News
State finds Fairhaven turbines in violation of noise regulations
May 22, 2013 by Ariel Wittenberg in South Coast Today
May 22, 2013 by Ariel Wittenberg in South Coast Today
DEP Deputy Commissioner Martin Suuberg told the Board of Health that noise from the turbines exceeded state regulations in five of the 24 periods during which the DEP conducted testing. ...many in the audience began shouting for Board of Health Chairman Peter DeTerra to make a motion to shut down the wind turbines until Fairhaven Wind presented the board with a mitigation plan.
A new hurdle for wind farm? Opponents want higher bar for approval
May 21, 2013 by David Giuliani in Sauk Valley News
May 21, 2013 by David Giuliani in Sauk Valley News
On Friday, Rockford attorney Rick Porter, who is representing Hamilton Township, informed Lee County of the township board's Dec. 11 decision to file an objection to the wind farm, known as the Green River project. ...By Porter's reading of the law, the township's written objection now means the project needs a three-fourths County Board majority for passage.
Also filed under [
Zoning/Planning|
Illinois]
Forty-one percent of registered voters - 9,873 out of 24,158 - turned out to cast ballots on 18 questions, including Question 2, which would have authorized the decommissioning, dismantling and removal of the turbines. ...The selectmen, who support removing the turbines, will now have to find another way to deal with the ongoing dispute.
Also filed under [
Impact on People|
Massachusetts]
The applications had opposition from Scottish Natural Heritage and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
SNH claimed the windfarms would impact "an area of the strongest wild land character - as confirmed by the wildness mapping work carried out" by the Government agency.
Wednesday meeting to detail Greenwich wind farm proposal
May 20, 2013 by Todd Hill in Mansfield News Journal
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.
Cheshire-based Renewable Solutions UK submitted the application on behalf of the landowners to South Ribble Council, but have now pulled the plug on the scheme before it reached the planning committee.
More than 100 letters of objection were sent to the council about the proposal, but two residents wrote in support of the idea.
The company said it was closing two plants - Albacete in Castilla-La Mancha and Tudela in Navarre - and restructuring a third at As Somozas, Galicia. The cuts affect 6% of the total workforce.
Lee board OKs wind farm project; 12-9 vote overrules decision by lower panel
May 21, 2013 by David Giuliani in Sauk Valley News
May 21, 2013 by David Giuliani in Sauk Valley News
The Lee County Board this morning voted 12-9 to allow a controversial wind farm, overruling a decision last month by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The board approved the project, along with a number of conditions dealing with issues such as noise.
Wind farm battle turns personal; Opponents claim lack of due diligence by county officials.
May 21, 2013 by Ken de la Bastide in Kokomo Tribune
May 21, 2013 by Ken de la Bastide in Kokomo Tribune
An opponent of the proposed Wildcat Wind Farm, slated for construction in eastern Howard County, said local officials are taking an uninformed risk in agreements reached with E.ON Climate & Renewables.
Joe Russeau told the Howard County Commissioners Monday he questioned how the proposal was evaluated and how the public was notified of several meetings starting in 2009.
There has also been a resurgence of cheap coal, considered a dirtier energy source, abetted by a market failure in the European carbon emission trade.
An oversupply in the right-to-pollute certificates has seen their price fall from an envisioned 15-18 euros per tonne of CO2 to just two to three euros -- making coal plants an economically attractive option once more.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Germany]
The overall direction of the market, however, has been down. You can get a sense of the amount of money that has been lost by investors from the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, which tracks the performance of publicly traded green energy stocks ranging from solar and wind to rare earth minerals and water companies. The market value of the companies in the index has fallen from a peak level of $231 billion in late December 2007 to about $108 billion today, a decline of 53 percent.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
USA]
Dank said the wind tax credits, among the most costly issued by state government, benefit some companies that are selling the power they generate to other states.
"The Oklahoma taxpayers are being asked to subsidize electric customers in Tennessee and Alabama," he said.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
Oklahoma]
Wind act doesn't treat all Mainers equally
May 21, 2013 by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in Portland Press Herald
May 21, 2013 by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in Portland Press Herald
The Wind Energy Act doesn't treat every Maine citizen the same - some have more rights that others. ...Why are these communities treated differently? That's not possible to determine because the members of the wind task force that made a map designating the expedited permitting area kept no minutes of the meetings discussing the map.
Wind power's grip on Augusta weakening
May 21, 2013 by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
May 21, 2013 by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
Armed with the signatures of the majority of residents in their townships and plantations, they went to ask lawmakers to pass a bill to give them back the right to influence how the land in their communities was used.
That right, they said, had been taken away.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Maine]
Wasatch Wind seeks permit delay for planned Glenrock wind farm
May 20, 2013 by Adam Voge in Casper Star-Tribune
May 20, 2013 by Adam Voge in Casper Star-Tribune
Under the existing permit, the company has to prove it can fund all aspects of the project by July. An extension would give the company until May 2014 to do so.
Edison Mission Energy, a financial partner on the project, filed for bankruptcy in December.
Gov. Heineman: Wait on wind power legislation
May 21, 2013 by Kevin O'Hanlon in Lincoln Journal Star
May 21, 2013 by Kevin O'Hanlon in Lincoln Journal Star
"I've made it very clear that Nebraskans deserve tax relief first ... before you ought to be considering a bill like that, and especially providing special tax breaks for a Kansas company so they can ship Nebraska energy" out of state, Heineman said during a conference call with reporters. "You ought to ask him why that makes sense."
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
Nebraska]
Energy bills are rising so steeply that they could overtake mortgage repayments in parts of Britain in just five years' time, the chief executive of supplier, First Utility, has claimed.
utility bill. Analysis by First Utility shows that UK dual-fuel bills have risen by an average of 8.5pc a year over the last five years to reach current levels of £1,420.
Wethington files for new Fairhaven Board of Health election, hearing Wednesday
May 21, 2013 by Matt Camara in South Coast Today
May 21, 2013 by Matt Camara in South Coast Today
John Wethington has asked a Superior Court judge to throw out April's much-disputed election results and compel a new Board of Health race. [Note: The outcome of the election would impact how the community addressed noise from the Fairhaven wind turbines.]
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
The mystery behind a fallen turbine blade at the Ocotillo Wind power plant east of San Diego has led the manufacturer to curtail operations at select wind farms around the world. ...The fallen blade ignited new safety concerns among critics of the plant, who posted photos and videos to the internet of the crumpled white tube.
Champaign wind farm decision nears; State board will consider second phase of turbine project.
May 21, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun
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.