he United States Department of Energy issued a proposal yesterday that could reopen the way for a 190-mile high-voltage transmission line through central New York that state and local officials tried to block last year. The department declared a multistate area from West Virginia to upstate New York a "National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor," where congestion of existing power lines makes the electricity grid unreliable and subject to blackouts.

Detractors of offshore wind power have long pointed out that the wind doesn't always blow very hard, even over the high seas, which makes it a somewhat undependable way to keep the lights on. But a team of University of Delaware researchers say they've quantified a way to make that less of a problem -- and reduce the need to develop costly backup power plants on land or dip into the expensive peak-period electricity market when winds are limp.

The Umatilla County Planning Commission denied a permit for the power line Nov. 17, stating WKN should look for alternatives to an entirely new transmission line. WKN appealed that decision Dec. 6 and the board of commissioners, 2-0, denied its appeal Monday. Commissioner Bill Hansell recused himself from the hearing, citing a perception of a conflict of interest.

On the bushy, coastal horizon, where the land meets the sea, a five-storey water factory will soon begin to dominate the skyline. But it is not the appearance that angers Mr Cannon, who is also president of anti-desalination lobby group Watershed. ‘‘They say they are putting in a 60-megawatt wind farm to offset the enormous energy the plant will use.

The power is to be supplied by hydro and wind generators in Canada. The project held a public hearing before an administrative law judge in Plattsburgh in November. That judge is expected to make a recommendation to the Public Service Commission later this year.

The Union Township Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to reject the wind turbine zoning recommendations made by the Union Neighbors United group, which was submitted at the last zoning commission meeting. However, the buck doesn't necessarily stop there. The zoning commission now must forward the resolution to the Union Township Trustees with a recommendation to reject it. It's up to the trustees from there.

Union Township trustees will have two issues to vote on at the Jan. 17 public hearing concerning wind turbine proposals. The meeting will be at 7 p.m in the Champaign County Community Center. Union Township Trustee President Doug Hurst said there will be no limit to the number of people who can speak, but each speaker will be limited to five minutes. According to Champaign County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Scott Schockling, the first issue is to vote on the Union Township Zoning Commission's recommendation to accept wind turbine regulations crafted by the zoning commission. The second issue is to vote on the zoning commission's recommendation to reject wind turbine regulations crafted by Union Neighbors United.

The Union Township Trustees voted on Thursday to make Union Township and Champaign County the leading body in Ohio concerning wind turbine zoning regulations. In a 2-0 vote, the trustees voted to approve the Union Township Zoning Commission's recommendation to accept its own wind turbine zoning resolution. Trustee President Doug Hurst abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest, making Howard Peters and James Virts the deciding trustees. The two also voted unanimously to approve the commission's recommendation to reject a zoning proposal crafted by Union Neighbors United. ...There are four major points of concern the UNU has with the zoning recommendations approved by the trustees. "The 1,000-foot setback from your home is unsafe and an arbitrary figure with no basis in science," ...The fact that there is no noise testing required ...The height limit also presented a problem for the UNU. According to McConnell, 500 feet is the height for offshore wind farms and shouldn't be used on land.

Union Twp. residents will have to decide whether they want zoning regulations for wind turbines. Energy companies have made proposals to erect numerous windmills in the county, including Union Twp. The issue is on the Nov. 4 ballot. ...The regulations, which were drafted by a township zoning commission, do not adequately protect area homeowners, said Julie Johnson, a Union Neighbors United representative. Among the problems, she said, the regulations rely on the state to set a noise standard for the turbines, and would measure setbacks from homes, instead of property values.

More proposals for wind turbine zoning regulations within Union Twp. were discussed Wednesday night. ...The commission decided to wait to vote on the proposal until a completed draft has been compiled and until the Wind Turbine Study Group - a new group created by the county prosecutor's office to examine the affects of wind energy development in the county - has had a chance to meet and submit suggestions.

Six years ago her dream was shattered. Transpower, the state-owned company which runs the national electricity grid, announced its plans to build a bigger transmission line to Auckland. The pylons would be up to 70m high, almost twice as big as the existing 40m towers on the same route.

Attorneys for Union Neighbors United filed a 26-page reply brief in the appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court on Monday, arguing the Ohio Power Siting Board's decision to permit construction of utility-scale wind turbines in Champaign County is contrary to the public interest and infringes on the rights of neighbors of the proposed Buckeye Wind project.

Attorneys representing Union Neighbors United filed a notice with the Ohio Power Siting Board on April 28, declaring the group's intent to oppose siting of Buckeye Wind farm project in Champaign County.

"Without a multi-billion investment on the order of $50 to $100 billion, our nation's transmission capabilities will be insufficient to allow for the integration of enough renewable power sources into the high voltage grid to meet the RPS requirements," Mr. Pfeifenberger said in his comments.

The two CREZ lines that could be eliminated are the Gillespie (Fredericksburg area) to Newton (Lampasas County) and the Kendall (Comfort area) to Gillespie lines. These lines could impact Kendall, Kerr, Gillespie, Llano, Burnet, Lampasas and San Saba counties. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid operator for most of the state, has concluded that there are much lower cost alternatives than the lines.

Urbana’s City Council voted unanimously Friday, Oct. 9, to file as an intervenor in a proposed wind turbine project, after concerns were raised that the project could impact approaches at two local airfields. ...Michael Speerschneider, a project developer with Everpower, said the company would work with the airport to alleviate those concerns. He said Everpower will not build a wind turbine that was deemed a hazard by the FAA. Instead, the company will offer to invest in localizer equipment at the airport to resolve the issue.

The amendment filed by Buckeye this week asks the state to allow changes to its wind farm permit, including moving the site of three construction staging areas and relocating about six miles of power lines onto leased private property. But city officials in Urbana are concerned that one of the proposed construction sites would hurt a plan to extend a sewer line.

The two utilities behind the proposed Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline are putting their best foot forward. Officials from Allegheny Power and American Electric Power held an extensive briefing for reporters on Wednesday in advance of public hearings on the project. The $1.8 billion, 765-kilovolt line is proposed to run from St. Albans, W.Va., to Kemptown, Md., via northern Frederick County.

Power companies in New England are beginning work on a nearly half-billion-dollar plan to upgrade the region’s electric grid to make way for appliances that can shut down to reduce electric bills, improve energy conservation, and connect to wind and solar energy. The first step is replacing decades-old meters with so-called smart meters that detail the use of computers, appliances, TVs, lights, and other household equipment.

"Ohio law and public policy encourage consumer-produced power through renewable resources such as wind and solar," said Consumer's Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander. "According to several consumers and supporting documents, the utility has erected obstacles that fail to comply with the law." One of those obstacles has been requiring the customer to purchase a new meter.