"You have to have some kind of guidelines," said William "B.J." Smith, Adams chairman. "But we wouldn't want to deny anybody the right to run their own home." Barbin's residential wind-turbine ordinance is based on those enacted by other municipalities. It would requre setbacks from the owner's property line to be at at least equal to tower's height plus 15 feet. Most residential wind turbines are less than 150 feet tall, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

Despite township Planning Commission concerns, Kidder Township supervisors voted Thursday to adopt an ordinance regulating the construction and use of residential windmills. ...Although the ordinance did receive a nod from the county Planning Commission, township planners earlier this month asked supervisors to postpone its adoption until further information was gathered. Tim Ryan, Pfeil's neighbor, opposes turbines in residential areas and has asked officials to consider the impact a turbine would have on wildlife, wetlands, and noise levels.

Supervisors adopted an ordinance that permits wind turbines as an exception and also adopted an ordinance that authorizes the tax collector to charge a fee for wage attachments when she collects delinquent per capita and occupational taxes. The wind turbine ordinance regulates the minimum height of the lowest position of the wind rotor at 25 feet above the ground, plus requires redundant braking systems and that wind mills must be at least 110 percent times the turbine height away from a structure or a neighboring property line.

By the end of the 90-minute discussion, supervisors agreed to retain 45 decibels as the maximum permitted noise level, and developers dropped their objections to an additional scale measuring vibrations, with the maximum level set at 60 decibels. On another issue, supervisors kept in the proposal that wind turbines be at least 2,500 feet from a property line if an occupied structure is on the site, unless waived by the owner. But they also agreed that if there are no occupied structures on a property, then a wind turbine can be up to 1.5 times its height from the property line. The ordinance sets the maximum wind turbine height at 270 feet.

Eight Jackson Township residents have appealed a zoning permit approved for a commercial wind farm proposed in northern Lycoming County. The group - Frank Piccolella, Judi Piccolella, Walter Wroblewski, Gene Koonz, Dorothy Koonz, John E. Brucklacher Jr., Beverly Brucklacher and John E. Brucklacher III - signed their names to a single appeal involving Vermont-based Laurel Hill Wind Energy LLC's zoning permit application. The company applied for the permit to build more than 30 electricity-generating wind turbines on a seven-mile section of the Laurel Hill Ridge in Jackson and McIntyre townships.

Wind turbines are expected to shoot up in Haycock. In response to residents' requests, supervisors increased the allowed maximum height of the energy-harnessing wind turbines from 65 feet to 72 feet. Township officials plan to hash out the details at tonight's planning commission meeting. In recent months, supervisors have been working on an ordinance that would regulate wind turbines in the rural Upper Bucks township. ...Haycock officials say wind turbine proposals are on the way, and they are trying to put sound rules in place for governing them. Buckingham has already adopted a wind power ordinance that sets windmill heights at a maximum of 140 feet.

In its meeting on Wednesday night, the Kidder Township Planning Commission voted to recommend that township supervisors table their discussion of amending zoning ordinances related to windmills, wind turbines and wind energy conversion systems until more questions can be answered. The amendments are required to approve a permit for David and Nancy Pfeil, owners of the Inn at Hickory Run, White Haven, who plan to erect a wind-powered turbine. ...Planning commission members admitted that they didn't have all the answers, but member Ellen Matt suggested that the Carbon County Conservation District be contacted by the applicant to provide more information about the impact of these structures on the environment.

Kidder Township's Planning Commission voted Wednesday to ask supervisors to postpone a hearing for a proposed windmill ordinance until planners can gather enough information to make a recommendation. The ordinance, which recently received a favorable recommendation from the Carbon County Planning Commission, would limit the number of wind turbines to one per property; set a minimum property size of 2 acres; and create a setback requirement of 110 percent of a windmill's height. ...Planner Charles Velzy asked whether the ordinance should allow turbines to be constructed in high- and medium-density residential areas, especially since the structures generally aren't well-received by neighbors.

Franklin Township supervisors adopted a zoning ordinance amendment that permits wind turbines as a special exception making the requirements simpler for residents who want to have some of their homes power provided by a windmill. ...The windmills must be equipped with a redundant braking system and mechanical brakes. They will not be allowed to show advertising and must have reflectors on guy wires up to 10 feet from the ground. Applicants should not disrupt radio or television signals. The building for storage cells must not be more than 150 square feet or be taller than 15 feet. Only property where the wind is harnessed may use the energy.

A decision by the Fayette County commissioners to intervene in a lawsuit about a proposed wind turbine project and how the proceeds of the impending hotel tax will be distributed dominated public comment during Thursday's monthly meeting. Numerous people wearing "Fayette TNT, Trees Not Turbines" shirts spoke to the commissioners to express concern about a decision by Commissioners Vincent Zapotosky and Angela M. Zimmerlink to intervene in the case that involves appeal of denial that would have allowed construction of 18 wind-powered turbines in Georges and Springhill townships.

Stepanoff has requested Haycock allow him to install an 80-foot tall wind turbine - basically, a modern windmill - on his property. ..."Zoning in the 1970s was amended to add wind energy systems, and you could probably find some that have those provisions," said Lynn Bush, executive director of the Bucks County Planning Commission. "I think we were kind of lulled into thinking that energy would always be cheap and those ordinances were removed because nobody used them, so we have fewer of those ordinances around." Haycock's ordinance bans structures taller than 35 feet.

Cambria Township supervisors are delaying action on a proposed ordinance governing small, residential wind turbines until some sticky issues are resolved. The ordinance, similar to one passed by Portage and Jackson townships, calls for a $500 permit fee and as much as $1,500 annually if power generated by a household-use windmill is sold to a power company. Those fees have sparked objections and some misunderstandings, said Solicitor Dennis Govachini, and a workshop and public forum are needed before supervisors act. No date has been set, although the proposed ordinance was advertised last week.

Vermont-based Laurel Hill Wind Energy LLC has been granted a zoning permit to build electricity-generating wind turbines in northern Lycoming County, county zoning administrator Fred G. Pfeiffer said Wednesday. The company plans to build the turbines along a seven-mile section of the Laurel Hill ridge in Jackson and McIntyre townships. A zoning permit is required for any development or change of use of a property to ensure it is permitted in that zoning district and complies with zoning regulations.

A new wind farm coming to the township is one step closer to realization, supervisors said. Last July, supervisors announced that Airtricity Inc., a company that develops and operates wind farms across Europe and North America, had submitted a preliminary plan to construct turbines in the township. The company has now submitted a permit application to the township, said Chairman John Topka.

The company planning to construct wind turbines in Logan Township needs supervisors to enlarge the wind zone and to back away from stricter rules, a representative said Thursday. ...Supervisors said they want remedies addressing turbine noise. "You guys aren't going to pick up [the wind turbines] and move them," Supervisor Ed Frontino said. Supervisors Chairman Frank Meloy said he visited Todd and Jill Stull in Juniata Township ..."I would not want to live with that noise day in and day out," Meloy said.

North Union Township may join other regional municipalities that have created or are creating wind turbine ordinances. At a supervisors' meeting this week, North Union Township Supervisor Gary Croll said a group from St. Francis University, Loretto, is interested in testing wind capacity with a meteorological tower in North Union. That group is investigating the potential for a commercial wind farm. ...The supervisors asked township solicitor Paul Domalakes to review turbine information further. Croll said he didn't want to discourage alternative energy but he doesn't want it to harm residents' quality of life either.

Several people in favor of a windmill project for Wharton, Springhill and Georges townships brought their case Tuesday to the Fayette County commissioners. Speaking during public comment of the commissioner's agenda meeting, people representing carpenter's unions and themselves spoke about the need for the county to have the South Chestnut Wind Project. In February, the county zoning hearing board unanimously denied a special exception request that would have allowed the construction of 18 wind-powered turbines in Georges and Springhill townships.

Logan Township should adopt tighter rules governing wind turbines, the township Planning Commission agreed Tuesday. "I feel this is more restrictive, which is good," commission member David Rhoa said. The township recently advertised revisions to its ordinance governing turbine construction and placement, with action scheduled for the May 8 supervisors meeting. If the revisions are approved, turbine developers will be required to commission an environmental impact study identifying noise and other issues that could surface for nearby property owners. The changes also specify that turbines can be no taller than 270 feet.

"We don't want to stop development and we need to do whatever we can to protect the residents," said Chairman Allan Griffith. "But there has to be a happy medium." Kern expressed concerns with letting wind developers build constrained by only county codes for the placement of turbines because those deal primarily with setback issues and limiting the distance that a turbine may be placed near an occupied dwelling. "I just think that there are safety issues and property issues that are not being taken into account," he said. He pointed to the controversy in Cambria and Blair Counties with the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm where residents and public officials have leveled noise complaints against developer Babcock & Brown. ...Griffith, said the proposal had been put off for too long. "This is something we have to come up with," he said.

Gamesa also erected a wind testing tower on land owned by Blackwood, Inc. on the Sharp Mountain. The company plans to put another 80-meter tower there soon, Barr said. Barr said the company will potentially erect 14 turbines at 2 megawatts each on Second Mountain and 25 turbines on Sharp Mountain. “We have been in extensive discussion with a few landowners up there,” she said. Barr said a company that performs environmental studies for wind farm developers must study spring and fall bird migrations to determine where and how many turbines should be placed. The studies are part of a voluntary agreement through the Pennsylvania Game Commission and is the first step in the wind farm permitting process, Barr said.