“What we’re doing this for is information gathering,” Calverley added. “We’re not making any policy because of this. We’re just trying to get the temperature of the township. “If we start getting into this windmill stuff, there’ll be a lot of scrutinizing no matter what we say,” he added with a chuckle. “I talked to (Douglass Township Supervisor) Terry Anderson the other day and he said ‘I never,’ he said, ‘you sit and wonder why are we doing this?’” Stearns noted.

General Michigan

The future of the Scituate Wind turbine could be up to annual Town Meeting voters this spring. A citizens’ petition has been submitted to the Town Clerk for placement on the April 11 Town Meeting warrant asking for approval to have the Scituate Wind turbine shut down permanently.

General Massachusetts

A temporary moratorium on developing large-scale, ground-mounted solar projects, defined as ones that generate at least 250 kilowatts of power, is winning support from residents. ...If passed by a two-thirds vote of the Town Council, the moratorium would remain in effect until as late as May 2023, or until a solar siting bylaw is developed. 

General Massachusetts

Last year, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) denied the project due to concerns for wildlife. So, the company has been researching. ...Despite opposition, Circle Power has pledged the project will have minimal impact on residents due to distance from homes and says it would bring substantial economic benefits.

General Michigan

“In 2019 when legislation was passed that opened the door for a large-scale increase in solar development, we started getting calls from tons of farmers who were being contacted by solar developers looking to site solar installations on their land,” Ellen Griswold, policy and research director at the trust, said Wednesday. Though economic development and consumer factors are important, Griswold said developers should also consider the impact energy projects would have on agricultural resources as part of their site evaluation criteria.

General Maine

Regulators have approved the purchase of a proposed wind farm in southwestern Wisconsin that is the state’s first project approved under 12-year-old rules designed to make the process easier for developers. The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to authorize Wisconsin Public Service Corp. and Madison Gas and Electric to spend $162 million on the Red Barn Wind Farm as part of long-term strategies to phase out coal-fired power plants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

General Wisconsin

The Solar Futures Study also emphasizes the potential of “solar-pollinator habitats,” which are intended to combine solar panels with pollinator-friendly native plants, ultimately bolstering crop yields while simultaneously producing cleaner energy. Christensen-Lewis, who already plants wildflowers on her organic farm to encourage pollinators, has her doubts about those habitats as well. “We always say that when a solar company comes in and puts in their pollinator habitat, it’s three years away from becoming a patch of weeds, and then they’re going to have to use Roundup,” she said. “It’s just a label—it’s just a selling point—and not necessarily a very good one.”

General USA

HENDERSON — The onetime owners of most of Galloo Island have reacquired the 1,900-acre Lake Ontario property with the intent of preserving it as farmland.

General Rhode Island

“Is this throwing more money at a project that should never have been built where it is, all at ratepayer expense?” asked Smith. “Regardless of the reason, the Lowell Wind project was built in a remote area with extraordinary ecological resources that had much greater value than the minimal amount of electricity being produced. It was well known at the time it was proposed that the area lacked adequate transmission capacity to handle the additional power. There is no excuse, more than a decade later, to saddle ratepayers with any additional costs.”

General Vermont

It’s difficult to pick a single topic that has received more ink this year than renewable energy projects. With solar projects tipping the scales a bit more than wind, the WDN has covered meetings at all levels, interviewed citizens as well as local and state legislators on the topic and have worked to stay on top of the subject as the conversations and legislation continue to evolve.

General Ohio

North Dakota regulators on Wednesday approved a wind farm’s plan for dismantling its turbines at the end of the facility’s life using a new method that drew a comparison to chopping down trees. ...The PSC denied another wind farm’s request for more time to comply with the state’s light mitigation law. The state requires that wind farms use technology to keep the red lights atop turbines from blinking all night long. ...The commission earlier this month denied similar extension requests from other wind farms.

General North Dakota

NORWICH — An Upper Valley solar company is proposing to build a 500-kilowatt solar array on a wooded hillside that was once part of a farm now bisected by Interstate 91.

General New Hampshire Vermont

NORWICH — An Upper Valley solar company is proposing to build a 500-kilowatt solar array on a wooded hillside that was once part of a farm now bisected by Interstate 91.

General New Hampshire Vermont

These fights are part of a global backlash against the energy sprawl that always comes with the expansion of wind and solar energy. Earlier this month, the International Energy Agency’s “Renewables 2021” report included more than a dozen mentions of the growing problem of “social acceptance” of renewables in countries all over the world. For instance, in Italy, the IEA says that “limited land availability and growing social acceptance challenges further hamper faster growth of renewables.”

General USA Iowa

These fights are part of a global backlash against the energy sprawl that always comes with the expansion of wind and solar energy. Earlier this month, the International Energy Agency’s “Renewables 2021” report included more than a dozen mentions of the growing problem of “social acceptance” of renewables in countries all over the world. For instance, in Italy, the IEA says that “limited land availability and growing social acceptance challenges further hamper faster growth of renewables.”

General Iowa USA

After hearing from many in the community who oppose the Rough Hat Nye County Solar Project, the advisory committe decided to withhold support for the project. That recommendation was a key piece of the puzzle when the Nye County Commission took up the topic on Dec. 16. Many opponents have cited the project’s potential negative environmental impacts and its effect on recreational activites. Some fear a drop in housing values, if the project is approved.

General Nevada

Following a public hearing for the proposed Rock Creek Wind Project this week, the Albany County Board of Commissioners has 45 days to make a decision about whether to approve its wind energy conversion systems permit. The commission declined to make a decision Tuesday, as commissioners wanted time to ask more questions about the project in coming weeks.

General Wyoming

On Nov. 19, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) published the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Rail Tie Wind Project, allowing for more assessments on the impact that the wind turbines will have.

General Wyoming

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is asking for input from commercial and Recreational fishermen concerning offshore wind projects and their potential impacts.

General USA Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is asking for input from commercial and Recreational fishermen concerning offshore wind projects and their potential impacts.

General Louisiana USA