WindAction.org

Wind Alert! 31-Jul-2017

News and information from The WindAction Group

facts, analysis, exposure of industrial wind energy's real impacts - www.windAction.org

Issue: 31-Jul-2017

WindAction EDITORIAL

The Failure of RGGI

RGGI proponents want us to believe that the program is delivering on a global environmental promise, but the reality is the nine-state cap and trade system is a colossal failure of resource allocation that should be repealed to leave more efficient market forces. → MORE

Recent Articles

Emera proposes 1.2GW of Canadian wind exports to New England

Canadian utility Emera has proposed exporting power from 1.2GW of future onshore wind farms in eastern Canada via a subsea cable to Massachusetts, to help the New England state meet its mandated renewables target. → MORE

Savoy sets hearing on plan to adjust wind-power bylaw

Proposed wind-power turbines on a Savoy ridge could get three stories taller. The town's Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday to consider amending its decade-old bylaw regulating wind energy.  → MORE

Walkamin residents claim mountain turned into “eyesore” by wind farm construction

Tablelands residents have accused the developer of a wind farm of destroying part of a mountain for the $380 million project and turning it into an “eyesore”. → MORE

Proper windmill siting necessary to spare birds, bats

The recent cancelation of the proposed Camp Perry demonstration windmill was celebrated by the American Bird Conservancy of Virginia, and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory — a local bird research, conservation and education organization headquartered in Oak Harbor. → MORE

House approves minibus spending bill with deep cuts to DOE funds

The U.S. House on Thursday passed a bill to authorize spending for four federal agencies, targeting a 3% overall cut in the Department of Energy and a 17% cut in energy programs at the agency.  → MORE

Firefighters respond to wind turbine fire

The turbine appears to be part of EDP Renewables' Blue Canyon Wind facility. There were four phases to the project totalling 424 megawatts and located in Caddo, Comanche, and Kiowa Counties. The project uses a combination of Vestas and GE model wind turbines. The news report did not cite the make... → MORE

Wind turbine setback, battles over green energy rules expected in Ohio legislature

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Renewable energy's struggle to grow in Ohio is expected to resume this fall following years of political battles over state energy mandates. → MORE

Wind farm delay doesn't stop Cooper from signing solar bill

Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday signed into law a measure that overhauls the state's solar energy policy, despite an 18-month moratorium on new wind farm projects that lawmakers tacked onto the plan. → MORE

Assessment upheld in wind farm hearing

[T]he initial assessment for their property was valued at around $187 million which the company is required to pay taxes on to the county. Following an informal protest a second assessment to about $177 million. Now the company is asking for the value to be lowered to around $60 million. ...The... → MORE

Big wind farm appeal rejected by government

(image)

The Secretary of State said he agreed with the conclusion of the Planning Inspector that “there would be harm caused to the significance of a number of designated heritage assets” and that the size and layout of the 11 wind turbines would be “an incongruous presence of significant scale” which... → MORE

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy sales fall amid India slowdown

SGRE said the fall in sales was due to a "market shut down" in India as the country moves to an auction-based system and "normal business volatility in the offshore market". → MORE

CMP wants to build 145-mile transmission line through western Maine

The project cost is confidential, but CMP has confirmed that it’s in the $1 billion range. The total cost would be paid by Massachusetts electric customers. ...It’s also possible that a similar line being proposed by CMP and a partner could carry power from new solar and energy-storage projects in... → MORE

Resistance to wind turbines unites southeast SD

There's no denying it's windy in South Dakota, but South Dakotans are denying wind turbines. → MORE

Public Utility Commission rejects solar array near Mount Philo

The town of Charlotte and the Agency of Natural Resources opposed the project in proceedings before the Public Utility Commission (formerly the Public Service Board). The regulatory body agreed the array would detract from the view from Mount Philo. The aesthetics of energy projects are one of the criteria that can... → MORE

New wind tower regulations cause a stir at hearing

Monday’s nearly 3½ hour public hearing on zoning regulations nearly wrapped up without much comment on the wind turbines. → MORE

Botetourt wind farm developer to start work in winter; still lacks buyer for electricity

DALEVILLE — A clean energy developer hopes to start construction of a wind farm in Botetourt County by year’s end, even as it continues to search for a power company to purchase electricity generated by the giant turbines. → MORE

Victory for Clonroche residents with wind farm High Court order

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. → MORE

State rejects initial application for Irasburg and Lowell wind project

State regulators have dealt a blow to a proposed wind energy project on Kidder Hill in Irasburg and Lowell. → MORE

Hughes County zoning panel gets earful on new wind turbine requirements

After about 40 minutes of a sometimes-heated discussion involving about 20 people, the Hughes County Planning and Zoning Commission decided on Monday to go ahead with a revision of its ordinances, increasing the minimum setbacks on large wind turbines from neighboring homes. ...the county’s zoning commission’s proposed amendment that would increase... → MORE

Why Germany has a dirty climate secret

Germany's dirty secret underscores the inevitable conclusion that renewables are alone not enough to beat global warming. → MORE

Do not turn St. Lawrence foothills into electrical generating facility, says Hopkinton resident

SGRE said the fall in sales was due to a "market shut down" in India as the country moves to an auction-based system and "normal business volatility in the offshore market". → MORE

SSE forced to fix defects in wind turbine foundations

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. → MORE

Doomed Scout Moor wind farm expansion inquiry cost council £60k

RBC is already facing a £20 million black hole after the scheme was blocked → MORE

Rep. Andy Harris erects new obstacle in path of Md. wind-farm projects

At least one of two offshore wind projects approved by Maryland utility regulators in May could be in jeopardy after an amendment sponsored by Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) that seeks to push the turbines farther from the coast was approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in the past week. → MORE

NextEra denied project extension

The Henry County Area Plan Commission, during its meeting Thursday night, effectively denied a year extension which had been requested by NextEra Energy Resources in regard to the West Fork Wind Project, along with denying a year extension for Apex Clean Energy concerning its Flat Rock Wind Project. → MORE

The public deserves to know problem

We would encourage NextEra to release its finding when they determine what happened that caused the turbine blade to break. We realize they are a private company, but this is a big project that people see every day. We think the public deserves to know what the problems are. → MORE

Powered-down turbines continue to cost Falmouth money

Selectmen addressed the financial circumstances while announcing the decision not to appeal, saying “we know there would be substantial costs associated with taking down the turbines in addition to the lost electricity generated by both Wind 1 and Wind 2 as well as the looming debt associated with not running... → MORE

Lake Erie's Icebreaker Wind project moves closer to state certification for construction

The wind farm's impact of greatest concern to birders and environmentalists involves the potential for high mortality rates due to collisions by birds and bats into the spinning fan blades. LEEDCo acknowledges this fear in its document, but warns that monitoring and documenting casualties from collisions are difficult and pose unique... → MORE

Source: LIPA rejects planned solar farm, offshore wind project

The official explained that LIPA had ample green-power sources to meet its short-term state mandates without the second Deepwater Wind project’s proposed 210 megawatts of energy. He noted LIPA will have other opportunities to purchase wind energy through a recently signed memorandum of understanding with the New York State Energy... → MORE

Bat, bird deaths focus of wind farm study

A preconstruction acoustic survey for bats predicted that the wind farm’s impact would be low, but the preliminary results of the study show it’s been higher than anticipated. Over the first six months of the post-construction study, FWP is estimating with 95 percent confidence that the turbines killed between 120 to... → MORE

Fish and wildlife officials want updated information for Galloo Island wind project review

“In general, we have concerns about siting a project in a unique habitat such as an island and in an area adjacent to Little Galloo,” said Tim R. Sullivan, a service biologist who was in charge of submitting the final draft of the letter. “It’s important for the life cycle... → MORE

Wind turbines kill key species

Sapsuckers are unfortunately one of the causalities from wind turbines. As a bird that migrates at night, it cannot easily see the spinning turbine, and tens of thousands of these birds collide with them and die during the fall and spring migrations. Reducing the number of sapsuckers puts pressure on... → MORE

Wind farms hamper the military

Here’s another problem with wind farms. They are too tall. They are so tall, in fact, that they interfere with military aviation training with bases in Oklahoma. → MORE

Late distance amendment could derail offshore wind project

Harris cited Ocean City’s concerns about impacts on views from the shoreline as the catalyst for the amendment. It’s important to note while Ocean City officials are not opposed to the offshore wind farm projects conceptually, they continue to express concern about the potential impact on the views from the... → MORE

Opposition grows as more wind energy projects come online

Opposition to those projects is also growing. Lucas Nelsen, a policy program associate with the Center for Rural Affairs, says there are reasons for those objections. → MORE

Plant closure underscores Liberal energy blunders

McCarter found 30,000 of those jobs were in construction, lasting only one to three years, and the government had failed to take into account studies in other jurisdictions showing that for each job created through renewable energy, two to four were lost in other sectors of the economy, because of... → MORE

Rural America keeps rejecting Big Wind

The backlash against Big Wind continues. Indeed, entire states are now restricting or rejecting wind projects. → MORE

Wind turbine catches fire in Lincoln County

(image)

With the wind turbine standing over 400 feet tall, crews said the fire was impossible to reach. Sylvan Grove Fire Chief Marc Lovin says there isn't anything his firefighters can do but let the turbine burn. → MORE

Blade from wind turbine falls into Oklahoma man’s cornfield

"The turbine sits in the cornfield, but the blade broke off and flew about 100 yards north of the turbine ," recalls Carpenter. "It flattened the corn, destroyed it." Since the May 31 incident, the turbine's blade has been replaced by General Electric and it has resumed to normal operations. → MORE

Lincoln County votes down wind backers

The vote was 57-42 percent in favor of a requirement that all turbines be placed at least a half mile from all habitable dwellings in the county. Heavy turnout from southern Lincoln County was the deciding factor, with universal support for the stricter setbacks in every city south of Tea,... → MORE

Apple’s Oregon wind farm cleared for super-sized turbines

Regulators have cleared Apple’s Oregon wind power project to use the biggest turbines ever deployed in the Pacific Northwest. → MORE

Wind turbine noise too much for South Dakota homeowner

David Janes of rural Toronto, South Dakota, said he and his late wife had built a retirement home on their South Dakota farm site 17 years ago. ...“But when the turbines are running, I can’t hear the birds. All I hear is swoosh, swoosh swoosh, like a jet plane engine.” → MORE

New application for 11-turbine wind farm in south Wicklow

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... → MORE

Windfarms 'louder than a bird' to be shut - minister

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. → MORE

Proposed legislation would mandate votes on wind farms

With debates raging throughout Fayette, Rush and Henry counties regarding slated wind farm projects in the area, a state representative is pushing for legislation which would give residents more of a voice concerning such issues. → MORE

Recent Documents

Status: Aramini-Krogh project to evaluate Health Canada Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study

(image)

In November 2014, Health Canada released the results of its $2.1 million “Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study.” Despite public anouncements from Health Canada that the raw data originating from the Study would be made available, the data continues to be inaccessible making it impossible to validate the conclusions drawn by Health... → MORE

Apex: Galloo Island Wind - USFWS Comments

(image)

This letter by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, was submitted to the State of New York in reference to a pending proposal to build a wind turbine project in the very sensitive land area on and around Galloo Island. The letter can be accessed by clicking on the links... → MORE

A new methodology for investigating ILFN complaints

(image)

This important study has identified flaws in the current compliance testing for wind turbine noise and further outlined the methods necessary for identifying and measuring the low-frequency, pulsation that isoften times reported by those impacted by the turbines. Specifically, the "presence of amplitude modulation in the low frequency region, that... → MORE








This email was sent to newsletter@newslettercollector.com
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
WindAction.org · 286 Parker Hill Road · Lyman, NH 03585 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp