lthough wind energy is an important part of Gov. Ed Rendell's push toward clean energy, interfering with a local decision to reject wind energy "is not the state's business," state Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky said Monday. "We have a model ordinance, but we are not going to pressure people on the local level to do something they don't think they should do," he said in response to a question regarding the wind farm that was proposed on Laurel Hill in Jackson and McIntyre townships. Yablonsky said he is familiar with the situation and knows that an appeal has been filed in court regarding the county Zoning Hearing Board rejection of the wind farm developer's request for a special exception. Yablonsky said the board's rejection is the first that he has heard of since the Gov. Ed Rendell took office four years ago. Yablonsky said neither he nor the governor are discouraged by the rejection, adding that since the issue is still in the hands of a judge, it could still be approved. Other projects have been approved elsewhere in the state, he said. "To be fair, we've had some (wind farms) go forward already," he said. "We are seeing communities becoming more accepting of this."

Controversial plans for a giant wind turbine - as tall as six Angels of the North stacked on top of each other - have been revived by a South Tyneside shipyard. A fresh planning application for the huge riverside scheme has been submitted to South Tyneside Council by A&P Tyne at Hebburn. If the green scheme wins approval, it would be one the biggest structures ever seen on the Tyne. But local councillors and residents in Hebburn Village, which backs on to the yard, are set to oppose the plans as strongly as they did first time round.

Committee members worked with the planning board and looked at bylaws in Fairhaven, Harwich and Orleans. They were also wary of possible disputes like the one in Sandwich over residential wind turbines and ''wanted to be more restrictive rather than opening the floodgates,'' Braginton-Smith said. Sections of the bylaw addressed height restrictions, setbacks and noise generated by the turbines. It also addressed flicker, the visual effect of the moving turbine blades on the light from the sun. Despite a nod toward the hard work of the energy committee, Snowden moved to indefinitely postpone a vote on the bylaw article.

Moorabool Council will write to the Federal Government supporting a national wind-farm code. The decision came after WestWind Energy submitted a planning application for 40 wind turbines at Yendon and 24 at Elaine. The letter, to Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett, will aim to prevent wind farms being "constructed against the wishes of the community". The council could have little influence over approval for the Yendon/Elaine wind farm.

The Environment Court has given the go-ahead for Wel Networks' Te Uku wind farm to proceed. The consent order allowing the wind farm follows the successful mediation of outstanding appeals - and the fact ardent wind farm opponent Sean Cox has withdrawn from the fray on health grounds. Mitigation measures agreed by the parties included the formation of a community liaison group, alleviation of some visual concerns, and the relocation of the controversial turbine 29 near Hidden Valley.

The first major wind turbine project in Yellow Medicine County has received approval from the county commissioners. During the Yellow Medicine County board meeting Tuesday, the board voted to approve the proposed project that would see 20 megawatts developed in Fortier Township near Canby. Jeff Hemish of Canby received support from the Yellow Medicine County Planning and Zoning board during the June 19 meeting which helped get the 20- megawatt project approved by the county commissioners. The 20-megawatt project will be spread over 10 wind turbines Hemish said.

There's nothing on the books about wind energy in York, but by next year that could change. The town hopes to get public input this month about a draft ordinance on small residential wind turbines during the first of a number of workshops, said Town Planner Christine Grimando. ...you don't want it to have a bad impact on the environment or the economy, the local tourism.

York officials have taken the first steps toward crafting wind turbine regulations. At a Wednesday night Planning Commission work session, the five commissioners in attendance were unanimous in their support for regulations that would permit the use of wind turbines for generating electricity. During the lengthy discussion, commissioners differed on how regulations should be applied.

Selectmen Monday night approved putting 10 proposed ordinances on the May warrant, including a town wind power ordinance and significant changes to the town's growth ordinance. Few residents spoke at the second and final public hearing on the proposals, and most who did spoke about the wind ordinance. The ordinance will allow small wind turbines in all base zones in town, except in historic district or wetlands areas. Power output will be 20 kilowatts maximum, except for those on municipal lots of more than five acres. In that case, a 50 kilowatt turbine could be built.

The Planning Commission will consider during a work session next week whether York County should create a zoning ordinance allowing wind turbines in neighborhoods. ...Planning staff suggest proceeding slowly. "The lack of any first-hand, real-world experience with wind turbines anywhere in the region probably calls for a cautious approach," one document cautions.

The spinning blades of wind turbines can help power a town and save energy, but the high cost of buying and installing them has stopped Perkasie from churning forward. The Upper Bucks borough considered buying wind turbines, but after meeting with officials from electrical utility giant Exelon Corp., PECO Energy’s parent company, Perkasie officials decided that wind-generated energy might be too expensive — at least for now.

OPPONENTS of a proposal to build a wind farm on a Northumberland moor yesterday handed a bill for about £60,000 to the applicant, after deeming a public inquiry a waste of time. Save Northumberland's Environment (Sane) said npower renewables should not have pursued its application to erect 18 125m turbines at Middlemoor, near South Charlton in Alnwick district, all the way to the hearing. The group said npower had known about the Ministry of Defence's opposition to its plan on aviation grounds for several years, which members say made a costly public inquiry pointless. Sane had invested in the region of £60,000 opposing the proposals at the hearing on the grounds that the turbines would irreparably harm scenic countryside.

It was explained that a work session was held and information from the wind hearing was compiled. The board wasn't to have a work session with their attorney, Robert Knorr to go over contract terms with him and Supervisor Spalti said it would be a closed session. Leslie J. Lange, reporter from the Arcade Herald noted that the windmill law does not fall into the category for a closed session according to the Open Meeting Law. Supervisor Spalti left the meeting to obtain a book from which to refer. Councilwoman Cornwall said that the discussion was related to ‘litigation'. Deeming it litigation, she felt that meeting with their attorney is a confidential meeting.