The WindAction Group (www.windAction.org)
Facts, analysis, exposure to industrial wind energy's real impacts
Turbine fire in Oak Creek area gets quick response
The Oak Creek area east of Tehachapi saw a quick response from KCFD on June 25 after a wind turbine started a grass fire.
Articles from California
Why plans to replace Diablo Canyon with 100 percent clean energy could fall short
There remains “a lot that is actually beyond PG&E, to be worked out at the California Public Utilities Commission, California ISO, and other California discussions,” says PG&E’s Strauss. “If action occurs too late, then there may be some challenge to the reliability of the system,” he says. “
Ninth Circuit upholds wind farm approval
Federal regulators adequately addressed whether a proposed wind-turbine project near San Diego would adversely impact migratory birds and global warming, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday.
Windmilll fire burns near I-10
The fire was on "the motor of a high windmill," and burning debris was falling to the ground, according to CalFire. As of 7:20 p.m., the windmill was almost completely burned on top.
AWEA 2016: RPS cost £12/MWh in 2014
Compliance with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) cost US consumers an average $12/MWh in 2014 - or a total of $2.6 billion.
Good news or bad? Solar surpasses wind in California
Public records from CAISO (California Independent System Operator) indicate that over the past five years, grid-connected, utility-scale solar generation in California increased 15-fold -- from a total of 1,000 GWh in 2011 to 15,592 GWh in 2015, composing 6.7 percent of the system total and surpassing wind for the first time, which made up 5.3 percent of the system total.
Fewer breezes led to less wind power generation in West last year
Wind power generation had its smallest increase in 16 years due to less intense wind speeds in Utah and eight other Western states in the country. Even though wind generation capacity jumped by 13 percent in 2015, the actual output grew 5.1 percent.
Supervisors will hear appeal on wind turbine replacement
The East County Board of Zoning Adjustments' (BZA) 2-0 decision on March 24 approving Sand HIll Wind LLC's 12 new turbines to replace 433 old-style turbines has been appealed to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
Judge says energy companies bilked California out of $1.1 billion on electricity deals
Judge’s decision hits Shell, Iberdrola Renewables. Judge Steven Glazer ruled that Shell was an “excessive burden” on Californians to the tune of $779 million. The Spanish energy company Iberdrola, Glazer said, defrauded the state out of $371 million.
Feds OK huge, controversial solar project near Mojave preserve
That Environmental Impact Statement assumed that Bechtel would be able to use existing transmission lines on the site to get power from Soda Mountain to Los Angeles. But those transmission lines belong to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which announced in June — the same week as the Soda Mountain EIS was released — that it wouldn't be buying power from the project. LADWP said that the project would be too environmentally destructive to justify their becoming a customer. ...And without that transmission, it's unlikely the project will ever obtain a contract with a utility to sell its power.
What will California do with too much solar?
So, Casey is proposing California join up with its neighbors. Instead of having lots of electric grids across the West, each doing their own thing, there would be a larger regional grid, sharing power across state lines. When California has too much solar power, neighboring states would buy it, preventing California from having to switch off the solar farms.
Taxpayers are footing bill for solar project that doesn’t work
In spite of all this, Ivanpah has fallen woefully short of its production targets. The managers’ explanation for why production came up 32 percent below expected output was the weather. In addition to raising questions about planning for uncertainty, it is not all that clear how a nine percent drop in sunshine causes a 32 percent drop in production.
Settlement filed in dispute over bird safeguards at wind farm
SDG&E agreed to help finance the Rim Rock project and purchase the power, but later sued NaturEner USA arguing it had been mislead about the threat to raptors. That prompted NaturEner to file a breach-of-contract counter suit against SG&E. The conditional settlement agreement to end the litigation was filed Feb. 11.
Could California’s massive Ivanpah solar power plant be forced to go dark?
A federally backed, $2.2 billion solar project in the California desert isn’t producing the electricity it is contractually required to deliver to PG&E Corp., which says the solar plant may be forced to shut down if it doesn’t receive a break Thursday from state regulators.
Dismantling under way at Altamont Pass
One of America's oldest wind projects is being dismantled, according to county officials.
Stop ruining our priceless desert in the name of the big 'E'
Strong arguments drive the development of solar and wind power. Many have to do with “protecting the environment.” Ironically, it's this last point – the big “E” – that seems to make the reduction of deserts into rural-industrial wastelands acceptable to many people.
Jacob calls for CPUC investigation of high EMF levels in Alpine along Powerlink Route
Update: SDG&E, the Alpine Union High School District, Supervisor Dianne Jacob and the Alpine Community Planning Group have all issued responses to the community concerns. You can read their statements here, along with info on new test results of EMF levels at Alpine Elementary School taken on order of county education officials; the results offer some reassurance to parents: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/alpine-powerlink-concerns-spark-responses
High EMF levels found along Alpine Boulevard along Powerlink route: Levels near school sites raise concerns
Update: SDG&E, the Alpine Union High School District, Supervisor Dianne Jacob and the Alpine Community Planning Group have all issued responses to the community concerns. You can read their statements here, along with info on new test results of EMF levels at Alpine Elementary School taken on order of county education officials; the results offer some reassurance to parents: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/alpine-powerlink-concerns-spark-responses
Investors in huge California wind farm might end up repaying federal subsidies
The wind farm investors, Wheeler wrote, “have no guarantee of keeping the amounts that Treasury paid them.” He noted that “a refund always was a possibility given a proper understanding of the issues.” As a result, an upcoming trial will determine who owes money to whom.
SunZia fighting condition it guarantee tranmission of renewable energy
A consortium says it wants to bring renewable wind and solar energy to Arizona cities by building two power lines from New Mexico. But it’s fighting hard against being required to guarantee it will put renewables on the line.