TIFFIN — The Seneca Anti-Wind Union — a grassroots group representing opponents of commercial-scale wind projects planned for Seneca County — had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon to open an office for coordinating activities.

General Ohio

The Supreme Court voted 5-2 that the Ohio Power Siting Board improperly approved a request by developers of the Black Fork Wind Energy Project to extend the date to begin construction from January 2017 until January 2019. Opponents of the farm, which would be located in portions of Crawford and Richland counties, contend the siting board allowed the company to use a procedure to evade new “setback” rules imposed by the General Assembly, which would require more distance between turbines and property lines.

Legal Ohio

“We all have one enemy in common, and it’s wind,” said Chris Zeman, one of the founders of the anti-wind group, to a packed room. Zeman claimed people are left with land they can’t use after neighbors agreed to have a turbine placed on the edge of their property, away from their home. “Now they are reaping all the money while you’re stuck with land you can’t do anything with,” Zeman said. “I’m all for property rights, but if it takes away my right for what I want to do with my land, then that becomes a property rights issue.”

General Ohio

Van Wert resident Jeremy Kitson lives in the Blue Creek Project area ...Van Wert is home to the largest industrial wind project in the entire state, Avangrid's Blue Creek Wind Farm. Anyone (who) is saying that our community is positive when it comes to wind development is being blatantly dishonest,” he said, referring to claims made by the supporting side of the matter, who have said school stand to benefit the most from the project, especially monetarily. 

General Ohio

NORWALK, Ohio — Plans for the massive Emerson Creek Wind project — in the works since 2009 — were unveiled to the public Thursday during an open house at the Bronson Conservation League building just outside here.

General Ohio

Ohio’s elected leaders must BOTH move the state forward with more and better renewable energy sources AND respect the rights of property owners and the will of communities. This cannot be an either/​or proposition. ...Every stakeholder’s rights must be fairly weighed in the process. A balance must be struck so that the communities being torn apart by the dispute can come together once the state authorities make their ruling.

General Ohio

A lawsuit filed this week over Ohio’s wind turbine setbacks centers on whether landowners, developers and others had a chance to be heard before the stricter terms were adopted as part of an eleventh-hour budget bill amendment in 2014.

Zoning/Planning Ohio

A lawsuit filed in Paulding County Common Pleas Court this week by a group of farmers alleges the Ohio General Assembly violated the state constitution when it passed much more restrictive rules for setback requirements in 2014 than those which had been previously in effect.

General Ohio

With no discussion, the Seneca East board of education unanimously (5-0) approved a resolution to intervene in upcoming Ohio Power Siting Board hearings that will decide the fate of the controversial Seneca Wind project. ...The school district joined four of five Seneca County townships that have passed similar resolutions to intervene. The only one in Seneca that hasn’t passed a resolution is Bloom Township, where three of five trustees are leaseholders.

General Ohio

Plans to erect giant wind turbines in rural Seneca County drew a large and vocal group of residents again, this time with nearly 500 people packing an old school gymnasium that Scipio Township had purchased and turned into its maintenance building.

General Ohio

Much of the anger and fury that has come from wind power’s critics, who voice concerns ranging from bird, bat, and other wildlife impacts, to human health concerns about shadow-flicker and vibrations, wasn’t foreseen when Ohio’s first two commercial-scale wind turbines went up at the Wood County landfill southwest of Bowling Green. Both sides also have conflicting reports on what the large machines do to property values.

General Ohio

There’s always anger and fury amid concerns about wind turbines’ impact on birds, bats, and other wildlife — not to mention human health concerns about shadow-flicker and vibrations. But Mr. Feasel believes many Americans are overthinking the reasons behind such conflicts — including a conflict that has reached a fever pitch in Seneca County. It’s all about the number of people per square mile. More people equals more conflict, Mr. Feasel said.

General Ohio

“It’s unclear why a technology that is so expensive should be co-funded by U.S. taxpayers,” according to a statement Wednesday from Institute for Energy Research President Thomas Pyle. The $150 million project is eligible for as much as $50 million in federal funding.

Offshore Wind Energy Policy USA Ohio

In a letter sent to the Van Wert County Commissioners, John Arehart of Apex Clean Energy, Inc. announced that Apex would be disinvesting from the Long Prairie Wind project.

General Ohio

General Ohio

For every flawed study the Big Wind industry presents with no real loss of property value resulting from massive turbines, there are 10 more studies indicating that is definitely not the case.

Impact on People Ohio

As representatives from “Big Wind” companies in our area go door to door, consider the following before signing a lease on the hood of your car.

General Ohio

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with other federal agencies, on Tuesday, Oct. 2, released a final environmental assessment of the project that includes what the agency calls a Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI. "This is the most significant single approval Icebreaker Wind has received to date."

Offshore Wind Ohio

NEW RIEGEL, Ohio — We are led to believe that the fictional Madge and Gladys types could be sitting at the regionally-famous local café here, discussing Seneca County politics.

General Ohio

Seneca Wind, one of two commercial-scale wind farms planned southeast of the Toledo area, has been certified by the state of Ohio as a qualified energy project. ...an important step forward for a project.

General Ohio