Uist. "Unfortunately, he hasn't followed up on that to date," Suitor said, adding that an extensive federal review of the project is needed to sort through any potential negative environmental impacts that may arise. "A full panel federal environmental assessment would bring a lot more scrutiny to the project."

The idea of an energy efficient design is laudable. However, in this case, a countryside location is totally inappropriate and would be contrary to the locational policies of the development plan. "Notwithstanding the distinctive merits of the scheme, sustainability objectives would be best served by locating the development in an existing service centre. "This would be a better way of reducing the need to travel by placing the housing and employment closer to key services and amenities, as well as near to a labour pool. The countryside would also be protected from unrelated development."