www.windaction.org

Taxpayers are forced to subsidize wind power
June 15, 2013 by Julie Johnson in The Columbus Dispatch

Two-thirds of the cost of wind development is paid for by taxpayers. New subsidized power from remote states will be paid for by the ratepayer/taxpayer. Congress has called for the phaseout of wind subsidies. When that happens, the new transmission lines surely will be the next "bridge to nowhere." Happy Global Wind Day.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies]

Wind farm has next court date in August
June 15, 2013 by Todd Hill in Bucyrus Telegraph

The fate of the proposed Black Fork Wind Farm will soon be one step closer to being decided, as its approval by the state continues to be considered by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Also filed under [ Legal]

County, townships fight turbine ruling
June 7, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun

On Wednesday, county commissioners and trustees from Goshen, Union and Urbana townships met in executive session and then voted to ask Kevin Talebi, Champaign County prosecutor, to seek a rehearing with the siting board on the decision.

Also filed under [ General]

Commissioners, townships seek OPSB rehearing on Buckeye Wind II
June 6, 2013 by Nick Walton in Urbana Daily Citizen

The Champaign County Commission and three townships, in a special meeting Wednesday, authorized asking that the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) hold a rehearing on Buckeye Wind II. Commissioner Steve Hess said the meeting was called at the request of county Prosecutor Kevin Talebi.

Also filed under [ General]

State board OKs Champaign turbines; Senator opposed to plan that citizens' group vows to challenge.
May 29, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun

Opponents who live near the proposed project said immediately after the meeting they will ask the siting board to review its decision. If the board reaffirms its decision, the case could be appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Also filed under [ General]

OPSB approves Buckeye Wind II
May 29, 2013 by Nick Walton in Urbana Citizen

The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) approved a certificate Tuesday allowing for the construction of more than 50 wind turbines in eastern Champaign County as part of the second phase of the Buckeye Wind farm.

Also filed under [ General]

Turbines put near Lake Erie energize conservation wind power debate
May 28, 2013 by Matt Markey in The Blade

Those who have fought to preserve and enhance habitat in the marshes and woodlots near the lake for waterfowl, migratory birds, and bald eagles oppose the presence of wind turbines in the environmentally sensitive area and want a protected corridor established there.

Also filed under [ Offshore Wind]

Champaign wind farm decision nears; State board will consider second phase of turbine project.
May 21, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun

Several issues are still pending, including how the project will be taxed. Developers are expected to seek a Payment In Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, if the project moves forward. Under that scenario, Buckeye would make an annual payment to the county between $1.2 and $1.8 million spread between numerous entities.

Also filed under [ General]

Wednesday meeting to detail Greenwich wind farm proposal
May 20, 2013 by Todd Hill in Mansfield News Journal

Its operator hopes to file an application with the Ohio Power Siting Board early this summer and begin construction by the end of the year. Commercial operations would then begin in the summer or fall of 2014. Construction would have to begin this year for the operator to take advantage of a federal tax credit, unless it is renewed for next year.

Also filed under [ General]

Application process continues for southern VW County wind farm
May 9, 2013 by Ed Gebert in Times Bulletin

The update touched on many topics, but little new information was brought out. BP Wind is still working toward applying with the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB), probably in early September. The licensing process will probably take up to nine months to complete.

Also filed under [ General]

Lawmakers push to overhaul Ohio's energy standards
May 7, 2013 in Dayton Daily News

Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, said he hopes to introduce a bill overhauling the 2008 law as soon as the end of the month. "It behooves any wise person to check in. No one I know of stays with an 18-year plan and doesn't make suitable changes to the plan when market conditions change."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy]

Wind Power Honeymoon Over
April 28, 2013 by Sam Shriver in Hometown Stations

While many in the area embraced the new green wind power it's "honeymoon over" for Hoaglin township trustees Wayne Kemler and Milo Schaffner. Kemler and Schaffner want Iberdrola Renewables to pick up the tab to pave 3 and a half miles of Hoaglin township roads that they say weren't properly repaired.

Also filed under [ Impact on Landscape| Erosion]

County ends alternative energy zone
April 18, 2013 by Dave Mosier in Van Wert Independent

Having the power to withhold special tax incentives would, in effect, make a wind farm project much less attractive to energy companies, and would provide the county with more clout in bargaining with utilities seeking to locate wind turbines in Van Wert County.

Also filed under [ General]

Wind farm project up in the air; Energy company looking to sell its turbine projects
April 12, 2013 by Amy Kronenberger in The Daily Standard

Future industrial wind farm development in Mercer County is getting turbulent as BP America announced it will sell its wind energy division. BP spokesman Matt Hartwig said the Great Britain-based company decided to sell its American wind division "as part of a continuing effort to become a more focused oil and gas company and reposition the company for sustainable growth into the future."

Also filed under [ General]

Public gets a chance to investigate proposed new wind farm
April 9, 2013 by Ed Gebert in Times Bulletin

More than 100 people turned out Tuesday evening at Wayne Trace High School to find out about a proposed new wind farm in Blue Creek and Latty townships of Paulding County. The wind farm is being developed by Northwest Ohio Wind Energy and is slated to see construction begin by the end of December.

Also filed under [ General]

Change may hurt $250M wind project
April 9, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun

When the state's renewable energy mandate was enacted five years ago, both demand and prices for electricity were expected to rise, said Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz, chairman of the Ohio Senate Public Utilities Committee that is holding hearings this month on the state's renewable energy requirement. But since then, large deposits of natural gas in shale have kept energy prices down, Seitz said, and the additional demand hasn't materialized.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy]

Trouble in the wind: Turbines put near Lake Erie energize conservation, wind power debate
March 31, 2013 by Matt Markey and Jeff Basting in Toledo Magazine

The Lake Erie Business Park, which sits near Camp Perry and in the same lakeshore strip that holds numerous eagle nests, has been considering wind power projects for several years ...but there are much better places to locate the projects than the western Lake Erie shoreline, a magnet for migratory birds, waterfowl, and bald eagles. "You don't go to the worst site first," he said.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Landscape]

Wind farm ruling a mixed bag, leaves a few hurdles
March 28, 2013 by Todd Hill in Mansfield News Journal

On Wednesday the Ohio Supreme Court granted in part, but also denied in part, a motion to dismiss an appeal filed by opponents of the project ...Among other technical legal points, the appeal claims inadequate financial protection if the turbines are decommissioned, and cites no record of how much it would cost to remove the decommissioned turbines.

Also filed under [ Legal]

Lordstown turbines continue to frustrate village officials
March 27, 2013 by Jamison Cocklin in Youngstown News

Mayor Arno Hill said the allure of "going green" and a fear of rejecting state grant money eventually landed the turbines on the administration building's property. "These have basically been nonproductive from Day One. We have to live with them for another six or seven years because of the 10-year grant we received. It would have been better to put in high-efficiency lighting; in my opinion, we would have had our return back by now."

Also filed under [ General]

Wind energy company wants poles across Allen County
March 27, 2013 by Kate Malongowski in Lima Ohio

A representative with BP Wind Energy met Tuesday with Allen County Commissioners to discuss constructing utility lines in the county to extract energy coming from a future Van Wert County wind farm. Because power relaying stations in Van Wert County are at capacity, BP Wind Energy Business Developer Roger Brown said the utility is looking to have that wind farm power extracted to Lima.

Also filed under [ General]