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 the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Department of Conservation lodges submission against Kaimai wind farm
DoC is opposed to a proposed wind farm because it believes bats might collide with turbines. The Department of Conservation is among a large group of submitters opposing a 24-turbine wind farm on 1304 hectares along the northern end of the Kaimai Ranges. Last year, Kaimai Wind Farm Ltd made resource consent applications through both Hauraki District Council and Waikato Regional Council to establish the wind farm which would have the biggest turbines in the country. Hauraki District Council has . . . Complete story »
Draft rules for offshore wind farms: Environmental damage could lead to cancellation of clearance
An offshore wind energy project, if found causing environmental damage to marine ecology, could be cancelled, as proposed in the draft offshore wind energy lease rules, 2019 by the Indian government’s ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). India plans to go big on offshore wind power for strengthening the energy security in the country, but harm to marine ecology and birds has always been a contentious issue. At present, wind power is the main pillar of India’s renewable power . . . Complete story »
Env. minister urges review of Hokkaido wind farm project over bird strike fears
TOKYO – The environment minister submitted a statement on Feb. 18 urging a drastic review of a plan to replace turbines at a wind farm in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido due to concerns over bird strikes against endangered eagles and other species. Environment Minister Yoshiaki Harada’s statement was directed at Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko over an Environmental Impact Assessment of the project at the Eurus Soya Misaki Wind Farm in Cape Soya in the city of . . . Complete story »
3,500 acres on Glebe Mountain to be conserved
WINDHAM – Glebe Mountain, which was once the proposed site for a 27-turbine wind farm, will soon be removed from the rolls of land in Vermont open to development. The Nature Conservancy announced last week it will be purchasing 3,500 acres in Windham and Londonderry, conserving it for generations to come. “We have been doing conservation work in this area for may years and identified the Glebe Mountain forest block as an important ecological feature in southern Vermont,” said Jonathan Binhammer, . . . Complete story »
New York Thruway Authority files lawsuit to get wind turbines back up and running
You may have noticed wind turbines located along the New York State Thruway between Erie and Buffalo are not working. These, the ones along I-90, stand still, high above every toll booth. Now, the New York Thruway Authority wants to get them moving again. The authority has filed a lawsuit against a wind turbine company and its contractor and consultants for the failure of four wind turbines located in Erie and Chautauqua counties. The turbines have been offline since last . . . Complete story »
Company wants to repower Big Sky Wind farm
DIXON – The Big Sky Wind farm in Lee County is looking to be re-energized. The 240 megawatt wind farm in southern Lee County and Bureau County near Ohio went online in 2011 with 114 turbines stretching across about 14,000 acres. BSW DevCo LLC is petitioning the county for a special-use permit to decommission its 58 turbines in Lee County and replace them with new ones that would stand as tall as 460 feet from the tip of the blade . . . Complete story »
Government help for wind farm jeopardised by farmer – company claims
A company claims Government assistance for a €26m wind farm project is being jeopardised by a farmer’s refusal to comply with an agreement he made to permit cabling work to be carried on his land, the Commercial Court heard. Joseph Henry, who has a small farm near the Mayo/Sligo border, claims however Black Lough Windfarm Ltd is using “bully boy” tactics by taking the case against him in the High Court’s commercial division. On Monday, Mr Justice Robert Haughton admitted . . . Complete story »
Sen. Tom Brewer: Concerns about wind energy, eminent domain before the legislature
My priority bill, LB 155, was advanced to general file out of the Natural Resources Committee this week. I want to thank the chairman of this committee, Sen. Dan Hughes, for his help doing this. Since I’ve been in the legislature, I have been trying to get a bill that addresses the many concerns my constituents have with wind energy voted out of committee to the floor of the legislature. I also want to thank my constituents, and people from . . . Complete story »
Windfarm planning change leads to peat slide risk row
An application by Viking Energy to use larger turbines at its planned Viking Wind Farm project in Shetland has led to calls for further investigation of the ground condition risks to the project. The onshore wind farm could become the UK’s third biggest if it gains planning approval, however, campaign group Sustainable Shetland believes that ground risk issues have been overlooked. In an open letter to the Shetland Islands Council’s planning committee, Sustainable Shetland vice chair James Mackenzie has called . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine misconceptions
In a recent A-T article about wind turbines, Gary Baldosser was quoted at some length describing how turbines work to provide power. Unfortunately, his description left some hefty misconceptions in the minds of readers who are unfamiliar with the subject. When Baldosser states that wind turbines’ “efficiency is that they are quickly able to go on and off line” and if we need extra power it is easy to “put more turbines online,” it leaves the impression that wind turbines . . . Complete story »
