Theories of climate change were challenged during an Environment Court appeal hearing for Meridian Energy's proposed $2 billion Project Hayes wind farm yesterday. As a witness for appellant Roch Sullivan, climate scientist Prof Christopher de Freitas was questioned on his evidence, which had been contested in the evidence of other climate witnesses called in the hearing.

A wind farm that would be Southern Nevada's first could sprout 30 miles south of Boulder City near Searchlight as soon as 2011. Some Searchlight residents, though thankful planners have already moved turbines because of their concerns, worry that the wind-powered energy plant would be ugly, noisy and deadly to wildlife. Yesterday, about 60 Searchlight and Cal-Nev-Ari residents met with planners ...

How does a small rural town react when it is chosen to be the centerpiece of an industrial renewable energy project? Can a town successfully fight a large corporation backed up by the federal government when it does not want such a giant development in its backyard? We wanted to see, and since we own a parcel of land within the greater "viewshed" of the proposed wind farm, we attended the first of many public meetings hosted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to "scope" comments from locals and others interested in Duke Energy's plans to place 161 large wind turbines.

Campaigners have called for the Government to safeguard North East beauty spots as The Journal reveals hundreds of wind turbines could blight the region. Our wind map reveals nearly 250 turbines could pepper the North East landscape in the next year if planning chiefs give them the go-ahead. Information provided by the region's councils indicates an influx of turbines could begin to dominate the landscape within a few years.

Farmers in southern Alberta have filed an appeal with the province against a proposed transmission line that would cut a swath through prime irrigation land, arguing the Montana-Alberta Tie Line does not meet the public interest. A group of 16 landowners, lead by the Lavesta Area Group, want to see the 346-kilometre line between Lethbridge and Great Falls, Mont., rerouted five kilometres east of the provincially and federally approved route.

Unlike other forms of green power such as solar panels or landfill methane gas, it's hard to hide a wind turbine, particularly in a state as small and densely populated as Massachusetts. ...That's creating a dilemma for conservationists and environmentalists who support renewable energy, but also want to preserve the state's wildlife population and scenic vistas.

More than 100 people have signed a petition opposing plans to build four giant wind turbines in countryside near a Northumberland market town. The petition was gathered during a packed public meeting held to drum up support for a protest campaign against green power company Novera Energy's bid to develop the wind farm at Todd Hill, about six kilometres north-west of Morpeth.

The public benefits created by the development of hydro-electric power plants are not provided by wind farms, an Environment Court appeal hearing for Meridian Energy's proposed $2 billion Project Hayes wind farm has been told. Appellant Ewan Carr made the suggestion during cross-examination of Meridian's eighth witness in the resumed hearing, Christchurch landscape architect Peter Rough.

Four giant wind turbines planned for the heart of Northumberland will create landscape features visible from the coastline to the Simonside Hills, protesters claim. ...Now dozens of local people have set up a protest group to fight the Todd Hill scheme, which would be within 900 metres of homes in the isolated hamlets of Pigdon, Abshields and Benridge.

Controversial proposals for another two wind farms in the district have drawn an angry response from residents, who raged "not in my back yard". Consultations and exhibitions for wind farms by German developer Prowind at Bishop Wood Farm near Thorpe Willoughby and Wood Lane near Gateforth have been given the thumbs-down by locals.

A wind farm proposed for Southwestern Wyoming County has some residents wondering how it may affect the county's watersheds. The 87-turbine farm proposed by BP Alternative Energy will encompass 14,861 acres in Eaton, Noxen, Forkston and Mehoopany townships. ..."The runoff is probably not going to be my problem, but it may be the problem of people who live at the bottom of the mountain," Mr. Ide said. "I'm concerned for the people below."

Golden Sheep Power is conducting a study to see how people react to the equipment in a urban setting, from a visual and auditory perspective. The results may later be considered by the city for a bylaw to allow residents to install small, renewable-energy generators at their homes. "It will be up so that the public can make comment," said Adrian Smedstad, head of the company's research and development team.

Possible cumulative effects of both Trustpower's Mahinerangi wind farm and Meridian Energy's proposed $2 billion Project Hayes development will be no more than minor, an Environment Court hearing was told yesterday. Hearing of an appeal against Meridian's Project Hayes development resumed at Queenstown yesterday.

Alexandra Mactavish, one of the spokespersons for the Citizens Against Lake Erie Wind Turbines called the bay south of Leamington and Kingsville a treasure with "magnificent sunsets," migratory birds, fishing and underwater shipwrecks. "We have to fight very hard," she told Leamington council Monday. "We have to preserve what we have."

Opponents are seeking greater setbacks than the required 400 metres between the 360-ft. towers and neighbouring homes. Prowind has proposed a 500-metre setback. Prowind managing director Bart Geleynse Jr. said that, while wind power installations may be held up by opposition, it's provincial government policy to implement alternative energy producers and that's what's going to happen.

The final environmental impact statement for the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm will be released tomorrow, according to a notice posted on the Web site of the Office of the Federal Register. The final report marks a major development in the long-running attempts by Cape Wind Associates, LLC, to build a wind farm in the sound.

Rich Porter of rural Paxton said he believes that Ford County, like other counties, has relied too much on information supplied by wind energy representatives. Porter is convinced that wind farms could have a negative impact on the county land values, taxes and zoning issues. "Wind farms are not what they look like on the surface; they have many twists and turns," he warned during the public comment period at the board's Monday meeting.

A meeting to gauge public opposition to wind farms in Boone County is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Boone County Farm Bureau Community Building at the 4-H Fairgrounds, 1300 East County Road 100 South, Lebanon.

Area residents concerned about the growing visual footprint of the wind industry in the region, including a planned 23-turbine wind farm that will transform the skyline west of Keyser, gathered Sunday to form a citizens group that will seek to educate the public about wind energy. The new group, named Allegheny Front Alliance, met Sunday afternoon at Keyser Primary Middle School, with about 25 people in attendance.

The fate of what would be the nation's first offshore wind farm is calling attention to the political obstacles facing renewable power, despite President-elect Barack Obama's determination to greatly expand its use. The project, called Cape Wind, is a Boston firm's plan to build 130 windmills across 25 square miles of federal waters off Cape Cod. ...A spokesman for the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound says the group sees "lots of room to protest" the government review.