The South Dakota House failed Monday to override Gov. Dennis Daugaard's veto of a bill that would have refunded about half the construction taxes for large wind energy projects and an environmental upgrade at Big Stone Power Plant.

On Friday morning, elected officials, environmentalists and energy company representatives heralded the unveiling of the Dillon Wind Power Project, a group of 45 turbines towering more than 300 feet above the Coachella Valley. ...The Palm Springs wind farms have been built out, and there are few options other than upgrading their aging turbines. A number of proposals have been submitted to the state Bureau of Land Management, but one - a proposal that would build up to 28 turbines six miles east of Apple Valley and is the farthest along in the approval process - could be San Bernardino County's first wind farm. ...The proposal's 410-foot ridgeline turbines, however, have created controversy.

The state Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday approved a construction permit for a $300 million wind farm of up to 103 turbines southeast of White....The permit for what would be the state's largest wind farm and an accompanying 29-page document that lays out all conditions was approved with little discussion, few questions and no opposition.

Gov. Mike Rounds has signed into law a bill aimed at giving South Dakota landowners more protection when they grant easements allowing construction of wind towers on their property.

If anyone needs another means to experience the energy of the Golden Gate, the narrow channel flowing between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, they someday may find it from their nearest electrical outlet. That is the hope of San Francisco officials, who are now studying ways to harness the tremendous power of daily tidal shifts deep in the Golden Gate's waters. In September, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the city would commit $145,000 to a feasibility study on generating electricity from the channel's tidal and wave energy.

Spanish Fork Mayor Joe Thomas said he is feeling cautiously optimistic walking into tonight's City Council meeting.

The Mortimers profit $10,000 a year for hosting their two turbines but said they would happily return the money if it would put an end to the heart problems, tinnitus and dizzy spells they experience which Mr Mortimer attributed to the turbines.

Mr Holloway says TrustPower has declined to proceed with the wind farm as approved in November 2003, despite being given a deadline of September 2010 to begin substantial construction work. "The TrustPower project comprising 20 x 100-metre high wind turbines was initially approved more than seven years ago," he says.

Controversial plans for a wind farm will still go ahead despite alleged sabotage activity - and turbines could now be spread over a wider area than first thought. Anger has greeted news that as many as 26 turbines may appear at Marshland St James, with police brought in after a test mast used to check wind power was destroyed.

Cities and towns around Maine have been looking at wind power as a cleaner, less expensive alternative to oil. The question is whether turbines that capture wind on mountain ridges also have a place in denser, more populated locations at lower elevations. Saco city councilors will take up the issue tonight, when they discuss whether to take down an underperforming wind turbine installed on Saco Island in 2008.

The turbine, which cost $207,000, including $77,000 for the installation, went into operation in February 2008. It was supposed to generate 90,000 kilowatt hours -- $12,600 worth -- of electricity annually for 10 years, according to the city's contract with Entegrity Wind Systems of Prince Edward Island. But it never came close.

SACO, Maine --City officials are exploring whether it makes sense to erect a wind turbine to generate electricity and cut down on the city's energy costs.

In its first five weeks of operation, the windmill has been sitting still far more often than it has been generating power. Though the supply of wind is highly variable and five weeks is too short a period to judge the effectiveness of a turbine, the first municipally-owned, mid-sized windmill in Maine has not yet reached the production levels expected of it. The company that sold the Canadian-made turbine to Saco, Entegrity Wind, guaranteed the city it would produce at least 90,0000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, worth about $13,500 at market rates. So far, during what is normally a blustery season in Maine, the turbine has generated 1,340 kilowatt hours, or $201 of electricity. Charles Newcomb with Entegrity said there is a simple explanation for the turbine's performance -- lack of wind. "It's been an extremely low-wind month ...

Reeling a bit from the news their new school won’t be ready until the fall of 2009, SAD 3 board members also received some good news Monday night. Supt. Barbara Mosseau said Steve Cole of Coastal Enterprises Inc. has informed her the district is receiving a $60,000 grant from the Cox Trust. The money will be used to assist the district in determining whether wind power will be feasible in the energy mix at the new school. The district is already eyeing a wood chip boiler and board members think a windmill would be a good addition as well.

"The UK now faces a 20 gigawatt power shortage by 2016. The review fails to ensure that we secure a reliable supply for the next 10 years; fails to halt the threat of power cuts; fails to encourage coal plants to reduce emissions with clean coal technology and fails to give a decision for incentives for carbon capture," said a spokesman for Mitsui Babcock, Britain's leading clean coal group. "It is worrying to see government taking a fingers-crossed approach before the first of the planned nuclear plants become operational in 2019."

A group concerned about proposed wind energy development on Saddle Mountain says placing turbines there could alter the landscape of an area now recognized as the birthplace of Nancy Hanks Lincoln.

Breaches of health and safety regulations cost Vestas Blades nearly £500,000, a court was told. The Newport turbine blademaker, which is set to close, was fined a maximum £10,000 by Island magistrates and told to pay £25,000 of the Health and Safety Executive's costs.

A Carrick couple have voiced their concerns over a planning application for a wind turbine near their home. Yvonne and Robert Picken received notification last month of the plans for a 45-metre turbine close to their property on Liberty Road, which overlooks Carrick and Belfast Lough.

A company hired to do line work on a Makara wind farm had failed to get the relevant information on safely using a machine, which later toppled killing one man and seriously injuring another.

A Caithness councillor yesterday gave an assurance to parents and pupils that wind turbines would only be installed at five local schools if there are no problems with their safety. Wick councillor Bill Fernie made the pledge following an incident which occurred last month at a primary school on Raasay near Skye when there was "a catastrophic failure" of a wind turbine shortly after it was erected.