After about three hours of deliberations, the county Zoning Hearing Board Wednesday denied a special exception that would allow Vermont-based Laurel Hill Wind Energy to build a electricity-producing windmills on a mountain ridge in Jackson and McIntyre townships.

The Plymouth County Zoning Board is shaping a county ordinance that will determine where and how wind turbines can be built and maintained. "The reason we're working on this is we think the county should have something in place before the windmill field and windmill companies come in and decide to build," said board chairman Ralph Klemme.

The zoning board in January also amended its variance to allow for the three turbines. The zoning board had originally approved four turbines at up to 400 feet and a fifth turbine at 500 feet. In January, the zoning board approved three 500-foot turbines.

The McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals will have a public hearing Oct. 19 on a request for a special-use permit that would allow Twin Groves Wind Farm to expand by as many as 333 turbines. Horizon Wind Energy LLC and its affiliates want to generate 500 megawatts of power with the turbines that would be located on 38,248 acres in Towanda, Blue Mound, Martin and Anchor townships.

A Stutsman County Zoning Board subcommittee is continuing its work to draft a wind zoning ordinance. During a meeting Thursday it heard presentations from Kevin Cramer, public service commissioner for North Dakota, and people involved with the wind industry. Of concern to the subcommittee is the issue of setbacks or the distance that wind turbines must be from the property of others not involved in the project and the distance that wind turbines must be from occupied structures.

Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board heard testimony Wednesday from people in favor of and against requests for special exceptions that would allow the construction of 18-wind powered turbines in Georges and Springhill townships. Several neighbors implored the zoning board to put conditions on the windmills if they are granted, expressing concerns about issues such as noise and flickering. "I'm very concerned because one is going to go basically in my back yard," said Tracy Lee. Lee said she has learned wind energy only provides 1 percent of total energy. She said utilizing wind isn't the most-efficient energy, and each windmill will uproot four acres. She also expressed concern that wildlife such as bears and snakes will go down the mountain as construction occurs. "If these aren't effective, we're stuck with these atrocities on our beautiful mountain. There will be no more peace," Lee said.

EL PASO - Plans for wind farm proposed for the El Paso area, which is seen as an economic asset to some and an eyesore to others, are in the hands of the Woodford County Zoning Board of Appeals. The board took testimony from wind farm supporters this week. Now, interested parties have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to submit requests to speak at the next hearing on Aug. 7. That hearing will be at 6 p.m. at El Paso's Grace Fellowship Church.

On Tuesday the board was divided, with Mr. Murphy and Mr. Foreman arguing that Mr. Gore had erred in not requiring the town to apply for a special permit to erect the wind turbine. On the other side were Mr. Erickson and Ms. Johnson who defended Mr. Gore's ruling. Who is right? Based on what the board's attorney, Mark Bobrowski of Concord, said, it is a gray area based upon inconsistencies in the town's zoning bylaws.

Harbor Springs-based Lake Effect Energy Corporation is seeking to install a 120-foot, 20 kilowatt turbine point-of-use energy generator ...However, as it is outlined in the plans submitted to Emmet County, the wind turbine would exceed the 35 decibel sound restriction on wind energy systems.

Objections centered around existing problems which some residents are having with the Big Sky wind farm near Ohio. Those problems were stated by objectors as interrupted television reception, shadow flickering caused by the turning turbine blades, noise levels, and the lack by the Big Sky owners to take care of those problems in a timely fashion.

After a lengthy meeting Thursday night, the Stephenson County Zoning Board of Appeals voted not to recommend proposed changes to the county's zoning code that would alter the wind-farm application process. The zoning board Thursday listened to testimony from a variety of objectors to the proposed changes. At the end of the nearly four-hour meeting, the board voted unanimously not to recommend the wind-farm changes. Officials say the consensus of the board Thursday was that they could not recommend the altered zoning ordinance because the changes would limit the public's ability to object to future wind-farm projects.

Commercial wind energy projects will require a "special use" permit, which does not authorize construction of the project until the applicant (developer) has obtained a power purchase agreement for the electricity to be generated.

Members of the Elkhart County Board of Zoning Appeals got a taste of the wind power debate during their meeting Thursday morning. One petitioner's bid for a wind-powered generator was granted and another denied. ...Anita Miller, a nearby neighbor of Ntende's, voiced her concerns over possible dangers, such as electrical surges or falling debris due to the proposed windmill's proximity to surrounding homes and electrical lines.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment says it needs more information before approving a variance that would allow for the construction of a small wind energy turbine on a property bordering Lake Winnipesaukee. Members of the Zoning Board voted to continue the application made by Richard Lavalliere and in the mean time, have the applicant hire an independent licensed engineer ascertain potential noise level and the amount of energy production that will be done on the site.

The Zoning Board of Appeals didn't get a chance to start to deliberate Wednesday night on whether or not to approve a special permit for a wind turbine project on Head of the Bay Road in South Plymouth.

A Colebrook man is suing the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission over a temporary 180-foot meteorological tower built near his home. Stephen King said the tower was approved by the commission without following its own zoning regulations, which do not allow for commercial developments in residential zones without a special permit.

Renewal of the one-year permit for a temporary Reunion Power wind measuring tower on Warnerville Hill will be up to the village Zoning Board of Appeals, town codes officer Gene DeMarco said. Schoharie Valley Watch, a group opposing industrial wind turbines in the area, also called last week for the existing permit to be revoked, alleging it doesn't meet zoning law criteria. The current permit expires Thursday, according to DeMarco, and he said he has no plans to revoke it based on the citizens group's contentions. ...Cherry Valley enacted a relatively stringent law, which included restrictions that wind turbine towers be set back at least 2,000 feet from any residential structure. "I haven't heard anything from Reunion since we passed the local law in December 2006," Garretson said.

URBANA - The Union Township zoning board unanimously voted Tuesday to make a recommendation to the trustees rejecting a proposed wind turbine zoning resolution. Executive Director Jenny Snapp of the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission - LUC - called the proposal "too restrictive" in height and setback requirements. Champaign County Prosecutor Nick Selvaggio said it gave unauthorized power to governing bodies not listed in state law. The proposal, submitted to the township zoning board by Union Township residents, regulates wind towers to a minimum of 2,600 feet from a building and property line. Plus, it restricts the turbine height up to 360 feet.

Neil P. Andersen of Blacksmith Shop Road filed the appeal in November, asking the zoning board to overturn Building Commissioner Eladio R. Gore's ruling that Wind 1 did not present a nuisance by virtue of excessive noise-a ruling issued in response to a complaint by Mr. Andersen.