Wind tower manufacturer DMI Industries says it is cutting about 20 percent of its work force due to declining demand from developers struggling to get financing for wind projects. About 60 people at the company's West Fargo plant will lose their jobs. Monday's announcement came six months after Fargo-based DMI announced a major expansion to add 350 jobs plants in West Fargo and Oklahoma. The cuts will be spread across DMI's three sites in West Fargo, Tulsa, Okla., and Fort Erie, Ontario.

A representative from the energy company that built the Peak Road wind farm asked the Barnes County Commission for permission to run some heavy loads over the road next spring. ...FPL in North Dakota will receive deliveries of wind tower components originally intended for other states, and needs a place to store them until new project locations are chosen.

A wind turbine blade maker in Grand Forks is bracing for a slowdown in production in 2009. LM Glasfiber Plant Manager Bill Burga says the Lunderskov, Denmark-based company has told him to prepare for a slowdown and possible layoffs.

The transmission project "will likely require more than 1,000 miles (1,610 km) of new extra-high voltage transmission lines at a cost of between $5 billion and $10 billion," AEP said. The Midwest Independent System Operator, which manages transmission lines in the region, must approve the project. The new lines would connect 2,000 megawatts of wind power in Hartland Wind Farm project in North Dakota, near the western terminus of the proposed lines, AEP said.

Fremgen said by increasing the setback from landowners not under contract you force the wind farm developer to get contracts from any landowner that would be close enough to the turbine to have their wind resource affected. "The other issue is roads," Johnson said. "These towers take about 360 tons of concrete and are put up with 280-ton cranes. The companies always reassure the people that they will recondition the roads but how do we make sure?" The board agreed to continue with the development of an ordinance.

Separately, Otter Tail seeks to charge customers who will get wind-generated power from its portion of the new Ashtabula Wind Farm a separate fee above the usual rates. ...[the]proposed increase is known as a "renewable resource cost recovery rider 2009." Under state law, utilities are allowed to charge extra for the cost of generating electricity through alternative forms such as wind farms.

Otter Tail Power Co. wants to increase a special charge to electric customers that helps pay for its wind energy projects. ...Otter Tail is asking North Dakota's Public Service Commission to increase the charge, starting Jan. 1. It would raise the payment from $1.45 to $3.83 monthly.

A public hearing on wind facilities is slated for 5:30 p.m. Thursday before the Morton County Planning and Zoning Board at the commission room of the Morton County Courthouse. In preparation for the meeting, a Planning and Zoning Subcommittee sifted through a wind generator policy and the application process this week. According to County Auditor Paul Trauger, no applications for wind facilities have been received for generators, but there have been five inquiries.

Landowners from the Strasburg area interested in a proposed wind farm gathered at the Strasburg School gym Monday, Oct. 6, to receive an update from Just-Wind President and founder Jeff Metzger of Mound, Minn. Several landowners signed up to be included with others who had previously signed their land into the project. A map was displayed of the Strasburg project area that showed which land was committed and which was not. Metzger encouraged those who have signed leases to contact uncommitted landowners.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission has filed a complaint that Tatanka Wind Farm changed the location of some transmission towers without notifying the commission. A possible fine of up to $200,000 is by no means a certainty. "We are just putting the company on alert that our staff is concerned about this," commission President Susan Wefald told the American News on Wednesday.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates and approved the wind farm's associated transmission line, could end up fining the company as much as $200,000, said commissioner Susan Wefald, president of the commission. ...The order approving the line said the company would have to ask for permission to move any towers. In June, the company notified the PSC it had changed the location of about 50 of the 102 towers without seeking formal approval for the changes from the agency. "For a company to just ignore that is unfortunate," Wefald said after the PSC's Wednesday morning meeting. "Our orders include requirements that are important to meet."

Death comes from above and below for birds on the causeway that separates Lake Audubon from Lake Sakakawea along the Missouri River. Biologists believe overhead electrical power lines and car collisions make the two-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 83 through the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge one of the world's deadliest places for birds, on land or air. Recently, biologist Darren Doderer located casualty No. 373, a mangled and bloodied double-crested cormorant that appeared to have hit one of the dozen or so unmarked overhead power lines.

After three years of waiting, the Rugby community is looking forward to construction of a 149-megawatt wind farm. The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved the re-siting of turbines east of Rugby for Iberdrola Renewables, formerly PPM Energy, Wednesday in Bismarck. ...Iberdrola plans to move forward with the project regardless of the status of any agreement for purchase of the power. ...it appears the company is willing to commit to building even if it means selling the power on the open market

State regulators are planning a hearing next month on a proposed 368-megawatt wind farm in south central North Dakota. The project is called Just Wind. It includes 160 wind towers in Logan County, near the community of Napoleon.

The PSC reissued state certificates Wednesday to Iberdola Renewables Inc. to take over the Rugby Wind farm project from PPM Energy. PPM got the original certificates in 2005 to build 100 turbines that would put out 150 megawatts of wind power near Rugby. Iberdola proposes to 71 larger turbines, which would still put out 150 megawatts. Construction is to start around Oct. 1.

Construction on a new 149-megawatt wind farm in north central North Dakota should begin this fall, a company spokesman said, almost three years after state regulators approved the project's location north of Rugby. The Public Service Commission voted Wednesday to reissue siting certificates for the Pierce County project to Iberdrola Renewables Inc., a unit of Iberdrola Renewables S.A. of Madrid. The commissioners first approved the certificates in October 2005. The wind farm was initially developed by PPM Energy Inc. of Portland, Ore.

Backyard wind towers would be limited to 35 feet in height under an ordinance proposal being considered by the Minot Planning Commission. An ad hoc committee of the commission reported Monday on its recommendations for wind towers. The commission formed the committee in response to a turbine request from landowners in a rural subdivision that falls within the city's zoning jurisdiction. The commission voted 10-1 to recommend the Minot City Council deny the request from William and Sandra Carlson for a turbine of up to 100 feet in height at 5408-6th St. SE.

The Luverne Wind Farm may have to wait until November or later for final approval. The North Dakota Public Service Commission indicated Monday that the 157.5-megawatt wind farm may not be approved until M-Power, LLC, the community-owned developer, completes archaeological and wetlands surveys - and that may not be until after the fall harvest. M-Power asked that the wind farm siting be approved, contingent on cultural and wetlands survey results and other data meeting state regulations.

Jeff Metzger, president of Just Wind, wants to see a set of rules put in place for wind farm development in Stutsman County. "We're looking at 400 turbines in two projects in Stutsman County," he said. "We're not the only people looking at coming to North Dakota. We need your support to put a zoning ordinance in place for wind farm projects." ...Zoning regulations would define things like setbacks from residences, roads and property lines. The regulations would define where wind turbines could be constructed.