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Eastern Shore wind project confronts eagles, Navy; Proposed turbines face concerns over bird deaths, radar interference
April 29, 2013 by Timothy B. Wheeler in The Baltimore Sun
April 29, 2013 by Timothy B. Wheeler in The Baltimore Sun
The agency estimated that the original plan to put up 60 turbines east of Princess Anne could kill up to 43 eagles a year. The developer's experts disputed that, projecting deaths of 15 to 18 birds annually, but the agency said even that lower rate would result in more eagle deaths than any other wind project proposed nationwide. ...Biologists don't know how big a buffer is needed for bald eagles, which can roam over thousands of acres to find food.
Fourmile Ridge wind farm gets PSC approval; Building begins after Garrett issues permits
April 26, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
April 26, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
The project is also awaiting Federal Aviation Administration approval because there was an issue with the Grantsville VOR/DME system. ...With Garrett County as an ideal spot for wind turbines, all of the projects will and do affect the safety and economic outlook of the Garrett County Airport, said Kelley in a letter to Melinda George of the FAA.
With stipulations, PSC agrees to Fourmile waiver
April 18, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
April 18, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
The Maryland Public Service Commission is recommending that Fourmile Wind Energy LLC's request of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity waiver application be granted. However, it has placed conditions on the Fourmile Ridge wind project, according to a letter to David Collins, executive PSC secretary, from PSC Office of Staff Counsel.
Although the turbine is expected to generate more than enough electricity to power the sewer plant, it must still connect to the grid since the plant needs a consistent source of electricity, and the turbine's output could fluctuate depending on how windy it is, officials have said. The city also can sell the excess electricity back to the grid.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
Maryland]
Bald eagle toll a sticking point for Somerset County wind project
March 11, 2013 by Jeremy Cox in The Salisbury Times
March 11, 2013 by Jeremy Cox in The Salisbury Times
Twenty bald eagles a year could be killed by the spinning blades a company wants to build in Somerset County to harness the power of wind for cheap energy, federal wildlife officials say.
That's too much for Delmarva's eagle population to bear, said Sarah Nystrom, the Northeast region's bald and golden eagle coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Senate give preliminary approval to O'Malley's wind power bill
March 8, 2013 by Pamela Wood in Capital Gazette
March 8, 2013 by Pamela Wood in Capital Gazette
Gov. Martin O'Malley's bill promoting offshore wind farms is moving through the state Senate ...Republicans also got the floor leader for the bill, Sen. Thomas Middleton, D-Charles, to concede that offshore wind power is the most expensive form of renewable energy.
Also filed under [
Offshore Wind|
Maryland]
Republicans in the General Assembly and some business groups, including the Maryland Retailers Association opposed the legislation, saying the utility surcharges would put much of the burden of paying for the alternative energy on the backs of consumers and small-business owners.
Gov. Martin O'Malley's Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 passed in the House of Delegates by a 86-48 vote on Friday, much to the chagrin of some Eastern Shore delegation members.
The bill proposes to build an offshore wind energy facility at least 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City.
Also filed under [
Offshore Wind|
Maryland]
Maryland's bid to become the first state to build an offshore wind farm took a step forward this week when the House of Delegates approved a wind energy infrastructure bill.
Also filed under [
Offshore Wind|
Maryland]
The measure sidestepped eight amendments proposed by House Republicans, aiming to restrict the project's cost on the state and taxpayers.
Republican Delegate Patrick McDonough of Baltimore and Harford counties noted that the offshore wind bill, if successful, would fail to meet the state's energy needs.
The internal study by the FAA revealed that all 24 wind turbines are within 3 1/2 nautical miles of a Very High Frequency Omni Directional Radio Range and Tactical Air Navigation Aid, known as the Grantsville VOR, located in Avilton.
Interference may occur from wind turbines up to 8 nautical miles from the antenna.
Annually, residential customers will pay a total of $41 million under the bill, and commercial and industrial consumers will pay $54.8 million, according to a state analysis. The developer of the project will recover about $1.73 billion from customers over the life of the project.
Also filed under [
Impact on Economy|
Maryland]
Maryland's governor tells state Senate panel offshore wind bill would create hundreds of jobs
February 13, 2013 by Associated Press in Washington Post
February 13, 2013 by Associated Press in Washington Post
Jeff Zellmer of the Maryland Retailers Association told committee members the measure would cost jobs, not create them.
The bill would limit rate increases for residential customers to $1.50 a month and businesses to 1.5 percent. However, Zellmer said supermarkets operate on a 2 percent profit margin and electricity is the second-largest cost for grocery chains.
Also filed under [
Offshore Wind|
Maryland]
Maryland ocean turbines seen powering U.S. offshore power
February 11, 2013 by Jim Snyder & Justin Doom in Bloomberg News
February 11, 2013 by Jim Snyder & Justin Doom in Bloomberg News
Offshore wind has been a harder sell. Installing turbines that can withstand harsh maritime environments is more costly than planting them in the middle of a field, said Chris Long, manager of offshore wind and siting policy for AWEA, a Washington-based trade group whose members include General Electric Co. and the U.S. unit of Spain’s Iberdrola SA.
Also filed under [
Offshore Wind|
Maryland]
Maryland offshore wind plan likely to pass, but will it be built?
February 4, 2013 by Aaron C. Davis in Washington Post
February 4, 2013 by Aaron C. Davis in Washington Post
O'Malley acknowledged that he is now less optimistic that offshore wind development could begin as quickly as he hoped.
The governor also said that, given the apparent need for the industry to develop big projects that can gain cost advantages with size, he was no longer certain any state on its own could succeed in spurring development of offshore wind energy.
New western Maryland wind energy project in works
January 27, 2013 by Timothy B. Wheeler in The Baltimore Sun
January 27, 2013 by Timothy B. Wheeler in The Baltimore Sun
The proposal is renewing concerns raised by some western Maryland resident about the state's first two wind projects, in particular the towering windmills' proximity to homes and their potential to kill birds and bats, including one listed as endangered in Maryland. Some also worry that construction of this project could clear a large swath of forest and harm the nearby Savage River, one of Maryland's premier trout streams.
Company hopes to build nine wind turbines near Accident
January 26, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
January 26, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
New Dimension Energy Company LLC, a subsidiary of FloDesign Wind Turbine Corporation, recently filed an application for a meteorological tower permit in Garrett County. The company hopes to build nine wind turbines ...Two of the wind turbines were denied Federal Aviation Administration approval for determination of no hazard to air navigation.
Long process ahead for a wind farm; Extensive data must be gathered, energy adviser says
January 25, 2013 by Holly Nunn in The Gazette
January 25, 2013 by Holly Nunn in The Gazette
Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to establish an offshore wind farm might be poised to breeze through the General Assembly this year, but it will be at least five years before any turbines are constructed off the coast of Ocean City.
Fourmile project on state's ‘sensitive areas'
January 22, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
January 22, 2013 by Elaine Blaisdell in Cumberland Times-News
A major portion - 75 percent - of the proposed Fourmile Ridge wind project in eastern Garrett County is in the state's designated "sensitive areas" as having rare, threatened and endangered species, according to Jim Torrington, chief of the Garrett County Permits and Inspections Division.
O'Malley sweetens Md. wind farm plan for minority businesses
January 22, 2013 by Aaron C. Davis in The Washington Post
January 22, 2013 by Aaron C. Davis in The Washington Post
One of the remaining two African American lawmakers who had opposed the governor's plan, Sen. Catherine E. Pugh (D-Baltimore) ,helped negotiate $10 million in aid to minority-owned businesses that made the proposal palatable to the NAACP, said Maryland state conference president Gerald Stansbury.