DMI Industries, a manufacturer of turbine towers for the wind-energy sector, has cut 25 per cent of its workforce as it struggles with the cancellation and delay of major wind projects across North America. About 40 "green-collar" employees at the company's Fort Erie facility have been let go.

A slowing provincial economy is getting the blame for BC Hydro's decision to slash by 40 per cent the amount of power it sought in its recent call for green energy. Tumbling demand for electricity in the forestry sector, an expected decline in sales of consumer goods, and a presumed drop in housing starts over the next two years are all cited by Hydro in a recent filing to the British Columbia Utilities Commission.

Lower prices for crude oil and natural gas may not have a lasting impact on expansion of the alternative energy sector in Western Canada-- but the current worldwide economic slowdown will, observers predict. ..."When push comes to shove in the budget process and you're concerned with funding people versus funding things, the short-run discount of protecting lives virtually always wins and investing in the future by building more renewables or encouraging more R&D in renewables tends to get less attention." That translates into fewer direct or indirect subsidies and fewer regulations designed to encourage the use of alternative energy.

No doubt about it, green is good. So why is it that across the country, more and more people are seeing red over wind energy? Some say that in the rush to develop wind power, current government regulations aren't doing enough to protect human health, or the environment. ..."I think the government really needs to step up to the plate and make sure they do their due diligence and make sure they do their history checks on where they are putting these wind turbines because it's about location, location, location," said one member. "The government has made rural Ontario residents expendable in the name of green energy."

One of the blades of a Suez Energy North America V-90 wind turbine situated approximately 1,600 feet away, between her house and the Northumberland Strait, was damaged. Pieces were dangling from the blade and other pieces were strewn throughout a field, right up to her back door. ...Sabota reported that blades on two of the three turbines in Suez Renewable Energy North America's Norway wind park sustained some damage.

After more than a year of public meetings and discussion on how to integrate more wind energy from the southwest into Alberta's grid system, a $1.83 billion solution has been proposed. ...Last week the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) announced that it would be recommending the construction of a 240-kilovolt loop system to connect up to 2,700 megawatts (approximately 900 turbines).

A couple from West Prince has proof from the government their property has dropped in value since wind turbines were put up near their home. ...Beverly Howard told CBC News Monday there are now five new turbines within sight of their home, the closest about 500 metres away. "If you're sitting out on your deck, they're noisy, if you're out gardening they're noisy," she said.

The provincial government needs to be more considerate when entertaining new uses for Crown land in the Central Okanagan. That's the message the regional district board is delivering to the province's Integrated Land Management Bureau ...Case in point, the land bureau received an application for the installation of five, 60-metre meteorological towers in Lake Country's Beaver and Oyama Lakes watersheds, to test for wind energy.

The P.E.I. government has postponed its call for private wind power development proposals because of the downturn in the economy. In October, the province announced a $1-billion development plan to more than triple the wind power generated in the province, to 500 megawatts, by the year 2013.

Prince Edward County plans to be careful in how it approaches wind power. Council here voted Monday to ask senior governments to study the health effects of wind turbines to help it decide the fate of six windmill operations proposed for the county. A motion presented by Coun. Monica Alyea called for the agencies responsible for public health, energy creation and energy management to take on several tasks.

Leamington Mayor John Adams said council had a large delegation of residents in 2006 who were opposed to the offshore turbines. At that time, council said it was opposed to the offshore wind farm. "We certainly support the residents even now," Adams said Tuesday. Council agreed Monday to forward its questions to the Ministry of Environment, meet with the developer and see if Kingsville is interested in hiring a consultant.

The economy is being blamed, in part, for the delay of an expansion of the Erie Shores Wind Farm. ...Wilgar said the bid model was unsuccessful for several reasons. These include decreased wind energy as the properties aren't as close to the lake, more stringent Ministry of Environment setback regulations from roads, lakes and existing turbines, escalating construction costs and the economy.

So-called compressed-air energy storage, or CAES, has been around for more than 20 years and while only two facilities have ever been built - a 110-megawatt plant in Alabama and a 290-megawatt plant in Germany - officials from New York, California, Texas and a number of other U.S. states are beginning to seriously explore the potential. Iowa has already taken the leap. The basic concept is that cheap, surplus electricity available overnight is used to compress air and inject it into underground reservoirs, like a salt cavern or depleted gas field. When power is needed during the day and can fetch a higher price on the market, the air is released, exposed to heat and put through an expansion turbine that generates electricity.

The Town of Essex became the first area municipality to propose a ban Monday on wind turbine projects until all health questions raised by residents are clearly answered by provincial experts. "We are gambling with the health, safety and quality of life of the people around us," said Coun. Ron Rogers, who proposed the ban. "We need answers and guidance from our provincial ministries." ...Maureen Anderson of the Essex County Wind Action Group said a handful of Ontario municipalities have already proposed bans on wind turbines, and the number appears to be growing.

A lot of the literature surrounding the pros and cons of wind farms, "seems to be confusing in terms of differing opinions," he said. "Our council would like to ensure they are safe and safely regulated." It also wants to know whether setbacks established elsewhere in Ontario have proved to be adequate, Schnare said. "There are emerging issues coming from other areas of the province."

The idea is to promote the safe, effective and efficient use of small wind energy systems to reduce on-site consumption of utility-supplied electricity while providing reasonable controls to protect public health and safety without significantly increasing the cost or decreasing the efficiency of a wind-energy system. ...Any wind turbine that goes up must be set back at least 2.1 times the height of the turbine from the property line, 1.2 times the height back from any road, right-of-way, trail and public space boundaries.

Council spent several hours discussing wind energy as part of a series of amendments to the official plan in order to bring Oxford's planning rules into compliance with provincial policy. ...The only speaker to this parcel of amendments was Joan Morris, neighbour to the proposed development in Norwich and founding member of the Oxford Wind Action Group. Morris led council through a presentation encouraging it to delay and defer any planning rules that would facilitate large-scale wind farms until epidemiological medical studies on their impact had been completed.

A Nova Scotia developer poised to build a $150-million wind turbine park next year near New Glasgow is looking for more time to get the project up and running. Mike Magnus, president of Shear Wind, said the current economic climate has made it difficult for wind developers to raise money. "I think there are (wind) projects jeopardized and challenged right now," Mr. Magnus said Friday.

Hot air in the council chambers could lead to stiffer Barrie breezes down the road. Unhappy with planning staff's policy review of wind turbines, city councillors decided Monday they'd like it to consider higher structures and turbines in some residential areas. "It is not progressive enough," Coun. Lynn Strachan said of the policy review. "It does not support what we are trying to do.

On Monday it called on Premier Dalton McGuinty to initiate a province-wide study on the health effects of wind energy generation and transmission. Moreover, it is calling on McGuinty to impose a moratorium on all wind generation projects in the province until a health study is completed.