ONE man's plans to erect a micro wind turbine in the Bathgate Hills has resulted in a dispute that could affect all of West Lothian. Kenneth Robertson, of the Quarter, Drumcross, has seen his proposal for a nine-metre (nearly 30 feet) turbine come up against objections from the British Airport Authority and National Air Traffic Services. They're against the turbine on the grounds that it may interfere with radar equipment from aeroplanes at Edinburgh Airport.

More than 600 people have objected to plans to build a windfarm at Hellrigg near Silloth. NPower applied again in January for a windfarm at Park Head Farm, as it is also known, which was refused two years ago. The four turbines planned would stand 121m high and would cost around £10 million. Eighty-five people attended a meeting arranged by Holme Low parish council on February 26 at the Golf Hotel in Silloth, with all but one declaring themselves against the plans.

A wind turbine near Dodge Center lost one of its blades Friday night when lightning struck it and started a fire.

A wind turbine near Dodge Center lost one of its blades Friday night when lightning struck it and started a fire. The Rochester Fire Deparment was called to the fire because it had the closest long-ladder truck. Its 100-foot ladder was used to help extinguish the fire at 11:15 p.m. One rotor blade was lost, but fire officials were uncertain if the fire reached the generator portion of the device, which could compound the loss.

The U.S. Air Force Space Command said it has checked and rechecked and still believes a proposed wind farm on Nantucket Sound would not affect its PAVE PAWS radar station in Sagamore. “Everything that the Air Force Space Command is saying indicates that [the turbines] would not be tall enough to interfere with operations,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Gentry, commander of the Air Force 6th Space Warning Squadron, Cape Cod Air Force Station, the group responsible for running the radar facility. But wind farm opponents, specifically the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, point to a larger study now being undertaken by the Department of Defense, one that won’t be available until spring. That study, says the Alliance, will be more comprehensive and was itself prompted by issues with the Air Force’s initial analysis. “Until we have a written report in hand that we can review to understand the parameters of the study, it would be inappropriate to offer comment,” said Charles Vinick, president and CEO of the Alliance. “It is my understanding that there is a larger study under way and it would be premature to offer conjecture on what that might find.”

An application by Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd to build the turbines was refused by members at Blyth Valley Council's development control panel. Members argued the plan, which proposed two 130m high turbines to be placed in Windmill Industrial Estate, Shotton Lane, Cramlington, would be misread on airport radars as aircraft. Concerns were also raised about the effect on Brizlee Wood air defence radar where, if granted permission, the turbines would have been placed 36km from.

Two drugs companies in Northumberland have failed in their bids to cut energy bills by installing wind turbines - because of safety fears at Newcastle Airport. Aesica Pharmaceuticals and Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) - near-neighbours on the outskirts of Cramlington - both applied for permission to put up two turbines next to their plants to halve their electricity bills and help safeguard jobs.

The future of Robin Hood Airport and Hatfield Colliery could be threatened if controversial plans for a wind farm near Thorne get the go ahead, a public inquiry heard this week. The comments came from the principal officer of minerals and waste at Doncaster Council who also warned that the plans for 22 80-metre high turbines at Tween Bridge could adversely affect the international designated environmental site of Thorne Moor.

A windfarm three miles off Fleetwood will be a major hazard for trawlermen, an industry leader has warned. Environmental concerns have led to the plan for the windfarm being shifted from a spot five miles off Blackpool to just three miles off Fleetwood. Consisting of up to 90 turbines, it would interfere with a traditional fishing ground and could also be a hazard for men trying to navigate in small inshore fishing boats, it was claimed today. Chairman of Fleetwood Fishermen’s Association Steve Welsh said: “One of our main concerns is the safety aspect because if there was a breakdown and someone drifted in there I don’t know what would happen because helicopter access is restricted.

A SCOTTISH airport want to block plans for a windfarm -because the turbines will look like planes on their radar. National Air Traffic Services say the 400ft structures' blades and towers would cause chaos, as they reflect radar signals and make them look like moving planes.

Large scale commercial wind power generation suffered a setback in town with a recent study based on Federal Aviation Administration standards limiting the height of turbines in air space on the approach to Chatham Municipal Airport. The study, conducted by Aviations Systems Inc. of Georgia, cites the potential for height restrictions on large wind turbines over much of the town. Barry Worth, chairman of the town’s utilities and energy conservation commission, said this week the report is under study, but it is clear regulations “limit the size and kilowatt ratings to be put up.” The study comes at a time when the board of appeals is scheduled to address a variance request to allow a commercial wind turbine at The Depot, a commercial business located along Depot Street in North Harwich, adjacent to the town of Dennis.

Plans to build a vast wind farm in East Ayrshire have hit a major stumbling block with claims it would cause chaos in Scotland’s skies. The National Air Traffic Services claim engineering giant AMEC’s proposed site in Dalmellington would disrupt hundreds of flights to and from Scotland every week. NATS, which controls air traffic at 15 of the UK’s biggest airports, say the turbines would interfere with their radar equipment.

HIGASHIDORI, Aomori Prefecture–The industry ministry Wednesday said it is trying to determine what caused a 68-meter-high wind turbine to collapse earlier this week since strong winds apparently were not blowing at the time. The incident at the Iwaya Wind Farm in the Iwaya district of Higashidori in this northern prefecture is thought to have occurred late Monday, according to officials of Eurus Energy Holdings Corp., which manages the wind farm. While no one was injured, the incident resulted in temporary power outages to homes in the area because power lines were severed.

There were no injuries at a crane accident Monday night on a Lee/La Salle County wind farm. “It was an unfortunate accident,” GSG Wind Energy vice president Bruce Papiech said. The accident occurred at a wind turbine site about five miles north of Mendota near West Brooklyn Road. Papiech said the crane was lifting a turbine off a truck when the boom folded over. He could not provide much more detail because of insurance reasons.

White Construction officials are still trying to determine what went wrong at the site, and OSHA was at the scene Wednesday conducting an investigation that could last two weeks to six months.

DRESDEN -- Hikers on Black Mountain reached the fire tower at the summit earlier this month to find a 60-foot wind turbine lying in the snow. Justin Kerner of Clifton Park said it looked like a tree fell on one of the wires that secured the tower and then the turbine fell over. The State Police own the turbine. Spokeswoman Maureen Tuffey said it fell because a guy wire gave way when a bolt sheered off. She said it might be spring before the turbine is fixed.

As the country continues to be battered by tornadoes and gale force winds, one of Norfolk’s biggest wind farms has been taken out of action again after a workman received an electric shock at the site. While 70mph winds swept across the county, the 30-turbine Scroby Sands wind farm, built off Great Yarmouth’s coast, is still paralysed by the power failure. The wind farm’s owners, E.ON UK, said the station was taken off line a few days after the accident to the worker. A spokesman for the company said: “He was working on a part of the cable that was dead and got a flash burn.”

AMES, Iowa -- Wind turbines generate power, but one was rendered powerless when it was knocked over by wind Friday. Nearly 800 MidAmerican Energy customers were without power on Friday morning in Wright County and school administrators had to cancel classes. There was a flicker of lights before the 100-foot tower supporting a wind turbine came crashing to the ground.

(Pavilion, NY, December 4, 2006) - - Recent gusts were powerful enough to break off the blades of a wind turbine in Genesee County. News 4's Al Vaughters reports the property owner is still picking up the pieces in Pavilion. Steve Rigoni said, "Well, the blade has got to come from Minnesota, so it'll be four or five days before they get here." This is all that's left of Steve Rigoni's wind turbine: three busted-up fiberglass blades and a 140-foot tower. The turbine has been blowing away Steve's electric bills, but Friday's wind storm was just too much.

Recent gusts were powerful enough to break off the blades of a wind turbine in Genesee County. News 4's Al Vaughters reports the property owner is still picking up the pieces in Pavilion. Steve Rigoni said, "Well, the blade has got to come from Minnesota, so it'll be four or five days before they get here." This is all that's left of Steve Rigoni's wind turbine: three busted-up fiberglass blades and a 140-foot tower.