A wind turbine has been switched off and an investigation launched after its frozen blades showered nearby homes with large chunks of ice. Residents complained when the 260ft wind generator began hurling shards of ice, some measuring two feet long, after the cold snap over the weekend.

The worker is an employee of Vestas, a wind turbine manufacturer. A spokesman with that company said the incident was under investigation and details would be provided when they became available. Olavarria said the worker was outside the turbine in front of its nose when the explosion and fire occurred. It's not clear what caused the explosion or what burned, but the turbines do have lubricating oil inside, she said.

Minnesota Power's Taconite Ridge wind farm isn't producing nearly as much electricity as anticipated in recent months, with seven of the 10 wind turbines shut off for repairs. The $50 million project, built on 450 acres of land overlooking U.S. Steel's Minntac mine, came fully online early this summer. But this fall, inspectors with the turbine manufacturer discovered defects in seven of the wind turbines' blades. Those turbines were shut down.

Residents were left fearing for their safety after shards of melting ice fell on homes and gardens from the blades of a giant wind turbine. For about four hours people in King's Dyke, Whittlesey, had to take cover as huge lumps - some two feet long - showered them from the 80 metre high tower on Saturday morning. Resident Peter Randall, whose son's house lies a stone's throw away from the turbine, said: "Somebody is going to get killed. There was huge lumps of ice shooting off and landing everywhere.

An explosion and fire at a wind farm under construction in northeast Nebraska has injured three workers. One man, who was atop a tower when a turbine exploded, received first- and second-degree burns in the fire Tuesday morning. Two others, who were nearby, were treated for smoke inhalation and released.

When the Bureau County Board voted to exclude a certain type of wind turbine from consideration for seven Walnut Ridge sites, the company was understandably concerned. ...On Nov. 17, Suzlon issued a statement regarding the S88. According to the statement, the problem with the S88 near Buda was with the V2 version, which has since been replaced with the V3 version.

Every day the wind is blowing dollars away from District 861 as it sits in legislative limbo over a wind energy project that is otherwise ready to go. Though other municipalities and government bodies are just beginning to wade through the complexity of creating a wind energy initiative, District 861 has been working steadfastly with a cooperative since 2005 on a project that should already be making the district money.

As expected, Medina council members voted unanimously at their Nov. 18 regular meeting to approve the resolution to build a wind turbine in Medina at the Hennepin County Public Works Facility. ...Although only a handful of people attended the Nov. 18 meeting, in comparison to Nov. 5, it was clear that the subject of a wind turbine Medina still aroused controversy.

A wind farm worker is okay following a crane accident Sunday morning. A Winnebago County Sheriff's report confirms Billy Cody was trapped in a crane at the construction site located between Forest City and Thompson.

The Stearns County planning commission last week approved permits for [two meteorological] towers, which will be erected within the next six weeks. ...Although the project is still in the early stages, the company is looking to build a 40- to 95-megawatt farm, with 20-50 towers that each produce about 2 megawatts of electricity. Each tower is about 262 feet high, Daum said.

A Sunday morning leak in a paint thinner pipe at the Vestas Blades paint building allowed about 20 to 30 gallons of the flammable material to be spilled. ...The spill is believed to be the first of its kind at the $60 million wind turbine blade manufacturing plant located on an 80-acre site in the Great Western Industrial Park.

Winona County signed a development agreement with Juhl Wind, Inc., to build two turbines in Mount Vernon Township, the second partnership on the development effort in three years. County Board member Marcia Ward was the only commissioner who didn't feel comfortable with the agreement, listing concerns with the proposed site, whether the turbines will really perform, and how much control the county will have in its investment here on out.

Winona County still has questions about a plan to build a commercial wind turbine, but it now has a new partner in that effort: Juhl Wind Inc. County commissioners voted 4-1 Thursday, with Marcia Ward dissenting, to sign a contract with Juhl to develop the turbine in conjunction with the county's Economic Development Authority and private investors who would pay most of the cost to build the turbine.

While the focus on renewable energy may be good for the environment and the local economy, the turbines themselves can be a traffic nightmare for those who must figure out how to move the massive parts across the country. Some also say they pose a safety risk. ...Lisa Linowes, executive director of the Industrial Wind Action Group, cited problems caused by large wind loads ..."Under the pressure to get construction done, corners get cut," Linowes said.

Planted off County Road 114 in Mount Vernon Township, Larry Greden's got a wind turbine for sale. It's for sale because it, for the most part, doesn't work. There isn't enough wind at its position to make it profitable, and while Greden says he won't lose money in his four-year wind project because of tax incentives, he isn't making any.

The setbacks in the proposed Enfield wind law are not large enough, according to a letter from the Tompkins County Planning Department to Town Supervisor Frank Podufalski, but following that advice could kill the wind farm proposal for a site near Connecticut Hill. The planning department recommends increased setbacks between property lines and the wind towers ...If the Enfield Town Board does not adopt the recommendations, it will need a supermajority, which means four votes on the five-member board, to pass the proposal into law.

A 306-megawatt wind farm proposed for 77 acres in Brookings and Deuel counties would nearly triple the state's total production of wind energy - adding enough capacity to power 148,000 Midwestern homes. Oregon-based Iberdrola Renewables Inc. wants to build Buffalo Ridge II close to its two existing farms near White. Buffalo Ridge II would join the 54-megawatt Minn-Dakota farm that came online in April and the 55-megawatt Buffalo Ridge I, which should be completed in early 2009.

Winona County's proposal to build a commercial wind turbine is on hold at least another week after commissioners on Tuesday postponed a vote on a revamped version of the project. The county has worked on the project for three years. ...Ward has acknowledged the revenue projections for the new turbine proposal appear promising but has questioned some of its financial assumptions and said the project doesn't fulfill a "core function" of county government. "We're delving into an area that the county is not familiar with," Ward said.

Despite opposition from numerous residents, Medina City Council members have unanimously agreed to welcome a 407-foot wind turbine to the town's rural landscape. Facing a crowd of 75 to 100 residents, about two-thirds of whom opposed the turbine, the council Wednesday night took "a fairly courageous'' stand in favor of the wind generator proposed by Hennepin County, said City Council Member Elizabeth Weir. ...The county will not build the turbine unless it can make enough from the sale of the electricity to pay for the turbine and operating costs and have some money left over to lower the county's electric costs, he said.

The proposed county partnership aimed at building two wind turbines in Mount Vernon Township was discussed Tuesday, when questions from County Board member Marcia Ward generated gavel banging and a bit of controversy. ...Ward questioned the location of the proposed turbines, suggesting that other locations in the county might be better. She said that she hasn't had enough site-specific information or questions answered to make a good decision. She said that a number of constituents had contacted her with doubts about the plans and location, and questioned whether bids ought to be let on the contract.