A wind farm in the southeastern Solano County community of Birds Landing was subject to $2.2 million in fraud by six defendants, according to an indictment on April 6 by a federal grand jury based on investigations by the FBI and IRS.

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The Department of the Interior temporarily shut down construction of the Tule Wind Energy project in McCain Valley  on January 20th due to six confirmed violations of the right-of-way grant conditions, including “three incidents of ground disturbing work without a cultural monitor present and three incidents of clearing beyond the disturbance limits at four different locations,”  according to the notice of temporary suspension issued January 20th.

Impact on Landscape Legal California

Renewable energy from south of the border is beginning to make a big impact on the American side. Looming over the dry desert scrub, as high as a 25-story building, the giant turbines of the Energía Sierra Juárez wind farm punctuate the horizon just south of the California border, an otherworldly array of white tubular towers each topped with three, 12-ton blades.

Legal Mexico California

The attached communications between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Iberdrola/Tule Wind detail the BLM's notice to suspend construction of the 186 MW wind project due to repeated violations of the right-of-way permit issued by the BLM. The Tule facility initiated construction on December 6, 2016. The notice to stop construction was issued on January 20, 2017. Construction has now resumed. Both the notice to suspend construction and to resume construction, which includes Iberdrola's response to the BLM, can be accessed by selecting the document links on this page, A portion of BLM's notice is provided below. 

Impact on Landscape Legal California

This important decision by the U.S. District Court of the Southern District in California found that the Department of Energy failed to follow NEPA when it issued a permit to construct a transmission line that crossed over from Mexico into the United States. The Court order that since the U.S. portion of the Line and the Mexican portion of the Line were literally "two links of a single chain" connecting the Substation to the ESJ Wind Farm, the DOE was required to consider the impacts of the project on Mexico. Portions of the decision are shown below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the document link on this page.

Legal Transmission Mexico California USA

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.

Impact on Birds Legal California

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.

Impact on Birds Legal California Montana

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.

Taxes & Subsidies Legal USA California

The shareholders say that the information TerraForm filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in anticipation of its IPO was misleading because it did not disclose that SunEdison was about to report disappointing financial results for the 2015 second quarter.

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“All these agencies and companies are in lockstep on this green energy rush, whether it’s actually beneficial to us or not,” said Donna Tisdale, a resident of Boulevard in East San Diego County. Tisdale is leading the lawsuit against Energía Sierra Juárez, which also names the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Among other things, the lawsuit claims the Department of Energy issued a Presidential Permit without considering environmental impacts in Mexico or alternative clean energy projects, as required by law.

Impact on Landscape Impact on People Legal Mexico California

"We are already seeing mortality of golden eagles at the site, which it is not permitted to take," he said. "Condors have also been cited closer and closer to the site. This is beyond a 'might be' situation; they are in the area." ..."If its wind turbines are whacking golden eagles and condors and other migratory birds, they could be fined and prosecuted," he said.

Legal USA California

In March, David Dotson discovered his mother's small vacation home just west of Mojave had been demolished without her permission. The developer of the Rising Tree Wind Farm, which is clearing land in the area for a renewable energy project, said the home was mistaken for an identical cabin nearby that it was authorized to take down. The Dotsons have filed a lawsuit.

Legal California

Wind energy companies bulldozed a black family's house because they were the sole holdouts who refused to sell out to a huge wind farm, the family claims in court. ...EDP Renewables is building the Rising Tree Wind Farm about 3 miles west of Mojave in Kern County. ...When David Dotson went up to the family home in late March to do some maintenance, he discovered that the home was "literally wiped off the face of the Earth," that all the furnishings and family belongings "were simply eviscerated," the complaint states.

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Manly, Stewart & Finaldi announced the filing of a lawsuit against a wind farm developer who harassed an African American family and demolished their home. ...EDPR sought to acquire the rights to all of the properties in the proposed development area. The Dotson Family- the only African-American family within the proposed development area- that were subjected to the type of threats, coercion, and intimidation tactics which included the destruction of their home.

Legal California

This complaint filed by Mrs. Doreen Dotson and her sons David Dotson and Daniel Dotson argues that EDP Renewables North American and Rising Tree Wind Farm LLC bulldozed the Dotson family home after Mrs. Dotson refused to accept money to move from her property. The General Statement of the Case is provided below. The full complaint can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.

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The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) have filed suit to get approval rescinded for the Blythe Solar project in the Mojave Desert, saying the 4,000-acre project will destroy huge swathes of sacred sites.

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Prospects may have dimmed for a major new wind farm 60 miles east of San Diego after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a permit to address fatal collisions between golden eagles and spinning turbines.

Impact on Birds Legal USA California

A conservation group and two private landowners are suing the Interior Department and the agency’s Bureau of Indian Affairs for approving the expansion of a California wind farm in alleged violation of environmental laws and despite objections from federal and state wildlife officials who warned of significant impacts to eagles.

Impact on Birds Legal California

The tower, measuring just inches under 200 feet, was hastily erected in 2009 by wind energy interests "prospecting" for the perfect site for a new wind farm in Contra Costa County east of San Francisco.

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Allen was never made aware of the existence of the tower by Bouldin Farming Company, and it was clear he never saw it before he struck it. Allen's death isn't the first time an agricultural aviator has had a fatal collision with an unmarked and unlit MET during daytime operations. An analysis of FAA and NTSB accident data by the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) shows that 10 fatal agricultural aircraft accidents in the past 14 years (2000–2013) involved collisions with towers—including three with unmarked MET towers.

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