Carol Overland of Goodhue Wind Truth and Dan Schleck of Coalition for Sensible Siting have been ordered to register as lobbyists retroactive to 2011 and 2010, respectively, after probable cause was found that they received more than $3,000 for their involvement in the project's permitting process. The lobbying complaint was filed in December by Mesa Power executive Mark Ward,

General Minnesota

On Wednesday, April 4, the council voted unanimously to support an appeal against the project filed by neighborhood residents Rene and Rachel Lerma. ...The turbine proposal "is negatively viewed by numerous residents, but also something that cannot be reversed once set in motion," Rachel Lerma said.

General Minnesota

Xcel Energy Inc., based in Minneapolis, says it has the most wind power on its system of any U.S. electric utility. MidAmerican Energy Co., based in Des Moines, says it's the top utility in wind generation ownership. The competing claims are both legitimate, and they underscore two distinct business approaches to harnessing wind power: To own or not to own?

General Minnesota

Nearly two months of negotiations failed to settle a lawsuit against Xcel Energy over a stalled $400 million North Dakota wind farm, Xcel Energy said Tuesday, March 20. Now Xcel is preparing for a trial, but the wind farm developer, enXco Development Corp., says it's still open to talks.

General Minnesota North Dakota

AWA Goodhue filed its draft permit application with the fish and wildlife service on Feb. 21. To determine the number of federally protected species the project would be allowed to kill, the service must establish the amount of bald eagle activity in the area.

General Minnesota

Mower County Sheriff's deputies were called about 1:30 p.m. Sunday to the turbine at 21404 770th Ave., where the operations manager of Prairie Star Wind Farm said someone had fired two rounds into the mechanism.

General Minnesota

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission rejected a developer's plan to protect eagles and other wildlife that might be harmed by a controversial wind farm project in the southeastern region of the state. ...Neighbors who oppose the project packed the hearing room and took turns to speak about flaws they see in the project.

Impact on Wildlife Minnesota

Bald eagles won an unexpected victory Thursday when Minnesota regulators delayed a wind farm near Red Wing for at least a year because the developer failed to produce an adequate plan to protect America's national symbol and other flying creatures.

Impact on Wildlife Minnesota

"I don't think that the American people are ready to watch Minnesota's nesting bald eagles be destroyed on behalf of a Texas millionaire." The commission's decision highlights an emerging conflict between a demand for clean energy and growing evidence wind farms can kill hundreds of thousands of birds and bats a year.

Impact on Wildlife Minnesota

The company says it will apply for an eagle take permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The permit would allow the turbines to kill a certain number of eagles before the company would face penalties.

Impact on Wildlife Minnesota

The committee received three letters of support for the turbine and three letters against it, as well as a community petition in opposition. At the zoning committee hearing on Thursday, one person spoke in favor of the turbine and six against.

General Minnesota

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has postponed a hearing on a plan to limit bird and bat deaths at a controversial wind farm proposed for Goodhue County.

Impact on Birds Impact on Wildlife Minnesota

Southwest Minnesota is home to more than 70 wind farms ...But the turbines spin intermittently, with peak output generally in the spring and fall. In addition, wind often is stronger at night than by day. Chris Little, director of development for Ecos, said he hopes the project answers the question: "Could you fill that gap with another energy resource that might complement the wind?"

General Minnesota

A controversial wind farm proposed near Red Wing plans to ask for federal permission to legally kill eagles, making it one of the first in the nation to participate in a new federal strategy aimed at managing the often-lethal conflict between birds and turbine blades.

Impact on Birds USA Minnesota

"The service recommends AWA Wind analyzes the data they have collected, rather than attempt to extrapolate potential data," wrote Tony Sullins, USFWS field supervisor. Turbine shut downs were also recommended as a potential mitigation plan, while calls for clarification and more data were common — though bald eagle issues were most prevalent.

General Minnesota

The Edina-based company has signed agreements for easements with landowners in Zion, Paynesville, Spring Hill and Lake Henry townships. Geronimo had planned to erect the turbines this year and expected them to be generating electricity as soon as the third quarter of 2011.

General Minnesota

When they bought a dairy farm near Red Wing 20 years ago, Ann and David Buck never thought the quiet life in rural Goodhue County could lead to a clash of wills with a faraway oil tycoon like T. Boone Pickens.

General Minnesota

To date, there are only five known instances in North America of bald eagles killed by wind turbines, said Rich Davis, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who has been monitoring the project for two years. But the Goodhue project is the first to be constructed in an area widely used by both bald and golden eagles for nesting and migrating, he said.

Impact on Birds Minnesota

The summons also says that AWA Goodhue "will potentially suffer irreparable harm" if Belle Creek is allowed to interfere with its rights under the site permit to proceed with developing the project, and attorneys argue that the wind company is entitled to an injunction preventing the township from any such interference.

General Minnesota

An initiative led by Congressman John Kline (MN-R) would do more than terminate the federal stimulus renewable energy program that funded the bankrupt $535 million notorious Solyndra solar power project. If successful, it would also knock the wind out of a key funding source for one of the nation's most controversial wind projects -T. Boone Pickens' proposed $180 million AWA Goodhue Wind farm in Kline's congressional district.

Taxes & Subsidies USA Minnesota