Windsor said that she suggested a moratorium earlier in the month to allow the Planning Commission time to adequately address the issue. Ultimately, the Council agreed that the commission needs to move as quickly as possible to address the issue as part of the Jamestown Comprehensive Community Plan.

Members of the committee formed to produce a zoning amendment to deal with wind farms want specifics. During a meeting Thursday afternoon, the committee agreed to ask the acoustical engineering firm Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, Sudbury, Mass., to evaluate the noise-measuring methods in different laws. That firm panned Hessler Associates' ambient noise study in BP Alternative Energy's draft environmental impact statement for the Cape Vincent Wind Farm. "My request would be that these documents should be sent to Cavanaugh and Tocci for their review," said Richard Macsherry, Tibbetts Point.

The Orleans Wind Committee had early consensus on setbacks that would be the farthest in the county, if adopted. Though the committee will continue to review the plans presented Tuesday night, members agreed on setbacks of 3,000 feet, or six times the turbine height, from nonparticipating residents' property lines, participating residents' dwellings, state or federal-regulated wetlands and forests, public buildings, historic areas and livestock barns.

On the very day it was supposed to take effect, a legislative committee will be voting Tuesday on a measure that would suspend a rule package that creates uniform statewide standards for the development of wind farms in Wisconsin.

David Gibson, executive director of The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, agreed that the ecological treasures New York could lose in the wake of wind farm construction and operation are too great to risk just for the generation of green power. "We all, everyone in this room probably, are committed to moving us toward a more sustainable path," Gibson said. "We all want clean, green, much more friendly habits, but we don't think tall industrial structures on ridge lines anywhere is good public policy."

With the clock ticking and eight meetings slated between now and the end of December, the town Wind Committee has set up a schedule to finish its recommendations on the wind ordinance.

A Senate panel controlled by Democrats voted Saturday to shelve Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer's proposal offering tax breaks to "clean and green" energy development in Montana. The Senate Taxation Committee voted 7-2 to table Senate Bill 562, advertised by the Schweitzer administration as its signature proposal this session on energy development. It wasn't clear Saturday whether or how the bill might be revived before a procedural deadline early next week. Evan Barrett, the governor's chief economic development officer, said late Saturday that there is broad public support for the idea and that he hopes the bill can be revived and moved through the Legislature. "The bill is on the table; it is not dead," he said. "It's not an easy path right now, but we think everyone will be able to work their way through it.

After months of community debate over a proposed law to regulate commercial windmills, the Town Board on Thursday appointed a seven-member committee to study how far wind turbines should be set back from adjoining properties. ..."It's not binding to the board, whatever is decided by that committee," Bernocco said. The board decided to form the advisory committee after failing to reach a consensus on regulations Dec. 18 at the last of several special meetings on elements of the proposed law. Zaba suggested the committee to help the board evaluate potential setback requirements.

The nine-member panel will be weighing public comments made during Monday night's public hearing in Potomac, which was scheduled by county officials in response to several citizens calling for changes to the county's ordinance, especially increasing the distance a wind turbine can be built from houses and other structures.

The county's current setback distance is 1,400 feet, which is a little more than a quarter mile, the same as Whiteside County's. Some people have said that's too close. At a recent meeting, Zoning Board member Tom Fassler suggested a mile.

After hearing an end to both public comments and closing arguments, the Logan County Zoning Board of Appeals tonight will make a decision on whether to grant a conditional-use permit to allow Horizon Wind Energy to construct 29 wind turbines in northern Logan County. The board also has the option of adding conditions to the permit, including a property value guarantee proposed by Union Ridge Wind attorney Rick Porter. ...Catherine Fogler, a representative from Union Ridge Wind, voiced her final concerns to the board. Fogler said she has medical problems, which, she added, are very expensive, and giving up value on her property was not a risk she could take. "We did not make a bad decision (regarding our property)," said Fogler. "The decision was made by others.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm today ordered creation of an advisory panel to begin looking at siting offshore windmills on the Great Lakes. The executive order sets up the 13-member Great Lakes Wind Council, which will provide citizens a public forum to identify where the towering windmills can be placed.

The Joint Revenue Committee voted Monday morning to cut the proposed excise tax on wind energy from $3 per megawatt hour to $1 per megawatt hour. Committee members also voted not to collect any taxes until 2012 -- rather than 2011 as initially suggested -- and to not impose any excise taxes on a wind turbine until its third year of operation.

The amendment was altered to state that wind turbines must be placed at least 750 feet away from the property line, and 1,200 feet from a dwelling owned by someone who has not agreed to allow a company's turbines to be built on his or her property. The setback requirement was eliminated for landowners who have allowed construction of turbines on their properties.

Delaware's Public Service Commission today is set to release its analysis of proposed contract terms between three energy companies for the country's first offshore wind-powered electrical generators. ..."Bluewater still believes that over the 25-year life of the project, a wind-hybrid project will save Delaware (electric) rate payers money because the market model for gas or other base load providers will cost more because of the carbon taxes related to climate change, global warming and sea level rise," Mr. Lanard said.

Wind power is in its infancy in Maine, a TransCanada Energy Ltd. representative told Franklin County commissioners Tuesday. The panel received an update on the proposed Kibby Wind Power project in northern Franklin County and asked questions of company representatives. An application was filed with Maine Land Use Regulation Commission on Jan. 8 to rezone 2,900 acres and to build the wind farm on ridges of the Boundary Mountains. A fifth volume of documents about the project was filed last week with LURC, project manager Nick Di domenico told commissioners. Wind power has been measured and environmental studies conducted on birds, bats, and Canadian lynx among others with results incorporated into the application.

Under the regulations approved Tuesday, the setbacks of 250 percent would be required for towers with heights ranging from 175 feet to the maximum of 400 feet. The County Board is expected to discuss and vote on the recommended regulations next Tuesday.

The Community Advisory Panel for the proposed Pinnacle Wind Farm near Keyser will not conduct its regular monthly meeting, with panel members instead slated to tour a Pennsylvania wind farm later this month. The wind farm tour, which is limited to members of the panel, is scheduled for May 18.

WASHINGTON-Migratory birds have a relatively safe trek across the Midwest, but unless the government intervenes thousands of those birds could be reduced to puffs of feathers drifting down from the blades of wind power turbines, wildlife advocates say. The birds often fly headlong into wind power devices, leaving behind victims with "severed beaks" and "mid-body separation," said Michael Daulton, of the National Audubon Society.

Contrary to assertions by St. Lawrence Wind Farm's developer, Acciona Wind Energy USA, in the final environmental impact statement, the report said, "Indications are there will be an overall decrease in property values with the potential for significant negative impact on assessments and related factors such as tax rates and the ability to market property at a fair price." ...The report also finds that tourism likely would be hurt by wind turbines.