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Leading Bird Group Wants New DOI Secretary To Review Possible Revised Rule Weakening Eagle Protections For Wind Industry
February 18, 2013 in American Bird Conservancy
February 18, 2013 in American Bird Conservancy
In a letter to the U.S. Department of Interior, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) called on the agency to suspend further consideration of a revised rule that would weaken protections provided to eagles pursuant to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, by allowing private companies to apply for an unprecedented 30-year permit to kill these iconic species.
Although Town Meeting has voted to approve and finance the turbine project, officials now have to decide whether to proceed with construction.
"Now we have some empirical data to go through to see if there is any way to make that wind turbine project work on those limited hours," said Thomas Hurley, chairman of Milton's Board of Selectmen. "Is it worth it?"
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
O'Donnell expects turbines to resume this week, responds to new turbine concerns
February 17, 2013 by Bradford Randall in Kingston Journal
February 17, 2013 by Bradford Randall in Kingston Journal
O'Donnell's Marion Drive wind turbines have been out of operation since the night of February 8, when Winter Storm Nemo brought heavy snow and tropical storm-force winds to Kingston. ..."They can't perform in very high winds."
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
Could wind power cool New England's price fever?
February 16, 2013 by Matthew L. Wald in New York Times
February 16, 2013 by Matthew L. Wald in New York Times
Also filed under [
Impact on Economy|
Connecticut|
Massachusetts|
Maine|
New Hampshire|
Rhode Island|
Vermont]
Tax credits complicate Cape Wind, South Terminal schedule
February 16, 2013 by Ariel Wittenberg in Cape Cod Times
February 16, 2013 by Ariel Wittenberg in Cape Cod Times
Barton said that in order for Cape Wind to be eligible for the federal tax credit, it must "commence construction" before the end of the year, but the federal government has not yet clarified what exactly commencing construction means. ...Cape Wind may have to place the monopilings, or foundations, of at least some of the project's 130-turbines before the Jan. 1 deadline.
The underlying issue in New England is that gas pipeline capacity is inadequate to keep prices steady in times of high home heating demand, said Vamsi Chadalavada, executive vice president and chief operating officer of ISO New England. ISO is leading a study focused mainly on reliability, but reliability is intertwined with price, he said.
Clarksburg residents ask officials for water analysis
February 15, 2013 by Tammy Daniels in iBerkshires
February 15, 2013 by Tammy Daniels in iBerkshires
East Road residents living below Hoosac Wind Power have asked the Selectmen for help in gaining more information about liquid tested at the site.
Lawrence Lorusso of 600 East Road found what he called a "suspicious fluid" below No. 10 turbine, about mile behind his home, on Christmas Day.
Also filed under [
Pollution|
Massachusetts]
Sen. Udall of Colorado to renew push in Congress to extend wind tax credit
February 15, 2013 by Raju Chebium in Gannett News
February 15, 2013 by Raju Chebium in Gannett News
Wind energy’s most prominent Capitol Hill advocate is renewing his push for the 113th Congress to extend taxpayer subsidies for the renewable energy source.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
The wind production tax credit will be the subject of increased oversight this Congress, Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told The Hill on Tuesday. ..."There's no clarification yet as to what under construction means ... We are going to look at that as a committee because that is undefined area that in the hands of a regulator and we want to be sure we bring some clarity to that."
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
Scituate couple withdraw wind turbine lawsuit against health board
February 14, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger
February 14, 2013 by Patrick Ronan in The Patriot Ledger
The couple said they withdrew the lawsuit in response to a judge's order, but they reserve the right to re-file the claim pending a final decision on the turbine from the health board. Last month, the board ordered a limited noise study of the 390-foot-tall turbine.
Also filed under [
Impact on People|
Massachusetts]
Berne says he is deaf, but still is affected by the sound. “It reverberates from Spruce Hill (behind the house) to the front of the house.” He said the windmill is about 2,000 feet from his home.
He said his grandchildren, ages 11 and 12, have had trouble sleeping and have been bothered by the “pulsating” red aviation warning lights — an effect caused by the wind turbine blades passing in front of the red lights.
DEP tests seep near Hoosac Wind Farm turbine, finds ground water and no oil
February 12, 2013 by Phil Demers in North Adams Transcript
February 12, 2013 by Phil Demers in North Adams Transcript
The concerns of a nearby resident led to four sampling tests being taken recently from a seepage near one of the Hoosac Wind Farm's turbines.
The consensus says a four-foot long, one-inch deep pool of a suspicious-looking liquid is benign -- made up of groundwater, sediment and organic materials.
Unhappy residents close to the Hoosac Wind Project located in Florida and Monroe, Mass. will hold a press conference Tuesday to discuss what they describe as a "disturbing and unbearable turbine noise" in and around neighboring homes.
Industry works to avoid listing of prairie grouse
February 12, 2013 by Associated Press in The Daily Times
February 12, 2013 by Associated Press in The Daily Times
Oil, gas and wind energy producers are working to persuade federal wildlife officials not to enact protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a move that could force them to halt or significantly alter their operations to protect the species' dwindling grassland habitat.
Berne said the amplitude of the noise depends on the strength of the wind and its direction The wildlife has disappeared around his home, he said, and the humming and strobe-light effect of the blades wakes his grandchildren. ..."You just can't get away from them, they're constantly going," said Rosalyn Mullette, 75. "We're concerned about the future and being able to stay in this home."
Kingston BOH mulls including flicker in turbine regulations
February 8, 2013 in Wicked Local Kingston
February 8, 2013 in Wicked Local Kingston
The DEP only has a policy on sound pressures, Senie said, not regulations.
He agreed with Leland Road resident Sean Reilly that there was no real flicker study done for the Independence turbine. He said there was one for the O'Donnell turbines, but the study was based on smaller turbines.
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
A Mere Breeze: Era of fast growth ends for wind energy in Europe
February 8, 2013 by Joel Stonington in Spiegel Online
February 8, 2013 by Joel Stonington in Spiegel Online
The debt crisis is finally catching up with wind energy, once a fast-growing sector in Europe. After more than a decade of double-digit growth, austerity, rapidly changing energy policies and skittish investors are putting a damper on the industry.
State to consider turbine-specific noise regulations
February 8, 2013 by Ariel Wittenburg in South Coast Today
February 8, 2013 by Ariel Wittenburg in South Coast Today
The state will look into drafting separate noise regulations for wind turbines, Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Martin Suuberg said Thursday. ...Suuberg said he had no details on the regulations yet but that "There is a different quality of noise generated by turbines."
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
Europe consuming more coal
February 8, 2013 by Petra Krischok in Jaenschwalde and Eliza Mackintosh in Washington Post
February 8, 2013 by Petra Krischok in Jaenschwalde and Eliza Mackintosh in Washington Post
One big part of the problem, experts and officials say, is Europe's cap-and-trade system, which aims to reduce European Union-wide industrial greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. The system is the centerpiece of Europe's green policies. But the program, which charges industries for permits to emit greenhouse gases, no longer serves as a major disincentive to pollute.
Exelon chief: Wind-power subsidies could threaten nuclear plants
February 8, 2013 by Julie Wernau in Chicago Tribune
February 8, 2013 by Julie Wernau in Chicago Tribune
Crane has said the tax credit keeps turbines spinning even when there is no demand for power, driving down the price Exelon receives for power from its nuclear plants.
In wind-rich areas like Illinois, that means there are instances when Exelon pays customers to take their power rather than the other way around.