The Maryland Public Service Commission is requiring more information from Criterion Power Partners, LLC for the proposed Backbone Mountain wind turbine project. According to a letter sent by Terry Romine, executive secretary of the PSC, to Kevin Rackstraw, developmental leader at Clipper Windpower, the commission has several questions about the interconnection agreement that would allow the wind turbine project to connect with the grid and Allegheny Power. "With this particular project," Todd Meyers, spokesman for Allegheny Power, said, "the company's studies were done three years ago.

Carroll studied the turbines and last week became the first in the state to enact an ordinance authorizing small turbines, limiting landowners to two 150-foot-tall systems per property. Officials hope many more people in Carroll and throughout the state take the opportunity to cut down on ever increasing electricity bills. ...Carroll Chief of Staff Steven Powell cautioned residents from hastily buying a turbine without checking to see if their property is well-matched. "Before someone makes a major investment, it's an e-mail or a call to make sure it's even practical."

The use of eminent domain in Garrett County isn't going to happen in the foreseeable future, according to the county commissioners. ...The question of whether the county would use eminent domain in regards to industrial wind turbines was raised by John Bambacus of Frostburg through several e-mails and in letters to local papers. He questioned if the county would use eminent domain to seize property in order to see that turbines would be placed on Garrett County land. ...Commissioner Ernie Gregg said, "I'm opposed to the use of eminent domain. There would be very stringent and compelling reasons for the use of it. Certainly (industrial wind) is not one of them.

The question about whether Garrett County will use its power of eminent domain to seize private property if a citizen refuses to grant an easement to a wind turbine company is purely a hypothetical one, according to the Garrett County commissioners. The officials indicated on Tuesday that they have no desire to use that power anytime in the near future. "You can never say never, but you can say that it's not on the horizon," said commission board chair Denny Glotfelty during a public discussion about eminent domain. "We preserve personal property. That's what we stand for. So we're not going to turn around and take that right away."

The Carroll County commissioners unanimously voted yesterday to allow the installation of small wind turbines. The amendment to the zoning ordinance, believed to be the first of its kind in Maryland, limits properties to no more than two "small wind energy systems" each consisting of a single tower not to exceed 150 feet in height, County Attorney Kim Millender said. ...The commissioners' unanimous vote came after all agreed to modify the amendment to say that systems out of service for a continuous six-month period, instead of the drafted version's 12 months, would be considered abandoned.

Through legislation passed last year, a company with plans for power projects generating less than 70 megawatts would bypass the certificate process. While the Clipper project proposed on the same land had been a larger-scale project than Criterion, the reduction to 28 wind turbines allows the Criterion project to fall within the exemption range. However, the change in the amount of energy being produced, the increased height of the turbines, and the change from Clipper to its subsidiary, Criterion, have been the subject of opposition to the PSC's possible acceptance of other studies, like the effect on local wildlife, done when the project was first proposed in 2002.

A wind farm developer is shrinking a proposal to build turbines in Western Maryland, making the project small enough to be exempt from a major environmental review. Clipper Windpower Inc. officials say they now want to build 28 turbines instead of 67 along Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. That could make it the first project to be exempt from broad state review under a 2007 law meant to speed up construction of wind farm projects. Clipper is one of three companies competing to be the first to build wind turbines in Western Maryland.

The Maryland Public Service Commission heard testimony Wednesday on whether to use a new state law to grant fast-track approval for a Garrett County wind power project. The PSC staff has already recommended approval of the Backbone Mountain project. The commissioners did not indicate when they will decide. ...However, company officials say whether the company decides to go ahead with the project also depends on whether Congress extends wind power tax credits. If the tax credits are not extended, electricity costs would have to be about 30 percent higher to cover the more than $120 million cost of the project, said Kevin Rackstraw, a Clipper Windpower executive.

State regulators say they need more time to review a proposed settlement before deciding whether to approve a $1.3 billion multistate power line. State law requires the West Virginia Public Service Commission to issue a decision on the power line by May 3. But the PSC said last week that it wants to push back the deadline until at least Aug. 2. Allegheny Energy Inc. subsidiary Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co., also known as TrAILCo, wants to build the 500-kilovolt, 240-mile power line between Washington County, Pa., and Loudoun County, Va. In West Virginia, the line would pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire counties.

The Garrett County Planning Commission approved 6-1 a recommendation to the county commissioners for a referendum vote on county-wide zoning. "The county commissioners have said they wouldn't support it without referendum," Troy Ellington, chairman, said. "We are going to ask the commissioners to request county-wide zoning again be put up for referendum vote." This came following a request by Oakland resident Barbara Boone that the planning commission consider an Adequate Public Facility Ordinance, which would allow local government to deny or delay new developments if existing services could not support them. It would require developers to prove there would be adequate services for new developments they propose.

The draft comprehensive plan approved by the Garrett County Planning Commission considers ridgelines as a sensitive area in need of protection, which could prevent the development of wind turbines if the plan is passed and regulations are put in place. "The next series of changes we would need to make would be to our regulations themselves," John Nelson, director of Planning and Land Development, said at the Wednesday planning commission meeting. "This text makes recommendations to that effect. ... We're looking at the adoption of this plan around July 1." ...If that is completed within a timely manner with no complications, the plan could be ready for the county commissioners' approval as early as July. To implement the recommendations into regulations for sensitive areas, like the ridge tops, could take anywhere from six months to one year. Barbara Boone of Oakland said that the regulations, as recommended in the comprehensive plan, wouldn't be enough to zone areas where wind turbines could be placed properly.

The Maryland Public Service Commission will make the official decision on the Criterion Power Partners, LLC wind project on Backbone Mountain next week, but already PSC staff is recommending the company's request. "Staff recommends that the Commission grant Criterion's application," the recommendation reads. "... and advise Criterion that an exemption from the (Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity) requirement does not limit the authority of any state or local authority ..." The document, available through the PSC Web site, states that Criterion, a subsidiary of Clipper Windpower Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif., will have to go through the necessary permitting processes, and that it should also include the approval of a stormwater/sediment erosion permit by Garrett County agencies, as the county had requested be done prior to the acceptance of the application.

"The announcement the other day wasn't an announcement against wind energy or alternative energy. It was an announcement to preserve the public lands that we hold in trust for future generations," said Rick Abbruzzese, an O'Malley spokesman. "The governor is interested in doing all that we can to find alternative energy sources here in Maryland," he said. "But it didn't make sense to do at this particular state park." O'Malley's decision has "absolutely no impact" on the renewable portfolio standards or RPS bill ..."

In all, nearly 100 people attended the 45-minute presentation. After the meeting, Fannie Johnson, an Oakland native, thanked Griffin for helping to preserve "God's country." Delegate Wendell Beitzel, who in January joined state Sen. George Edwards in opposing the placement of wind turbines on public lands, called O'Malley's news "a wonderful announcement." "We were real concerned about the potential loss of our state parks and public lands," Beitzel said. "This city guy gets it," Griffin told Beitzel of O'Malley, a former Baltimore mayor. Edgerley noted that projects such as the one proposed by U.S. Wind Force on Meadow Mountain could create jobs. But much of the criticism of this particular project was its placement on public land, he said. "I think the issue of where they go has been resolved," Edgerley said. ...Former state Sen. John Bambacus, an opponent of wind turbines on state land, felt his concerns had been listened to by local officials and O'Malley, who noted Bambacus' effort during his remarks. Bambacus said he woke up Saturday morning "cautiously optimistic" about O'Malley's announcement.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) announced yesterday morning that he will bar commercial wind turbines from state-owned land, satisfying Western Maryland opponents of the turbines but disappointing supporters of the wind energy industry. Speaking at a scenic overlook in the Savage River State Forest in Garrett County, O'Malley said the state remains committed to exploring renewable energy sources but said the wind energy industry should look to other land for large-scale wind farms. "While we must continue to explore and make progress on creating a more sustainable and independent energy future for Maryland, we will not do so at the expense of the special land we hold in the public trust," he said. ...The idea attracted considerable opposition from residents who feared the turbines would mar the area's natural beauty and hurt tourism. "A big part of our economy is based on tourism. You'd have to put in roads, dig up property to put these things in," said Sen. George C. Edwards (R-Garrett). "It would distract from the scenery of the forestlands."

Gov. Martin O'Malley said Saturday that his administration will not allow commercial wind turbines on state forest land, ending a heated four-month debate. "While we must continue to explore and make progress on creating a more sustainable and independent energy future for Maryland, we will not do so at the expense of the special lands we hold in the public trust," the Democratic governor said. O'Malley spoke at a news conference at a scenic overlook in the Savage River State Forest. ...The state sought public comment on the concept, bringing 1,400 responses, 83 percent of them opposed, DNR spokeswoman Olivia Campbell said.

Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to announce today that his administration will prohibit the construction of wind turbines in Maryland's state forests and parks, according to administration sources. The decision ends a hotly protested proposal by a Pennsylvania company to clear about 400 mountaintop acres in two Western Maryland state forests to build 100 wind turbines. O'Malley is scheduled to announce his decision this morning atop a scenic mountain overlook in Savage River State Forest that would have been altered by 40-story windmills. ...O'Malley listened to both sides but finally sided with preserving open space. "The governor feels very strongly that ... we need to protect our conservation lands because we hold them in trust for future generations," said one administration source. Maryland has no wind farms today.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has decided against allowing private companies to build windmills on state park land in western Maryland, WBAL TV 11 News has learned. The governor strongly supports developing solar and wind energy. Wind power is a pollution-free energy source that can generate enough electricity to power 55,000 households. But clear-cutting acres of state forests to install the windmills is being met with overwhelming public opposition, and the governor is choosing to put the quality-of-life of those most impacted ahead of profits, 11 News reporter David Collins said.

The governor's office will not reveal its decision until Saturday morning, but he is expected to say no to wind turbines on public land. "The picture people have now of the beautiful cascading mountains; 450-million-year-old mountains rising up out of the mist will be completely replaced by massive, skyscraper-sized industrial development, and that is all that people will see," said Jon Boone, Friends of Backbone Mountain. "What are the drivers for the windmills; it is money. ..."

Gov. Martin O'Malley has scheduled a trip to western Maryland to announce whether his administration will allow wind turbines on state forest land. ...The planned announcement will cap four months of heated debate over a company's proposal to lease and clear hundreds of acres in the western mountains to erect about 100 turbines for electricity generation.