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Vote on controversial bill on siting of energy projects delayed
March 20, 2013 by Terri Hallenbeck in Burlington Free Press

Senate Bill 30 is being pushed by critics of wind projects that they say have been damaging Vermont's mountaintops without significantly reducing the state's greenhouse gaCampbell said the delay was partly in response to a letter he received from Jeff Wolfe, owner of GroSolar, who threatened to work to unseat Campbell if he voted for the bill. Because Campbell would be presiding over the Senate on Wednesday, he couldn’t vote on the bill, which he did not want to be interpreted as cowering to the threat.s emissions.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Vermont]

Wind moratorium will get a vote on senate floor
March 20, 2013 by Sam Evans-Brown in New Hampshire Public Radio

After a long day of testimony, Senator Bradley introduced an amendment that stripped the language having to do with transmission lines out of the bill and replaced it with a one year moratorium only on new wind farms. The bill would create a committee to study and recommend updates to the siting rules for wind farms.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| New Hampshire]

State's new plan for renewables turns to large hydropower, away from biomass
March 20, 2013 by Brian Dowling in The Hartford Courant

The plan supports proposed changes to state laws governing how much of which type of energy the state should promote. Ratepayers suffer when the state falls short of its renewable energy targets, as is expected this year, Esty said. The main reason: State incentives have gone to the wrong technologies, he said.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Connecticut]

Effort to push back renewable energy requirements fails in House committee
March 20, 2013 by Brent D. Wistrom in The Wichita Eagle

Rep. Dennis Hedke, said the pushback against renewable energy standards is about 2.9 million Kansans who are seeing higher energy rates that he says are driven largely by government mandates to use alternative energy sources. Hedke said electrical rates have increased 37 percent since 2008.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Kansas]

Cape Wind construction could begin off Massachusetts coast by year-end
March 19, 2013 by Scott DiSavino in Reuters

BTMU is providing a significant amount of debt capital that will be used to pay for development and construction of the project, Cape Wind said. The company could not say how much BTMU was expected to raise.

Also filed under [ General| USA| Massachusetts]

Grid chief warns of New England power issues
March 19, 2013 by The Associated Press in Portland Press Herald

Van Welie said at one point, 6,000 megawatts of electricity - about a fifth of the region's total capacity - wasn't available, in part because gas generators couldn't find fuel. ...But he also emphasized the need to beef up fuel inventory, such as by building more storage facilities, making contracts with liquid natural gas suppliers and investing in pipelines, including those that can carry two fuels, such as oil and gas.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy]

Renewables chief sheds parallel role
March 19, 2013 by Patrick Cassidy in Cape Cod Times

The cooperative, which was formed in 2007 to pursue renewable energy projects on behalf of its member towns, counties and the Compact, has largely given up on wind energy in the face of fierce opposition and is struggling to construct solar projects announced in 2012.

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

More pain to come on power prices
March 18, 2013 by Peter Hannam and Brian Robins in Camden Haven Courier

Even though wind power is inexpensive to build, it is difficult to obtain the permits and approvals, and it also needs gas-fired power stations to generate electricity when the wind is not blowing. ...''At the moment, these are marginal fuels, free-riding on the system. Once that free ride is over, they will have to pay their way, and that will result in increased costs.''

Also filed under [ Impact on Economy| Energy Policy| Australia / New Zealand]

Funding Shortfall: Germany Forced to Cancel Climate Programs
March 17, 2013 in Der Spiegel

That the German government is facing a massive budget shortfall for projects aimed at transforming the country into a model of alternative energy and environmental friendliness is hardly new. The European cap-and-trade system has for months been sliding into inconsequence as prices for CO2 emissions have stubbornly remained below €5 ($6.47) per ton.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Europe| Germany]

Finnish islands case could determine EU green power rules
March 17, 2013 by Barbara Lewis in Reuters

The Aland archipelago is part of Finland, but its electric generation company Alands Vindkraft has a wind farm named Oskar and a grid connection to Sweden, not to Finland. Sweden refused to award Oskar's green energy the subsidies it hands out as an incentive to domestic renewables claiming it would be unfair to Swedish customers if they were effectively paying to help Finland meet its renewable energy targets.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Europe]

Ohio Senate re-examines feasibility of ‘green' law
March 17, 2013 by Dan Gearino in The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio's benchmarks for renewable energy and energy efficiency are getting a five-year checkup that some defenders fear will turn into an amputation. An Ohio Senate panel began hearings last week to examine the rules and figure out whether there is a way to address some businesses' concerns that the mandates are too costly.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Ohio]

Ontario's Green Energy Act sparks spirited debate
March 17, 2013 by Valerie MacDonald in Northumberland Today

The Green Energy Act, with its goal of continuing to increase alternative energy as Ontario faces the need to update its power-generating and transmission infrastructure, is being hotly debated by members of the public, municipal councils, provincial politicians and those in the business of creating power. The following are two sides of the energy story.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Canada]

Going inside Kingston's shadow-flicker zone
March 16, 2013 by Bradford Randall in Kingston Journal

Middle-school student Brian Reilly says he can't play basketball on Leland Road when the strobing effect from the Kingston Wind Independence (KWI) Turbine's shadow flicker is at full throttle. "I get a wicked bad headache so I have to go inside," Brian told the Journal as he stood on the front steps of his neighbors house.

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Noise| Shadow flicker| Massachusetts]

California utilities' renewable energy spending up
March 15, 2013 by David R. Baker in San Francisco Chronicle

The utilities have warned that the push to buy renewable power will raise customers' bills. PG&E, for example, estimates that renewable contracts will add about 1 to 2 percent to bills each year through 2020. ...Long-term power purchase contracts with wind farms, solar plants and other renewable energy facilities averaged 9.9 cents per kilowatt hour.

Also filed under [ Impact on Economy| Energy Policy| California]

New bill seeks to repeal N.C.'s renewable energy mandate
March 14, 2013 by Laura DiMugno in North American Windpower

North Carolina's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard, passed in 2007, is 12.5% by 2021 for investor-owned utilities and 10% by 2018 for electric cooperatives and municipal utilities. The authors of the bill, dubbed the "Affordable and Reliable Energy Act," say the state's RPS is raising energy costs for North Carolina consumers.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| North Carolina]

Shah says company financial struggles won't affect turbines
March 14, 2013 by Ariel Wittenberg in South Coast Today

Pottel said he has become increasingly skeptical of Shah since it was revealed two weeks ago that one of the turbines malfunctioned during a state noise test. "How did that malfunction magically fix itself when the testing was done?" Pottel asked. "It definitely raises questions about (Shah's) general credibility."

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

Saugus turbine contract in jeopardy
March 13, 2013 by Thor Jourgensen in The Daily Item

The Water and Sewer Commission is poised to yank a $1.8 million contract from a Saugus firm over claims that KGCI Inc. has not paid a vendor assembling the commission's 254-foot-tall wind turbine tower. "The contractor obviously has a cash flow problem," said commission attorney Samuel Vitali.

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

Falmouth turbine takedown costs remain up in air
March 13, 2013 by Sean Teehan in Cape Cod Times

Town officials are unsure whether Falmouth will have to pay back nearly $5 million in federal stimulus funds that the town received in 2010 to construct the Wind 2 turbine. When taking into account the debt amassed by the two turbines, the cost of removing them and service contract is between about $12.3 and $15.2 million.

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

Scituate selectmen vote against petition looking to shut down wind turbine
March 13, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger

The selectmen said no decision on the turbine should be made until the board of health completes a noise study that is expected to start this spring. The study will determine if the turbine complies with state noise standards.

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

'Unprecedented' plan needed to remove Falmouth turbines; Special legislation also required
March 12, 2013 by Scott A. Giordano in The Bulletin

Selectmen Chairman Kevin Murphy said there are many variables remaining. There is still no word on whether the state will offer any financial assistance to the town, no word on whether any existing debts will be forgiven, and no definite figure for resale value of the turbines. In addition, legal expenses are unknown.

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

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