WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration has given the go-ahead to three Minnesota wind power projects after concluding they don't interfere with military radar.

Two Wisconsin wind power projects that were stalled by concerns that rotating turbines would interfere with military radar have received the go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration. Among them is one of the largest wind farms on the drawing board in Wisconsin: the Forward Wind Energy Center in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties. The Forward project, being developed by Invenergy of Chicago, was moving toward construction this year when it ran into a roadblock of opposition. Permits have been issued for both the Forward project, a 133-turbine development near the Horicon Marsh, as well as the Butler Ridge wind farm in Dodge County, said Bruce Beard, the FAA manager in Texas responsible for the office that issues permits.

While the Town Board has stated from the beginning that they are acting in the best interest of the "majority" of the landowners, we urge caution when deciding on the permitting process to allow Industrial Wind Turbines to be constructed in the Town of Fairfield. If the Board was never "completely" informed of the potential "negative effects" which the developer, Atlantic Wind refers to as "project effects", the SEQRA review process should be declared null and void as well as the Town of Fairfield Wind Energy Facilities Ordinance, which was passed in January of 2006. The process should then be started over, beginning with a complete survey of the landowners and residents for both their opinion and any Health concerns they may have.

Just days after the Fairfield Township Board approved a one-year moratorium on siting of wind turbines in the township, the Zoning Board of Appeals ordered Orisol Energy US Inc. to take down a 262-foot tall meteorological tower the company had erected. Both votes were unanimous.

FAIRHAVEN - Residents speaking at a forum on wind power last night made a lot of noise about what kind of sound two proposed Little Bay wind turbines would produce. During a sometimes chaotic meeting in a standing-room only hall, some wanted to know why a specific wind study has not been done on the project and why turbines would be erected closer to homes than what is recommended in other studies. "We have done the studies that the town asked us to do," said Nils Boldgen of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which has worked with the town on the project. "A noise study could be done." Officials also said the sound requirements would have to meet levels determined by the town's bylaw: 60 decibels at 600 feet.

You don't have to propose a 130-turbine wind farm in the middle of Nantucket Sound to cause a controversy. In Fairhaven, two proposed turbines behind the town's wastewater treatment plant have earned the wrath of a vocal group of residents who say the whirring blades will be too noisy and cast flickering shadows on homes during sunsets.

FAIRHAVEN - The members of WindWise Fairhaven say they're not against wind power - they just don't want a windmill near their bike path. Members of the citizen's group and a selectman candidate voiced concerns about wind turbines to about 20 citizens at a meeting in the Fire Station last night. "I, too, am worried about global warming. I saw Al Gore's movie. But we need to look into this more. I have a lot of concerns," said selectman candidate Ann Ponichtera DeNardis. The group is concerned about the impact that two industrial turbines would have on the Little Bay Area.

A regulation being considered by Bourne, Falmouth, Scituate and Kingston would lower that level to six decibels for wind turbines. A draft regulation being considered by three of those towns would also include regulations to account for the "whooshing" nature of turbine sound, as well as regulations for infrasound, or sound that is inaudible to humans.

After reviewing the Planning Board's latest draft of a bylaw that would halve the size and quadruple the setbacks for future turbine projects, Espindola is advocating that the town first deal with complaints it has received regarding the existing turbines.

Selectmen on Monday night voted to sign a 25-year lease with a private developer to install two 396-foot wind turbines on Little Bay. A final signature on the 22-page lease agreement is contingent on a formal site plan for the project to be submitted by developer CCI Energy. "It's time to move this lease forward," said Selectman Michael Silvia. "It's time to follow the Town Meeting's wishes."

FAIRHAVEN - Town Meeting Tuesday night took a decisive step to allow the development of SouthCoast's first commercial wind-power project. After more than three hours of discussion, Town Meeting voted 141 to 98 to allow the Board of Selectmen to enter into a 25-year lease agreement with private developer CCI Energy. The company plans to erect two 396-foot commercial wind turbines on town-owned land adjacent to the its waste-water treatment facility on Little Bay.

FAIRHAVEN - While the developer that wants to erect two wind turbines on town land is offering free bus trips to see operating turbines in Hull, members of the WindWise Fairhaven group questioning the project say they are paying for a noise study. WindWise member Kenneth Pottell made the revelation last night as the Board of Selectmen discussed the issue in the wake of a wind power forum last week. "It's really important that the town does it right," Mr. Pottell said. "We're not asking for something other towns haven't done."

The developer behind the Fairhaven wind turbines is abandoning the special permit granted earlier this year but not the project, according to a letter sent to the town last week. CCI Energy will now work with the town on how to restructure the project using the recently enacted Green Communities Act in order to provide the greatest benefit to the town, according to James Sweeney, CCI's president.

Although special Town Meeting voters authorized the selectmen to negotiate a 25-year lease with CCI Energy that will allow the company to install two wind turbines on town land, the deal is far from concluded. "This isn't something simple," selectmen Chairman Ronald J. Manzone said. "There are things that have to be done." CCI is still negotiating the final terms of an agreement with the town that will allow the company to erect two 396-foot turbines on town land and sell energy to the town at wholesale prices.

The Tioga Preservation Group's land use appeal of the Tioga County Planning Commission's decision to grant conditional approval for a wind farm project has been denied, opening the door for the construction of 124 wind turbines in Tioga and Bradford counties. On Aug. 8, Tioga County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Robert E. Dalton Jr. issued an order denying the appeal of the group, and upheld the planning commission's preliminary conditional approval of the land-use application made by AES Armenia Mountain Wind LLC, according to court documents.

An Ottawa company says it will start work on the first phase of Eastern Ontario’s largest wind energy project near the South Dundas community of Williamsburg this fall. Robert van Eyk, CEO and president of Windfield Energy Inc., told The AgriNews last month that plans are on track for the first few turbines, representing 10 megawatts of electricity production, to go up on property to be leased from local landowners. Although van Eyk couldn’t offer a firm time line, he suggested this initial “chunk” of the 75-megawatt project would take about two years to complete after a fall construction start. The company hopes to follow up with six similar phases and eventually dot a large swath of countryside — south of County Rd. 18 between Williamsburg and Boucks Hill — with over thirty 300-foot turbine towers, each producing between 1.8 and 2.2 megawatts.

The hearing was an appeal of Falmouth Building and Zoning Commissioner Eladio R. Gore's determination that the turbine is a municipal use and therefore did not require a special permit from the board of appeals. At stake was whether the town-owned turbine should be shut down with a cease and desist order from the board of appeals. The appellant argued the town did not follow its own zoning bylaws.

The planning board is recommending a moratorium on the siting of wind turbines in town, as well as increased scrutiny at the county level. On Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to submit an article for April's town meeting asking voters to approve a one-year moratorium on the siting of wind turbines.

At the opening night of annual town meeting, voters approved a bylaw that dramatically reduces the size of wind turbines allowed in town. The planning board presented the revised turbine siting bylaw Monday night, about five months after a similar bylaw was rejected at fall's town meeting.

More than 200 people gathered to protest against plans to build a windfarm with up to 17 wind turbines and a biomass factory at a former airfield. Developers want to turn Chelveston Airfield and its redundant Ministry of Defence buildings into a major new renewable energy plant, but action group Preserve wants to protect the greenfield site.