Saturday, May 12, 2012

National Wind Watch | May 8, 2012



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: National Wind Watch | May 8, 2012
Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 09:12:04 -0400
From: news@wind-watch.org



With the exploitation of wind energy, a technology is being promoted that is completely insignificant for the power supply, the preservation of natural resources, and the protection of the climate. —Lothar Hoischen, Germany

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In the News

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Connecticut
8 May 2012

Siting Council proposes new wind regulations
A year and a half after a West Hartford-based startup made its pitch to build the first commercial wind farms in Connecticut, the state is inching closer to establishing regulations for such projects. The Connecticut Siting Council, which has sole jurisdiction over renewable energy projects that propose to generate more than 1 megawatt of power, has drafted a set of regulations for wind turbines. The regulations are an outgrowth of reviewing two applications from BNE Energy, Inc., which proposed installing . . . Complete story »
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Texas
8 May 2012

Man working in turbine struck by lightning is hospitalized
A man working inside a wind turbine in Nolan County when it was struck by lightning Monday was listed in stable condition at a Sweetwater hospital, according to fire officials. The Sweetwater Fire Department was called out to a wind farm about nine miles south of town just after 3 p.m. Monday, said Assistant Chief Russell Reeves. "When we arrived on scene, the man was already off the turbine. He appeared alert and oriented," Reeves said. The man was taken . . . Complete story »
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Opinions, U.S.
8 May 2012

Windmills vs. birds
For years, the wind energy industry has had a license to kill golden eagles and lots of other migratory birds. It's not an official license, mind you. But as the bird carcasses pile up—two more dead golden eagles were recently found at the Pine Tree wind project in Southern California's Kern County, bringing the number of eagle carcasses at that site to eight—the wind industry's unofficial license to kill wildlife is finally getting some serious scrutiny. Some 77 organizations—led by . . . Complete story »
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Nova Scotia
8 May 2012

Potential for more wind turbines raises concerns
AMHERST – Talk of more wind turbines being built in the Amherst area is raising a whirlwind of questions and concerns from nearby residents. "The Sprott Company is bidding on another project that involves a bunch of turbines being placed in the marsh or what I would call the agricultural land," said David Wightman, gesturing at the marshy fields that surround his back yard. Wightman said he believes the property that will be used for this new project will involve . . . Complete story »
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Virginia
8 May 2012

Gamesa to halt wind project
Wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa is halting the installation of a test turbine off the coast of Virginia because of uncertainty over regulation and demand in the U.S. Without a mature offshore wind-energy market in the U.S., the company said Monday, it is "extremely difficult" to justify the cost of completing the project, under way since September 2010. The announcement comes as Congress debates whether to extend federal tax credits for wind-energy producers to help offset costs. The Production Tax Credit, . . . Complete story »
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Quebec, Vermont
8 May 2012

Wind protesters flood Haskell grounds
DERBY LINE, VT/STANSTEAD, QUE. – A protest against the proposed Derby Line Wind Project attracted a large turnout with more than 100 people from both sides of the border. Many had strong words against it and spoke passionately against wind farms in or near communities. Most guest speakers cited health concerns and lower property values. Among those present were Vermont State Senator Joe Benning, Pierre Reid from the National Assembly of Canada, Jean Rousseau from The House of Common's in . . . Complete story »
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Maine
8 May 2012

Proposed Dixfield wind ordinance up for public heairng
DIXFIELD — Residents will have a chance at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, to comment on a proposed Wind Energy Facility Ordinance. The public hearing takes place in the community room of Dirigo High School. The ordinance was devised by Selectmen Norine Clarke and Steve Donahue using similar ordinances from other towns, as well as applying specific needs for Dixfield. Patriot Renewables LLC of Quincy, Mass. has proposed building about a dozen turbines on the Colonel Holman Mountain ridgeline. The . . . Complete story »
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Illinois, Letters
8 May 2012

Other nations have tough rules on wind energy
I've seen articles on wind plants but with a lot of misconceptions and untruths spread by a few who have financial gain. They seem to not show the whole truth for their own profit at the cost of others. Very unethical. Why do they hide the 1,208 accidents and 89 deaths? Visit www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk/accidents.pdf on the Internet. They don't tell you about the countries finally accepting that industrial wind turbines pose a significant public safety risk. In New Zealand, the government . . . Complete story »
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Michigan
8 May 2012

Muskegon County's final wind-farm lease to include lawsuit protection
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – Muskegon County is set to sign off Thursday on a final lease agreement, including a special protection against a potential lawsuit, that may eventually lead to construction of a wind farm on the wastewater site. That final lease agreement includes an indemnification agreement that helps protect Muskegon County from any potential lawsuits stemming from the proposed working arrangement between Gamesa Energy USA and Scandia Wind. The Muskegon County Board of Public Works is set to consider . . . Complete story »
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U.K., Wales
8 May 2012

Wind farm protestors hit out at Government's "industry benefits" reports
A wind farm protest group yesterday dismissed a Government report claiming onshore wind power has created thousands of jobs and generated millions of pounds for the economy. Friends of the Pembrokeshire National Park said the boasts about job creation and economic benefits in the report for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) were spurious because the sector gets massive handouts. The joint study by the Government and the renewables industry of 18 wind farms across the UK, including . . . Complete story »
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England, U.K.
8 May 2012

Controversy over Government windfarm report
Anti-wind farm campaigners have reacted angrily to a Government report that concludes that wind farms create thousands of jobs and generate millions for local economies. A joint study of 18 wind farms nationwide by the industry and the Department of Energy and Climate Change showed communities benefited from £84m generated by onshore wind turbines in 2011, with 1,100 local jobs supported by the sector. The document claimed one in three local jobs were in operating and maintaining the turbines, providing . . . Complete story »
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England
8 May 2012

Plans stalled for wind turbine at beauty spot
City councillors are yet to sign an agreement over controversial proposals to build a wind turbine at Tunstall Hills in Sunderland. Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by objectors reveals the council has not yet signed an "option agreement" with contractor Partnership for Renewals (PfR). When signed, the agreement would give PfR three years to carry out surveys before submitting any planning application. Senior councillors opted to go into the agreement in February last year, after a report . . . Complete story »
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Michigan
8 May 2012

Gamesa Energy, Muskegon County agree on terms for potential wind farm
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – The signature of an international wind-energy company is on the lease agreement that may lead to wind turbines at the Muskegon County wastewater site. Gamesa Energy USA, a subsidiary of a Spanish-based wind farm developer and wind turbine manufacturer, recently signed the agreement with the county that gives the company exclusive rights to investigate the possibility of constructing a 150-megawatt wind farm on the 11,000-acre property in Egelston and Moorland townships. County officials have previously estimated . . . Complete story »
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England
8 May 2012

Village revolts over multimillionaire couple's wind turbine plans
One of Britain's best known female executives has angered residents of a rural village over plans to build wind turbines on their estate which will allegedly ruin neighbours' views but be invisible from their own mansion. American-born Dame Marjorie Scardino, CEO of Pearson PLC, and her husband Albert Scardino have applied to erect two turbines in the grounds of their £2.5 million country pile. However, the scheme has been criticised by locals in Suffolk, who claim it will devalue their . . . Complete story »
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England, Scotland
8 May 2012

Lack of wind farm consultation
The views of Berwickshire residents are not being sought about wind farm applications on the English side of the border for turbines that will be clearly visible on the Scottish side and there is increasing frustration at the lack of communications between Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council. Residents in Coldstream have raised concerns about a wind farm at Wark Common in Northumberland that would be visible from the town. Their gripe is not only the wind farm proposal . . . Complete story »
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England
8 May 2012

Campaigners braced for second windfarm in Clare
Telecoms giant BT is close to making a decision on whether or not to build a windfarm on land near Clare. The company is considering putting three 300-foot wind turbines on land at Leys Farm, Chilton Street, and has spent the last 18 months collecting wind information from its meteorological mast at the site. It is part of the company's aim to generate enough energy for its own future use from onshore wind power projects around the country, This week, . . . Complete story »
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U.S.
8 May 2012

Wind lobby strives to adapt to Tea Party era
The Tea Party has weakened the clout of the wind lobby, and imperiled the industry's prized political possession — a billion-dollar "Production Tax Credit." Leaked documents show how the lobby is trying to adapt to Republican power. The American Wind Energy Association's 2011 annual report and related documents were quietly posted on the Internet last week by a wind power opponent upset by windmills' negative impact on birds. The documents show the lobby's efforts to frame its opponents as tax . . . Complete story »
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Quebec, Vermont
7 May 2012

Anti-wind rally on the border; Quebec politicians enter fray
DERBY LINE, Vt./STANSTEAD, Quebec — A member of the Canadian Parliament representing the border town of Stanstead wants to be a party in the Vermont regulatory hearings over the Derby Line Wind Project. MP Jean Rousseau said Sunday, during a rally on the lawn at the international Haskell Free Library, that he will also present a petition opposing two industrial-sized wind turbines in Derby near homes in Stanstead to the Canadian House of Commons this week. Roussea is seeking a . . . Complete story »
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U.K.
7 May 2012

Report claims wind power benefits
The Government has hit back at critics of onshore wind power, releasing a report which showed the industry created thousands of jobs and generated millions of pounds for the economy. The joint study of 18 wind farms across the country by the industry and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) showed communities benefited from onshore wind turbines to the tune of £84 million in 2011, with 1,100 local jobs supported by the sector. One in three local jobs . . . Complete story »
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Scotland, Complaints
7 May 2012

Windfarm funds being 'siphoned off'
Councils are "siphoning off" large proportions of windfarm community benefit funds, it has been claimed. Renewable energy developer Infinergy said the funds, offered by windfarm companies to help regenerate areas close to windfarm sites, should be distributed annually over the lifetime of the farm (about 25 years), through a charitable trust with board members from the local area. However, it said Scotland's councils are increasingly pocketing the cash against residents' wishes and using it across the whole local authority area. . . . Complete story »
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Australia
7 May 2012

Wind farm audit questionnaires
Residents around the Capital and Woodlawn wind farms will be invited to provide detailed input to the NSW Government's audit of the state's three government-approved and operating wind farms. The audit, announced by Planning and Infrastructure Minister Brad Hazzard in February, started last week and includes noise monitoring by an independent consultant as well as a questionnaire sent to 119 landowners. Goulburn MP Pru Goward said the questionnaire, which has been sent to landowners within 4km of each wind farm, . . . Complete story »
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England
7 May 2012

An ill wind blows in Northamptonshire
'It's undistinguished." Bill Driver pronounces his verdict on the Northamptonshire countryside that is spread out in front of us from our elevated vantage point on the outskirts of the market town of Oundle in the east of the county. It seems a bit harsh as judgments go, especially on the lips of one who lives here. The brightly coloured fields of oilseed rape may not be to everyone's taste, and the local limestone of the houses is a bit harsher . . . Complete story »
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England
7 May 2012

Wind farm installation vehicle alarms Towcester village residents
A Windhoist vehicle was spotted in the South Northants village of Alderton, one of the villages surrounding the proposed Tove Valley Wind Farm at about 8.15 pm on Sunday 6th May 2012. The van belonging to Windhoist who claim on their website, "… leading wind turbine installation contractors offering heavy cranage and mechanical / electrical services to the principal wind turbine suppliers in the market including Vestas Celtic, Repower, Siemens, Nordex, Acciona, Enercon and Gamesa." Gamesa are currently working on . . . Complete story »
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Ontario, Complaints
7 May 2012

Kingsville farmer hamstrung by turbine; Appeals for council help
For 35 years, Henry Armstrong and his older brother have farmed 98 acres at Inman Sideroad and North Talbot Road in Kingsville. Now a wind turbine erected on a neighbouring farm across the road has changed the face of their land forever. "I've lost my rights, no consultation, no compensation," Armstrong said, standing where soybeans are just about to push through the earth. Back in 2010, the brothers decided to split the farm down the middle, putting each half in . . . Complete story »
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Wyoming
7 May 2012

Pioneer wind parks on hold pending litigation
The Northern Laramie Range Alliance has ridden their resistance to a 66 turbine wind farm for the mountains south of Glenrock to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Pioneer Wind Park is a two part project from Wasatch Wind out of Utah. The company had obtained approvals and expected to begin construction this spring, but according to Wasatch Wind Spokesperson Michelle Stevens, they'll wait for the litigation to play out. In the mean time, she says they want to let people know . . . Complete story »
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Opinions, South Dakota
7 May 2012

Electricity extortion has S.D. roost
Pierre — A government folly is playing out in our state's Capitol over a wind electricity project a group wants to build in Clark County. At the root of this folly is a federal requirement. Believe it or not, a wind farm developer can force a utility company to buy its electricity, even if the company doesn't want it. This gets worse. The wind power might cost more than the company wants its customers to have to pay for electricity. . . . Complete story »
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England
7 May 2012

Northumberland Tories call on Government to give local people the final say on wind farm plans
A direct plea is being made to the Government for a change in national policy on wind farms amid growing concerns over the number of giant turbines being given the green light in Northumberland. Conservative county councillors are writing to energy minister Charles Hendry calling for the views of local people and their elected representatives to be paramount when decisions are taken on new wind farm applications. The Tories say local residents should have the "final and determining" say on . . . Complete story »
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Quebec, Vermont
7 May 2012

Wind turbine issue creates discord between border towns
Philippe Dutil, the mayor of Stanstead, wants the Town of Derby, Vt. to take a position on the industrial-sized wind turbines a Burlington company wants to erect in Derby Line. It might not happen in the near future. The Derby board of selectmen voted 3-1 at a special meeting on Wednesday, May 2, to stop negotiations with Encore Redevelopment for annual payments to the town. Brian Smith, the chairman of the board, did not vote. Selectmen say, however, that was . . . Complete story »
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From the Resource Library:
Electricity Output from the Maple Ridge Windplant July, August, September 2006
Bolton, Rick | Tweet it

Sample Video The Wind Farm at Little Bay: How Close Is Too Close? | Tweet it

Visit an Ally Auchtermuchty Landscape & Environment Group | Tweet it

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