A public hearing will be conducted Jan. 22 in Frostburg on a company's proposal to construct up to 29 wind energy conversion systems near Vale Summit along the ridge of Dan's Mountain. The hearing is prompted by Dan's Mountain Windforce LLC's application to the Maryland Public Service Commission for an exemption from the requirement to obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and for approval to construct up to 29 wind turbines.

The Washoe County Planning Commission late Tuesday night delayed until Feb. 4 deciding whether to grant permits for a wind farm that would put 44 turbines on the ridges of the Pah Rah Range east of Warm Springs Valley. The continuance came after a vote to reject the project and another vote to approve the Nevada Wind project failed. At the end of the four-hour hearing, all but Commmissioner Roy Hibdon voted for the delay so that "holes" in the project could be filled in. He had favored the $190 million project.

While parking spaces and chairs were difficult to come by Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the Jackson Community Center, something else could be found in abundance - voters. More than 120 townspeople packed the building on the Village Road for a special town meeting and, by more than a two-to-one margin, 84-36, they voted in favor of a six-month moratorium on the construction of industrial wind turbines in town.

"All of these contracts are ba­sically being done on the back of Nova Scotia Power's balance sheet," Chris Huskilson, presi­dent of Emera Inc., told The Chronicle Herald's editorial board Tuesday in Halifax. "Any­body telling me they can't raise money on Nova Scotia Power's balance sheet . . . I have a little trouble with that."

Selectmen voted Monday to ask the state Legislature pass legislation allowing Carrabassett Valley to annex the upper portion of Redington Township, subject to local voters' approval. The move allows the process and debate to continue so that if the Legislature passes a private and special law, a townwide vote can occur. It will be up to Carrabassett Valley registered voters to make the final decision on annexation. If they approve, then it opens the process for a community-based wind farm to be built.

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors had a heated meeting on Tuesday night with a lot of hot topic items on the agenda. A lot of people at the meeting were there because of the controversial wind turbine talk. The board met with a consultant group behind closed doors in executive session.

After more than a year's worth of meetings, research, wrangling and debates, the project hit a brick wall of sorts last month as a report by AWS Truewind showed lower-than-expected wind speeds at the Legion Way site. Without strong enough winds, the project does not make financial sense. On Monday night, the Committee for Renewable Energy for Barrington, rescinded its recommendation to the town council to accept a bid for the construction of the turbine.

Two public hearings are set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, in the town office regarding proposed changes to the comprehensive plan and a land-use ordinance that would allow wind-power facilities to be built on Roxbury hills.

At a public hearing prior to the Township Board's adoption of the amendment, Vines said the ordinance allows for one turbine for every 1.5 acres of residential property. But the device won't be allowed to emit a noise greater than 50 decibels, when measured at the nearest adjoining property line, and it can't be more than 80 feet high.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England's Cornwall branch (CPRE Cornwall) says local people will soon lose the chance to have their say on planning applications affecting their community. As a result the group offers to help residents fight planning applications which are against local plan policies, threaten protected landscape areas, or are generally inappropriate.

Residents will head to a special town meeting Tuesday, Jan. 6, to consider approving a six-month moratorium on wind turbines. The vote comes as a third company has expressed interest in erecting wind turbines on town-owned property. ...The warrant for the Jan. 6 meeting states there will be "discussion on the status and findings regarding proposals received," although there is not a specific article calling for a vote on the proposals. There is, however, an article asking voters if they will approve a moratorium "on the issuing of permits allowing for wind turbine construction and development."

Alternative energy advocates and residents opposed to giant wind turbines overlooking their homes in Warm Springs Valley are expected to square off when Nevada Wind's proposed wind farm comes before the Washoe County Planning Commission on Tuesday. ...No matter what the planning commission decides, the project is expected to be appealed to the Washoe County Commission.

Endless Energy Corp. of Yarmouth is proposing the town annex the property to support a $180 million, 90-plus megawatt wind power project, Sugarloaf Community Wind Farm, on Redington and Black Nubble mountains. Under the proposal, customers would provide the capital for the project and benefit from lower energy costs, as stated in the company's proposal listed on the town's Web site. ...A similar project was denied by the Land Use Regulation Commission in 2007, but the difference is that this project proposes a community-based wind farm.

An ordinance created to guide wind energy development in Douglas County gets a public hearing Tuesday in the Government Center. The purpose of the ordinance is to provide a regulatory scheme for the placement, construction and operation of wind energy facilities in Douglas County to preserve the public health and safety.

Plans for a huge wind monitoring mast near Tewkesbury have sparked mass opposition. ...Wind Prospect Developments Ltd wants to install it for two years to measure wind speed and direction. It would use the information as part of its plan to have three massive wind turbines at nearby Upper Strensham. An application for the turbines has yet to be submitted, but is expected shortly.

A law regulating the creation of wind farms here was repealed Monday by the Hammond Town Board. The wind ordinance was rescinded at the advice of the town attorney pending a state Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), town officials said. The decision to overturn the law was made unanimously after an executive session at the year-end meeting Monday. The environmental review requires the board to identify and mitigate any significant environmental impacts that may stem from the ordinance.

Dozens of residents from the Back Bay neighborhood turned out at last night's [Newburyport] City Council meeting to urge councilors to re-examine a recently passed ordinance regulating the creation of wind turbines in the city. Almost 20 speakers visited the microphone, with the vast majority asking councilors to listen to a letter sent to councilors by Ward 2 Councilor Greg Earls. ...Citing pending litigation, councilors said last night they could not act on Earls' request, on the advice of the city's attorneys, Kopelman and Paige.

The town of Orleans plans to create a Citizens Wind Committee in January, but with fewer members than anticipated. ...the proposed wind committee [] would help the Town Council make informed decisions regarding wind development.

Hearings have been scheduled for February on a proposal to build an 87-turbine wind farm, mostly in Minonk Township in eastern Woodford County. Navitas Energy, a Minneapolis-based wind energy developer, has filed an application for a special-use permit with Woodford County zoning officials. The public hearings are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 9, 10 and 11 at Fieldcrest South Elementary School in Minonk.

David Anderson, the Eastern District member of the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, has been busy in recent days answering phone calls and e-mails from supporters and opponents of a proposed large-scale windmill project. ..."Don't get me wrong, I've heard a lot of positive, and I've heard a lot of negative," Anderson said Tuesday. "There are still people who are very pro-windmill. But the majority of the feedback I've received have been real concerned about the natural beauty of East River Mountain."