The Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission will not recommend sweeping changes to wind energy regulations in the near-term, voting instead last week to support minimal amendments proposed by the county’s planning department.

Zoning/Planning Wyoming

Nine out of 10 migratory birds are inadequately protected during at least one leg of their annual migrations, according to a 2015 study published in Science. Before 2017, a person could be prosecuted for accidentally killing a bird, but an opinion submitted by the Department of the Interior effectively changed that interpretation so that only intentional harm – mainly illegal hunting – is legally punishable.

Impact on Birds USA

A moratorium on wind-related projects in Mercer County has blocked the construction of a wind farm, making Mercer the second county in central North Dakota to enact anti-wind ordinances. BISMARCK — Ongoing tensions over the construction of a new wind farm in North Dakota coal country have come to a head with Mercer County, N.D., imposing a moratorium on all wind-related projects.

Zoning/Planning North Dakota

Four firms have submitted their proposals to transform Columbus’ electric supply into a 100% renewable market - but the city wants to keep a lid on them until after it selects a winner in about a week.

General Ohio

Danish energy company Ørsted is no longer seeking to connect an offshore wind farm to the mainland at Fenwick Island State Park.

Offshore Wind Transmission Delaware Maryland

Danish energy company Ørsted is no longer seeking to connect an offshore wind farm to the mainland at Fenwick Island State Park.

Offshore Wind Transmission Delaware Maryland

Following the completion of more thorough evaluations of the area proposed for the facility, Ørsted has determined that a large portion of the site is comprised of undisturbed wetlands. Accordingly, Ørsted has notified DNREC that it will no longer pursue plans to build the interconnection facility at Fenwick Island State Park as initially proposed.

Offshore Wind Transmission Delaware Maryland

Following the completion of more thorough evaluations of the area proposed for the facility, Ørsted has determined that a large portion of the site is comprised of undisturbed wetlands. Accordingly, Ørsted has notified DNREC that it will no longer pursue plans to build the interconnection facility at Fenwick Island State Park as initially proposed.

Offshore Wind Transmission Delaware Maryland

The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors heard some concerns about a new wind turbine project in the works in the northern part of the county and decided to do some further research on the topic before making any decisions. The Worthwhile Wind Energy Center is a proposed wind development in Worth and Winnebago counties on private land, according to a statement by the developer, Invenergy.

Impact on People Noise Iowa

Rather than reprint the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s immortal “Blowing in the Wind” to lead the reader into this story about Chowan County’s wind energy facility ordinance, let’s cut to the chase.

Zoning/Planning North Carolina

A federal judge refused Thursday to dismiss criminal charges against two men accused of scamming investors in a proposed wind farm project at Elm Springs. Jody Douglas Davis and Phillip Vincent Ridings are charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, aiding and abetting wire fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting money laundering. Both men have entered not guilty pleas. They will be tried together, and the trial is set for Sept. 20 in Fayetteville.

Legal Arkansas

“The project is a dangerous and completely unnecessary industrialization of high-quality wildlife habitat in an area with an extremely high wildfire risk and frequent low-flying military, commercial and private aircraft,” states the suit filed by the nonprofit Backcountry Against Dumps along with Boulevard residents Donna and Ed Tisdale, whose ranch adjoins the project site with a half-mile shared border.

Legal California

Iowa, a national leader in wind energy, is weighing new rules for siting renewable energy projects — regulations that could shake up a system that's enabled billions of dollars of investment in the state over the past two decades.

Zoning/Planning Iowa

Albany County’s planning and zoning board moved forward with recommending changes to regulations on wind energy on Wednesday designed to bring the county in line with state statute, but they haven’t ruled out even more stringent measures.

Zoning/Planning Wyoming

he North Dakota Public Service Commission has fined Xcel Energy $10,000 for failing to meet the deadline for complying with the state’s new law requiring light-mitigating technology atop wind turbines. The system at the new Foxtail wind farm in Dickey County became fully operational April 7, missing the state’s Dec. 31 deadline by several months. 

Lighting North Dakota

A company official said the equipment has been added to about 15 other turbines and said all 87 would have the equipment by a September 15 deadline the commission had set. ...Commissioner Nelson cautioned the company that the commission could take action if the company didn’t meet the deadline.

Impact on People Noise South Dakota

This complaint in federal court challenges the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”) notice of record of decision (ROD) authorizing the issuance of a 25-year lease of land (with a possible 13-year extension) between the Campo Band of Diegueño Mission Indians and Terra-Gen Development Company LLC (“Terra-Gen”), allowing Terra-Gen to develop, construct, the Campo Wind Facilities on the Reservation, and the Boulder Brush Facilities on adjacent private lands. The Campo Wind Facilities would consist of sixty 586-foot tall turbines, three 374-foot meteorological towers, 15 miles of new access roads, an electrical connection and communication system, a collector substation, an operation and maintenance facility, a gen-tie line, and other components needed for construction and operation. A portion of the complaint is provided below. The full complaint can be downloaded from the document links on this page. 

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Impact on People USA California

This complaint in federal court challenges the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”) notice of record of decision (ROD) authorizing the issuance of a 25-year lease of land (with a possible 13-year extension) between the Campo Band of Diegueño Mission Indians and Terra-Gen Development Company LLC (“Terra-Gen”), allowing Terra-Gen to develop, construct, the Campo Wind Facilities on the Reservation, and the Boulder Brush Facilities on adjacent private lands. The Campo Wind Facilities would consist of sixty 586-foot tall turbines, three 374-foot meteorological towers, 15 miles of new access roads, an electrical connection and communication system, a collector substation, an operation and maintenance facility, a gen-tie line, and other components needed for construction and operation. A portion of the complaint is provided below. The full complaint can be downloaded from the document links on this page. 

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Impact on People California USA

A group of Albany County residents seeking a change to the county’s rules for wind energy projects plans to hold a peaceful protest rally at the county courthouse at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

General Wyoming

About two-dozen farmers and landowners in western Iowa say MidAmerican Energy is failing to fully pay them for damage caused when building an 81-turbine wind farm in Ida County. It's another point of tension in the relationship between rural residents and the Des Moines company, which has made Iowa a national leader in wind generation, building about 3,000 turbines across the state.​​

General Iowa