A team of university scientists and industry experts has narrowed its sights on an initial project - about 100 wind turbines installed at least 12 miles off Virginia Beach, costing more than $250 million. The whirling turbines, each about 300 feet tall, would not be visible from shore, researchers said, and would take advantage of strong, consistent winds found in that part of the Atlantic, especially during winter. One expert involved in the study described the subject area off Virginia Beach as "probably the best place, all-around, of any site on the East Coast."

The Spanish company Iberdrola Renewables is expected to begin developing the 155-turbine Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm this fall. The electricity-producing towers would be scattered across 15,000 acres, primarily between Odell and Emington. The Livingston County Board approved the project in July. Construction and maintenance of the project will use 6.25 miles of county roads and 41 miles of township roads, so road use agreements were needed.

For a moment, it seemed as if NBC had no love for Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens' energy conservation plan, but the tide turned Wednesday, when the network reversed its decision to reject a commercial featuring Pickens promoting alternative energy. According to Adweek, NBC's original rejection letter, issued Tuesday, read, "The ad is not acceptable for air on the NBC network because the spots address controversial issues and it is our policy not to air ads addressing such issues on our network."

Walnut Ridge wind farm developers are one step closer to securing their construction site. On Tuesday, the Bureau County Board approved conditional use permits for 143 turbines, four meteorological towers and three substations for the wind farm, which developers hope to begin constructing in the spring.

The PSC reissued state certificates Wednesday to Iberdola Renewables Inc. to take over the Rugby Wind farm project from PPM Energy. PPM got the original certificates in 2005 to build 100 turbines that would put out 150 megawatts of wind power near Rugby. Iberdola proposes to 71 larger turbines, which would still put out 150 megawatts. Construction is to start around Oct. 1.

Interest in Illinois as a source of wind-generated electricity has grown in recent years and is likely to grow further, even in parts of the state initially thought to be unsuitable for wind farms, a panelist said Wednesday at a forum held to discuss the issue. "We're receiving inquiries from Mason County, Monroe County and other counties we did not think would be indicated based on the wind map," said Jerry Quick, attorney for the Illinois Agricultural Association.

The state Public Service Commission put Iberdrola SA's $4.5 billion acquisition of Energy East Corp. on hold for a week Wednesday after two of its five members could not attend a special hearing to vote on the plan. The vote might have taken place had one of the commissioners, Robert Curry Jr., not fallen ill with what was described as a stomach bug. The other commissioner to miss the meeting, Cheryl Buley, has decided to resign from the PSC for personal reasons. Her departure from the $109,800-a-year job will take effect next Wednesday, but it's unclear at this point if she will attend that day's meeting and cast a vote. News that a vote would not occur was met with surprise by the dozens of attorneys, lobbyists and journalists who attended Wednesday's meeting.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has garnered national attention for his goal of reducing Maryland's energy consumption 15 percent by 2015, but his Public Service Commission, which regulates the industry, has rejected nearly every power-saving program proposed by BGE, the state's largest utility. The commission, in an order last week, sent Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. back to the drawing board on all but one of the conservation and energy-efficiency programs submitted for approval. The commission said it would not saddle ratepayers with the total cost - $274 million - after determining that administrative expenses are too high and the payoff in terms of the number of people who would benefit is too uncertain.

The absence of two of the five members of the panel that regulates utilities in New York led to a delay today in a decision about whether to allow a Spanish company that wants to invest $2 billion in wind power in New York to buy the parent company of two large upstate utilities. State Public Service Commission members Cheryl Buley and Robert Curry, who make $109,800 a year, were absent. Curry was ill, and Buley missed for "personal reasons,'' said commission spokesman James Denn, who said he had no other information on her absence.

A state Public Service Commission member who was embroiled in several political skirmishes during her two-year tenure says she's resigning next month to get married and move to Kentucky. Commissioner Cheryl Buley was appointed to the $109,800-a-year position on the PSC by former Republican Gov. George Pataki in June 2006 for a term ending in February 2012. Her resignation is effective Sept. 3, the day the PSC is to vote on Iberdrola SA's $4.6 billion proposal to buy Energy East.

"We've been really derelict," Specter said of Congress' response to the energy issue. "We're gonna have to go to alternate forms of energy, and I've been supporting that." Virginia Deeter from Somerset County told Specter her home of 30 years soon would sit between two wind turbine facilities: one 1,400 feet away from her back door and the other 1,800 feet away from her front door. "Our home is going to be worthless," she said she was told by real estate agents. "Where do we turn?"

Like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, the elements needed to put together a 5-megawatt wind energy farm northwest of New Ulm are all coming together for the New Ulm Public Utilities Commission. Giant steps were taken at the NUPUC meeting Tuesday as the commission approved the land and wind easement leases with three landowners in southwestern Nicollet County to provide space for the wind turbines needed to generate that amount of "green" energy. In all, New Ulm Public Utilities would be leasing a total of 237.03 acres just off Highway 7, about 5 miles northwest of Klossner.

NorthWestern Energy said it is seeking permits for a natural-gas-fired power plant near Anaconda, Mont., and hopes to start building the plant next year. ...The $206 million plant would be used to stabilize the electric grid and allow NorthWestern to take more wind power onto the system, company officials said. ...PSC Commissioner Ken Toole welcomed the permit application. He said such a plant could allow for the production of more wind power plants, which require so-called "firming" power to fill in the gaps when winds are not blowing.

Onshore wind contracts to purchase energy for Delmarva Power's standard-offer service customers could be given the nod of approval by early October. Wind-power watchers are awaiting the Sept. 17 publication of the Public Service Commission staff report on the contracts. ...Delmarva Power has asked the Public Service Commission (PSC) for an expedited review of three onshore wind contracts, to ensure the power company can include the contracts in its renewable energy portfolio by 2009.

California, whose laws require it to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010, has its eyes on Oregon's growing wind power industry. "They're certainly trying to grab it everywhere they can," said Lee Beyer, chairman of the Oregon Public Utility Commission. ...California already imports hydropower in the summer; Oregon and Washington take deliveries from California generators in cold winter months. But Oregon and Washington also face clean energy laws and want the energy too.

Iberdrola SA of Bilbao, Spain, has bid more than $4.5 billion for Energy East Corp., the parent company of Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. and New York State Electric and Gas Corp. Fourteen months after the friendly deal was unveiled, Iberdrola is due to get a thumbs up or thumbs down Wednesday from the state Public Service Commission. At stake are $2 billion in upstate investment, New York's reputation as a place to do business and what might happen to the fourth-highest residential electricity rates in the nation.

Florida Power & Light officials told state regulators today that nuclear power should join solar and wind as a renewable energy source in Florida. "I think the goal, the intent is to have the most material impact on greenhouse gases," said Eric E. Silagy, FPL's chief development officer in explaining why Florida's Public Service Commission should reconsider the definition. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, there are virtually no air emissions, such as greenhouse gases that may contribute to global warming, according to FPL's Web site.

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing. That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, ...are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.

Wind Energy Systems Technology, headquatered in New Iberia, recently ad-dressed the Louisiana Public Service Commission regarding its desire to expand wind-gathering operations to the Louisiana Coast. Harold Schoeffler, of Lafayette and W.E.S.T. partner , said the group left the meeting with more questions then answers. ...Schoeffler said the Public Service Commission has transferred renewable energy to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has once again challenged Kansas to utilize alternative energy sources. The voluntary initiative encourages Kansas to have 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy installed by 2015. But if some experts are right, that increased reliance on renewable energy will mean Kansas will also have higher utility bills. And because of a lack of transmission lines, there may be no place for the energy to go.