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A Hillsborough County Superior Court judge David Garfunkel ruled Monday that town officials violated the state's Right-To-Know law by holding illegal non-public hearings with Antrim Wind Energy and its counsel to negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes, known as a PILOT agreement. As a result of the ruling, the terms of the deal between the town and Antrim Wind Energy has been voided.
Also filed under [
General|
New Hampshire]
Court finds Town of Antrim in violation of NH 'right to know' law; Voids PILOT agreement with Antrim Wind LLC
May 21, 2013
May 21, 2013
In his ruling he wrote: "The court grants the petitioners' request to void the PILOT Agreement ... the Board conducted numerous noticed and unnoticed, non-public meetings while negotiating the PILOT Agreement. These meetings contravened the fundamental purpose of the Right-to-Know law's goal of transparent and open government."
Also filed under [
Legal|
New Hampshire]
Residents question why wind developer wrote town's appeal
May 21, 2013 by Brandon Lawrence in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
May 21, 2013 by Brandon Lawrence in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Antrim Town Administrator Galen Stearns said that the wind developer's attorney drafted the motion for rehearing, and it was sent back and forth several times between Geiger and the town for modifications. ...He added that having Geiger draft the appeal was an attempt to speed up the process. Geiger drafted the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement that was also signed by the town.
Antrim asks for review of wind farm project
May 17, 2013 by Meghan Pierce in New Hampshire Union Leader
May 17, 2013 by Meghan Pierce in New Hampshire Union Leader
The appeal and request for a rehearing were crafted by Antrim Wind's attorneys Orr & Reno, according to Select Board Chairman Gordon Webber. Antrim Wind requested the town appeal the decision in support of the LLC's pending appeal, which has to be submitted by June 1, Webber said.
Also filed under [
General|
New Hampshire]
The Antrim Select Board voted to appeal the state ruling that denied a 10-turbine wind project after deciding to accept a $40,000 offer from Antrim Wind in a contentious meeting Monday that led to one resident being escorted out by police and several others walking away in frustration.
At Lowell, Sheffield: DPS Commissioner concerned about turbine noise
May 10, 2013 by Robin SMith in Orleans County Record
May 10, 2013 by Robin SMith in Orleans County Record
Since October, 105 complaints about the big three wind projects have been collected by the DPS division on consumer affairs and public information, not including this complaint from McGrath.
Some of those complaints are from the same people. Twenty-three different people have complained. In one case in November, 31 people joined to file a petition about wind noise about the Lowell wind project which prompted Green Mountain Power to adjust early operations.
Written order issued for Wind Energy project
May 8, 2013 by Brandon Lawrence in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
May 8, 2013 by Brandon Lawrence in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
The SEC denied Antrim Wind Energy's application based on negative visual impacts the wind farm - proposed for the ridgeline of Tuttle Hill and Willard Mountain in Antrim - would have had on the town and its surrounding communities.
Also filed under [
General|
New Hampshire]
Commission's goal is 'empowering' towns in power projects in Vermont
May 7, 2013 by Mike Faher in Brattleboro Reformer
May 7, 2013 by Mike Faher in Brattleboro Reformer
"Overall, I can say with some confidence that we have addressed the issues we consistently heard from the public and the industry developers alike -- that our current process is too complicated, too expensive, too slow, not transparent enough and not sensitive enough to cultural and environmental considerations," he said.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Vermont]
Northern Pass money dividing North Country opinions
May 7, 2013 by Dave Solomon in New Hampshire Union Leader
May 7, 2013 by Dave Solomon in New Hampshire Union Leader
Savage said the recent purchases by Northern Pass are contiguous to the anticipated route the company is trying to build, but do not address its fundamental problems of crossing the Connecticut River along Route 3 at the Canadian border, or clearing a narrow passage through conservation land in Stewartstown near the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters.
Also filed under [
Transmission|
New Hampshire]
Brighton Officials Urge PSB To Deny MET Tower Application For Wind Developer
May 6, 2013 by Amy Ash Nixon in Caledonian Record
May 6, 2013 by Amy Ash Nixon in Caledonian Record
Brighton recently adopted a newly amended town plan in which the town says it supports the regional planning agency's call for a moratorium on wind development until further study is done.
Four members of the Brighton Planning Commission and the three members of the town's select board, signed a letter urging the CPG not be issued for the MET towers.
There were planning issues, aesthetic issues, things that people get concerned about when one of these type of projects shows up in their backyard, their neighborhood, so we really felt, and the Commission felt, that we needed to emphasize the planning process more first and also give the public an opportunity, a much longer opportunity to respond. Right now, there's a 45-day public notice period when an applicant is going to file with the board.
One point of agreement during a daylong forum on wind energy in Concord last week is that nobody's really happy with the way New Hampshire has been deciding on these projects since Lempster Wind, between Keene and Claremont, was approved more than five years ago.
Also filed under [
General|
New Hampshire]
Sheffield: PSB Denies Resident Relief From Wind Farm Noise
May 4, 2013 by Amy Ash Nixon in Caledonian Record
May 4, 2013 by Amy Ash Nixon in Caledonian Record
"The noise monitoring plan is entirely under the control of First Wind, who chose the firm to design the plan and conduct the monitoring. This is a perfect example of 'the fox guarding the henhouse,' " Smith said Thursday. "The PSB's order further illustrates the near-impossibility of neighbors being able to participate in protecting their interests before the PSB."
Vt. Legislature's push to address concerns about wind power projects sputters, splinters
May 4, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
May 4, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
On Friday, the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee agreed to the House's pared-down version of what was originally a bill regulating large wind turbine projects, including a three-year moratorium.
But although Senate bill 30 is moving forward without any controls on energy siting, some key provisions are still on the table.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Vermont]
$40,000 payment sets off debate; Developer of rejected wind site makes proposal contingent on ruling's reversal
May 2, 2013 by Brandon Lawrence in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
May 2, 2013 by Brandon Lawrence in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
The Select Board voted Monday night to delay the decision whether to accept a $40,000 compensation from Antrim Wind Energy until after the state committee that turned down the project in February releases its final order. ..."It does look like you're taking a bribe," said Kat Affholter.
Also filed under [
General|
New Hampshire]
Marsha Blomberg, an ISO New England spokesperson, said the grid uses an "economic dispatch" method, which often gives the most expensive power source the temporary ax. But Johnson said cheaper sources could be curtailed if it keeps the grid safe.
Siting commission recommends more transparent, inclusive permitting process for energy projects
April 30, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
April 30, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
On Tuesday, the Vermont Energy Generation Siting Policy Commission submitted its final report and recommendations to the governor and the Vermont Legislature. The commission recommends a revision of the Section 248 permitting process.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Vermont]
Lawmakers weighing wind permit changes
April 30, 2013 by Sam Evans-Brown in New Hampshire Public Radio
April 30, 2013 by Sam Evans-Brown in New Hampshire Public Radio
The House Science, Technology and Energy Committee kicked off a summer's worth of work to reform the way the state evaluates proposals for new power plants Tuesday. They heard a whole day's worth of testimony about wind energy.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
New Hampshire]
Deflated wind power bill backed by House; Senate future remains up in the air
April 28, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
April 28, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
Senate Bill 30 might have gotten the wind knocked out of it this session, but a revised bill - far from its original call for a moratorium on big wind projects - sailed through a second reading on the House floor Friday by a vote of 140-3.
That does not mean, however, that some senators have ceased trying to pump the legislation back up.
After glitch, Georgia Mountain turbines to spin again
April 26, 2013 by Terri Hallenbeck in Burlington Free Press
April 26, 2013 by Terri Hallenbeck in Burlington Free Press
The four wind turbines on Georgia Mountain, stationary for a week, are expected to spin back into action in the near future while technicians run safety checks, a company official said Thursday.
A faulty electrical component at the site’s tie-in with power lines caused the turbines to shut down automatically, project manager Martha Staskus told the Burlington Free Press.