Storeys-high wind turbines might not be the first thing you think of as part of the Halifax skyline, but city officials want your input. ..."While wind energy is valued as an environmentally friendly power source, the size of the wind turbines and wind farms also raises planning issues regarding compatibility with homes from noise and impact on views, et cetera," says the report drafted for regional council

Wind turbines are turning neighbour against neighbour and Essex town council is caught in the middle. Farmers who have signed property leases for wind turbine projects spoke of them at a special meeting Monday as a renewable energy of the future that should be embraced. Those who will see and hear the 120-metre-high turbines -- but won't be paid for the experience -- told council they fear negative impacts on their quality of life, including disturbed sleep and declining property values.

About a dozen residents living near a proposed municipal wind turbine project turned up at the board of selectmen's meeting Monday night to voice their dismay. The project ""Seems like something that was put under the radar," said Sheila Bowen of West Tupelo Drive about the town's plans to erect two, 400-foot tall wind turbines on town land in West Harwich. Special town meeting recently authorized further planning for the project.

The Maori Party has today welcomed the findings of the Environment Court in ruling against the erection of 37 turbines along Te Waka Range skyline on the Napier-Taupo Road. "The site of the Te Waka -Titiohanga-Maungaharuru range is a distinctive feature of the Hawkes Bay" said Maori Party Co-leader, Dr Pita Sharples. "It creates an unique skyline which has great value as a landform, as a recreation resource, and a milestone landmark".

The site chosen for Meridian Energy's proposed wind farm on the Lammermoor Range west of Middlemarch was not an outstanding landscape and was of no particular significance, the first day of Project Hayes hearings in Alexandra was told yesterday.

Highland New Wind Development (HNWD), the self-touted "Greenest Wind Farm in the World," has initiated clearing, road work, and excavation for its 19-turbine project in the remote Allegheny Mountain, Laurel Fork area along the Highland County-Pocahontas County, Virginia-West Virginia border. ...The SCC has scheduled a hearing to be convened on September 23, 2009 to receive evidence and testimony from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) and HNWD concerning the wind energy developer's compliance with the SCC's December 2007 order

Town officials will hold a public hearing on Monday to decide whether or not to accept a one-time payment of $40,000 from Antrim Wind Energy for "acceptable compensation" for negative visual impacts a wind farm would have had on the town. In February, the N.H. Site Evaluation Committee voted down a proposed 10-turbine wind farm due to negative visual impacts the turbines would have had on the area and the town.

Campaigners fighting plans to build five wind turbines almost as tall as Blackpool Tower in South Yorkshire have launched a protest group and won backing from a local MP. The group will oppose a planning application for five turbines - which would be Britain's biggest-ever at 410ft high each - at Sheephouse Heights, by the side of the Stocksbridge Bypass. ..."The addition of turbines would be visible from miles away and we believe, would have a drastically adverse impact on the visual amenity and landscape value of the area. "I believe they are so huge most people have difficulty imagining just how high and intrusive they will be.

A contentious plan to build four towering wind turbines by a Norfolk coastal village has gone back to the drawing board to address strong fears over the impact of the structures on the countryside. SLP Energy has withdrawn its application to build the 125m high turbines at Hemsby, near Yarmouth, because it says it needs more time to revise its scheme to overcome a swathe of objections from residents, councils, the Ministry of Defence(MOD) and countryside groups. Concerns were raised that the turbines would loom over the village's skyline and blight its appearance and be detrimental to a nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest. Objections were also submitted by the MOD, which said the turbines would interfere with radar at RAF Trimingham and residents said they were worried the proposed site would hamper television signals.

The town of Henderson is asking a judge to annul the town of Hounsfield Planning Board's site plan approval for the proposed Galloo Island Wind Farm. The Henderson Town Council filed a state Supreme Court Article 78 proceeding Friday at the Jefferson County clerk's office against Hounsfield, the project's developer, Upstate NY Power Corp., Seneca, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

A bid to extend a controversial windfarm near a historic Banffshire castle has been criticised by Historic Scotland officials and council planning chiefs. ...Historic Scotland had raised concerns that the two turbines would have a "severe" visual impact on the unoccupied castle. ...The proposed turbine would be some 3,700ft from the castle, while the other two would be closer, around 2,600ft away.

Heritage sites around the country will be ruined by wind farms, the National Trust has warned after 300ft turbines got the go ahead near Lyveden New Bield, one of England's most important historic ruins.

Campaigners who have fought plans for a windfarm at Hethel were celebrating yesterday after the proposals were thrown out. South Norfolk councillors turned down the planning application by green-energy firm Ecotricity for three 120m turbines at car manufacturer Lotus's test track on Tuesday night. ...Grounds for refusal were opposition by the Ministry of Defence and the visual impact on the countryside. The MoD objected to the scheme because it would cause "unacceptable interference" to the air-defence radar at RAF Trimingham.

“To avoid public anger and disenchantment, it is crucial that there are reasonable safeguards to protect the amenity of wind turbine neighbours. The judgment in the Milton Keynes case shows that the law in fact supports Local Authorities that wish to set minimum separation distances, although it also shows that these must be designed and worded carefully.”

A Campaign against plans to build a 10-turbine wind farm north of Grantham was bolstered this week when Frances, the Dowager Duchess of Rutland, pledged her support. The Dowager Duchess said the Vale of Belvoir, where she has lived for many years, would be "devastated" if the plans went ahead. She joined campaigners from BLOT - Belvoir Locals Oppose Turbines - on Tuesday when they flew a blimp 410ft over the proposed wind farm site between Normanton and Long Bennington.

Today, Britain’s peatland habitats are at the centre of a rather different wrangle. The drive towards cleaner energy alternatives to fossil fuels, backed by government, has jump-started the wind power industry. And many of the most suitable locations for wind farms in the British Isles happen to be on peat.

A power line company wants to build a massive power line across seven states, including Minnesota. The line would carry electricity generated by wind to points east and the project could have major implications for Minnesota's wind developers. It would also require the erection of towers and lines across a big section of the state.

Highland councillors have voted nine to three to oppose RWE Npower Renewables' plan to construct 31 turbines in the Monadhliath Mountains. Earlier, the councillors had taken the UK's highest railway journey to help them assess the potential visual impact of the Allt Duine project.

A month ago HNWD development made national news when its public relations firm announced that Virginia's first utility scale wind project was ready to start construction. As indicated here, that was a blatant misrepresentation. HNWD does not have a building permit, does not have an Erosion and Sediment Control permit, does not have approval from the FAA, has not satisfied the permit conditions imposed by the State Corporation Commission (SCC), and has not obtained an Endangered Species Act permit.

Developers Falck Renewables Wind Ltd has announced they will not appeal the decision last month by Highland Council to refuse planning permission. Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said: “I am very glad that Falck have recognised the considerable opposition to their plans, and decided not to proceed with this development.