Wind Watch: Industrial Wind Energy News
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of and copyrighted by the organizations or individuals noted. They are reproduced here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Can wind turbines disturb sleep? Research finds pulsing audible in homes up to 3.5km away
A world-first Australian study has found that pulsing wind farm noise is sometimes audible inside a home up to 3.5 kilometres from a turbine, in findings likely to buoy those opposed to the low-emissions technology. The Flinders University research gathered data at nine homes near a single, older-style wind farm in South Australia and did not study year-round conditions. However the researchers say their findings demonstrate the need for further investigation into the potential relationship between wind turbine noise and . . . Complete story »
Energy firm halts work on controversial wind farm development
Developers have shelved plans for a hugely unpopular windfarm in rural Perthshire. After a rollercoaster planning wrangle that lasted five years, ABO Wind has announced it will halt work on its 11-turbine Green Burn project between Alyth and Bridge of Cally. More than 150 residents and groups objected to the scheme which would have seen turbines bigger than Big Ben installed next to the existing 16-mast Drumberg site. The plan was rejected by councillors in March 2017, amid claims the . . . Complete story »
State should establish guardrails for county government
Local control. It is a sacred philosophy in Nebraska. It’s the best way to handle things that are peculiar and unique to a given place, like a town or a county or a school district. Most of the time, the more local government is, the better it is. This week I had back surgery, so I asked my legislative aide to attend a county planning commission meeting in Valentine. The subject of the meeting was a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) . . . Complete story »
Submissions raise concerns over 150 metre turbines in proposed Ballyshannon wind farm
Concerns have been raised about the impact of a proposed south Donegal wind farm on the breeding grounds of a protected bird. A decision on the proposed seven-turbine wind farm at the Behy Mountain area of Cashelard near Ballyshannon is due next month, almost a year after the application was lodged. Objections have been received from locals concerned about the impact of the proposed wind farm on homes, health and the beauty of the area. Behy Renewable Energy Ltd has . . . Complete story »
Personal View: Environmental impact statement needed for Icebreaker
It’s becoming rough sledding for Icebreaker, the proposed wind turbine farm in Lake Erie off Cleveland by the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo), as more groups are calling for a full environmental impact statement (EIS) to be undertaken before final construction permits are issued. LEEDCo’s application is now before the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). It has already received a thumbs-up from several federal, state and local agencies. But new information now coming to light has business, sportsmen and . . . Complete story »
Community divide remains after Reno County denies permit for new wind farm
Members of the group Keep Reno Heavenly showed a mix of emotions after the Reno County Commission denied NextEra Energy a permit to build a wind farm in the southeastern part of the county. On one hand, all of its efforts had paid off. Members of the group had worked for months to organize and participate in public hearings, and they finally got the result they wanted – the proposed 220 megawatt wind farm with more than 80 turbines reaching 500 . . . Complete story »
EU court: Ireland should pay €1k a day for environment failings
The EU’s top court has said Ireland should be subject to large daily fines, already amounting to almost €4m, for failing to comply with EU legislation that might have prevented landslides caused by the construction of a wind farm in 2003. A legal opinion issued by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has proposed that the State should be handed a daily fine of €1,000 for every day since its earlier ruling on July 3, 2008, until it . . . Complete story »
Engineer answers questions about wind farm
About 60 citizens turned out for the fifth session of the Packer Township Zoning Hearing Board’s hearing on the Broad Mountain Power LLC wind farm project, proposed for Kovatch-owned property on the hilltop between Nesquehoning and western Packer Township. William Schneider, PE, director of Engineering Services for Schoener Environmental Inc. in Dickson City, presented the engineering plans for roads, parking, land disturbance during construction, the improved Dennison Road access from Nesquehoning, the power line from the substation on site to . . . Complete story »
North Dakota falling short of industry panel’s wind power goal
Dave Nehring, who founded North Dakota Visionkeepers last year to help grassroots organizations fighting wind projects in their communities, said the state has reached its saturation point for wind energy. He blamed the turbines' proliferation for a rise in electrical prices, though similar claims have been disputed by industry officials. "We don't need it in the state of North Dakota," Nehring said. Complete story »
Lines drawn in East Hampton over Deepwater Wind
The first public hearings on the South Fork Wind Farm project brought residents from across Long Island to East Hampton on Tuesday to plead with the State Public Service Commission to make the smart choice when it comes to the Deepwater Wind proposal. For some, that meant for the commission to give its stamp of approval to the wind farm developer’s preferred electrical cable route – through Wainscott, and then under town roads to East Hampton – so that the 15 wind . . . Complete story »
