“What the Government is looking at, at the moment, if we fail to reach our targets for 2020, which we will, is paying out anything between €400m and €600m to the European Commission in fines because we failed to reach our renewable energy targets,” he said.

Zoning/Planning Ireland

Protesters against a Co Wicklow wind farm were putting themselves in danger in a bid to prevent the laying of cables connected to the development, the High Court heard on Monday.

General Ireland

Wind farm owners in Scotland are making out like bandits; Since 2010, we’ve paid £328m to wind farms not to generate - most of them in Scotland; Westminster must stop Holyrood from consenting new wind farms and extensions.

Energy Policy Ireland

SWWAG chairman John O’Driscoll, who founded the group four years ago, appeared to verbalise the feelings of many (such was the round of applause he received) when he said: ‘We don’t want them [the turbines] anywhere and it’s a load of crap about turbine height. We don’t want them – end of story. This is the Garden of Ireland. Have they no cop on?’

General Ireland

A number of local residents have secured High Court orders on consent quashing An Bord Pleanála’s approval of permission for a windfarm in Co Wexford. The residents legal costs will also be paid by the Board under the settlement of their case.

Legal Ireland

Planning documents filed in Northern Ireland reveal that remedial work needs to be carried out at an SSE wind farm in Tyrone to improve safety and stop further deterioration.

Structural Failure Ireland

The eight residents, represented by solicitors Noonan Linehan Carroll Coffey, had challenged the board’s decision on grounds including alleged failure to carry out a proper environmental impact assessment of the development prior to taking the decision.

Legal Ireland

It is understood that since the company's previous attempt to secure permission, the application has been amended to reduced the number of turbines from 12 to 11 with the removal of one in the Aughrim/Annacurra area in an effort to reduce the visual impact on the local community. Since the planning application was lodged last week, opposition group South Wicklow Wind Action Group (SWWAG) has vowed to take every possible step to prevent such a development from going ahead.

General Ireland

“What we want as a group is not to have any wind farm development and certainly not of this size. Kerry at present has 14% of wind energy but that will shoot up to 25%. For one county, we feel that is more than enough,” he said. “The mood from everyone is that they are not wanted. "

General Ireland

A couple has launched a High Court challenge over a decision to grant planning permission for a windfarm development close to their Cork home.

Legal Ireland

The couple claim the planning authority failed to properly take into account the increased noise that will be generated by the turbines. They seek an order quashing the decision allowing the wind farm be constructed. 

General Ireland

Windfarms louder than birdsong will be forced to shut down under new regulations due to take effect early next year. ...But Mr Naughten said the regulations included a "zero-tolerance" approach to shadow flicker and nuisance sound.

Noise Ireland

It was the humming sound of a wind turbine at 750 metres which certainly stood out to the hundreds of people who turned up at the information meetings both at Gneeveguilla and Ballydesmond.

Impact on People Noise Ireland

More significantly, the drafted proposals also retain the mandatory minimum setback distance of 500m for wind turbine construction near residential homes, something Fitzmaurice does not think will sit well with local communities. “People won’t stand for what they are proposing and won’t accept the 500m setback area. I would expect people to lodge a submission against them,” He continued.

Zoning/Planning Ireland

A group of families in a north Cork village who sued a wind farm operator claiming the huge turbines adversely affected their health have settled their High Court actions.

Legal Ireland

A group of families in a north Cork village who sued a wind farm operator claiming the huge turbines adversely affected their health have settled their High Court actions.

Impact on People Ireland

The Government has decided not to increase the mandatory set back distance for high-powered wind turbines in its new rules for the wind energy industry. However, a raft of new restrictions for wind turbine construction are expected to limit the impact on communities affected by the rising number of wind farms in rural Ireland.

General Ireland

At the public meeting, Cllr Brendan Cronin (Ind) said he strongly backed the local campaign, ‘Sliabh Luachra Windfarm’ and residents who objected, and said he has seen the consequences of what wind turbines do a to region. “This has a devastating effect on families and it splits communities without question. It’s a huge problem,” he said.

Impact on Landscape Impact on People Ireland

The message from a packed room in Gneeveguilla on Monday night rang out clearly: “No one wants these monsters of wind turbines near our homes, our families, our children, our schools or on our land. They are not wanted in any shape or form”.

Impact on People Ireland

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) is to be asked to decide issues concerning the extent of Coillte's environmental responsibilities in relation to grid connection works for a wind farm in Co Laois.

Legal Ireland