A “highly unusual” combination of weather conditions forced Canadian Hydro Developers (CHD) to shut down all 45 wind turbines in the Melancthon I plant at a time when many residents of Dufferin County were experiencing a blackout, and they remained out of service Wednesday. “The severe weather experienced on Friday (Dec. 1) caused heavy ice buildup on the blades at the Melancthon wind plant,” said Project Manager Geoff Carnegie.

He was hooted and heckled and confronted with counter-arguments by an angry crowd of 300 Eastern Townshippers. But the promoter of a controversial project to turn a dozen farmers' fields near the Vermont border into a gigantic industrial wind park got his point across last night...... At issue is a plan by Cliche's company, SM International Inc., to erect 31 towering, three-rotor wind turbines in local fields, hoping to generate two megawatts of electricity for Hydro-Qubec from each, for a total of 62 megawatts, starting in 2011 for export to the United States.

Canada's Ontario province has ordered utility companies to pay homeowners or businesses for any electricity they generate from small solar, wind, water or other renewable energy projects, starting next month. The plan is rare in North America, but it is modeled after similar approaches in Europe that have spawned a boom in small "clean energy" projects. Critics say paying for such electricity is not the cheapest source for utilities, but advocates say it is the cleanest and most environment-friendly.

A series of discrepancies in Allan Kettles application to extend his Kettles Hill Wind Farm has led to the Municipal Planning Commission turning it down. Kettles was told that he would not be allowed to proceed with the 45-turbine extension due to some serious omissions in his application. The application was rejected at a Nov. 7 meeting on the grounds that there were persistent changes to the project land parcels, there was not a complete list of all the involved landowner signatures approving the project and a noise analysis, setback data and an accurate site plan were all absent from the application.

Increasing the distance between wind turbines and residences to two kilometres would effectively end the development of a proposed windfarm on the Gulf Shore. "Without question if the municipality enacted bylaws requiring two kilometres we would simply just terminate further work on the project," Atlantic Wind Power Corporation president Charles Demond said after speaking to Cumberland municipal council. "Two kilometres would be at the absolute extreme of anything that's being contemplated around the globe." While the project is still in the development phase, the company hopes to erect 20 to 27 wind turbines on the Gulf Shore near the Irishtown Road. The company is holding an open house in Pugwash on April 11. Cumberland County is in the process of regulating wind turbines and has proposed a setback of three times a turbine's height. It could be in a position to pass its bylaw on April 18

It is still expensive, for one. Liddle put generating costs alone at nine to 11 cents per kilowatt-hour. This in a province where residential users pay a regulated price of five and 5.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on use-though in recent months industrial power users have been paying market prices of eight to ten cents per kilowatt-hour for their power. It is also unreliable. Power production depends on how the winds blow: turbines turn off when wind speeds fall below four metres per second, or when they exceed 25; they produce the most power at wind speeds of 18 metres per second.

One of the biggest hurdles facing wind power developers is getting local permission to install the giant wind turbines. Some residents near proposed projects have voiced strong objections because of disruptions to the landscape or the noise produced by the turbines, prompting local municipalities to set rigorous standards for setbacks from property lines. In Ontario alone, several projects were postponed or cancelled this past summer because of delays in approvals and permits.

Members of the Operating Engineers of Manitoba Union are upset with the contracts being offered to workers involved with the construction of the wind farm in St. Joseph. About fifteen union members are in the town today picketing in front of the community centre where a job fair is being held.

The installation of a massive wind turbine atop Grouse Mountain has been delayed after the lifting device intended to carry the blades -- a kind of giant sling -- did not perform well in tests on Thursday.

"We call upon the mayor and council to cease its attempts to frustrate the issuance of these permits and to allow its officials to process our applications in accordance with applicable law," said Timm. "If the permits are not issued promptly we will be forced to seek relief through the courts."

To admirers pointing skyward, it's a superhero lifting Ontario into a cleaner, more prosperous future. To critics, it's a villain dressed in green by an industry seeking profit and Liberals seeking another term. The collision of forces has propelled the fight over wind energy to a fevered pitch, one being fought in towns and hamlets across Ontario.

Councillor Jerry Ense noted that his family has been going to Dr. Studzienny for 20 years. He called the dentist and asked if it was all community members that the dentist was refusing to deal with. "He said, ‘No, no, only councillors. If you are a councillor I don't want you as a patient'," said Mr. Ense.

The P.E.I. government launched a sale of bonds on its latest wind energy farm Monday, but you have to live on the Island to buy them. Almost all the wind farms in Canada are financed and owned by private companies, but provincial Energy Minister Jamie Ballem said he wanted to finance the wind farm at East Point differently. “This is not going to be controlled by a major corporation in Ontario. This is not going to be bought by a pension fund in Ontario or European investors. This is ours,” he said. “I think this is probably one of the most important announcements we’re going to make when it comes to the project and the future of P.E.I.”

Amherst Island residents are wasting no time. Some residents of the rural community are mobilizing themselves to stop a large-scale wind turbine plant that's likely years away from development. The wind project is still early in the planning phase, but local residents have already organized a coalition to block what they're describing as an industrial-size plant. They're hosting a public information meeting tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Amherst Island Public School.

The red, blinking aircraft navigation night lights atop many of the island's wind turbines have attracted widespread condemnation in the area, from Howe Island, Kingston and even upstate New York. Not to mention a growing number of people on Wolfe Island itself.

Enel SpA, Italy’s largest utility, said Friday it will build two wind farms in the United States and Canada with a combined capacity of 277 megawatts as part of a €4 billion (US$5.2 billion) investment in renewable energy. Enel said a 250 megawatt capacity wind farm will be built in Smoky Hills, Kansas, and a 27 megawatt plant in Newfoundland....