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.
Officials hear complaints about sound, flickering
ARKWRIGHT – A large number of Arkwright residents attended this week’s town board meeting, as the entire room seemed to be waiting anxiously to hear the results of the wind turbine sound test. Residents have been demanding further testing, some vehemently opposed to the very existence of the turbines. One resident noted, “the interference of rustling leaves or insects” in the fall season may have distorted the results, as he found them unsatisfactory. In response to the demand for more tests, . . . Complete story »
Freedom residents sue town board over wind turbine law
FREEDOM – Town of Freedom residents opposed to the proposed Alle-Catt Wind Farm filed a lawsuit Thursday against the town board in state Supreme Court in Cattaraugus County for approving a new wind law without considering adverse effects. Environmental attorney Gary Abraham and Ginger Schroder, a Buffalo attorney who lives in Farmersville, said the lawsuit seeks to overturn the town’s new wind law and reinstate the town’s 2007 wind law. Freedom Supervisor Randy Lester told the Times Herald Friday that he . . . Complete story »
Wind farm developer to pay a $60,000 fine for violations of a setback agreement with the PSC
The developer of a wind farm in McHenry County near Velva has been fined $60,000 because a handful of its wind turbines do not comply with a setback provision negotiated between the company and the North Dakota Public Service Commission. It concerns the Meadowlark wind farm. The settlement required a 1400 foot setback from occupied homes, as well as roads and power lines. Two of the turbines were too close to homes, two were too close to a state highway, . . . Complete story »
Company seeking to create 200-megawatt wind farm in Posey County
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A renewable energy development company is seeking to build up to 81 wind turbines in Posey County. E.ON Climate & Renewables North America already operates a wind farm in Madison and Tipton counties with another in development in Clinton County. The company is proposing a 200-megawatt wind energy project near the Posey-Gibson county line, said Karsen Rumpf, wind development manager. He said it would take an estimated 47 to 81 wind turbines to generate that amount of power. . . . Complete story »
Legal bid threat to council to stop Hendy wind farm work
Powys County Council has been threatened with a legal challenge if it continues to allow site work on the Hendy Wind Farm to take place. Complaints have been made by protesters that construction firms have already started work at Hendy/Llandegley Rhos near Llandrindod Wells before the planning permission discharges had been finalised. PCC has inspected the sites and has conducted an enforcement investigation which came to nothing. Jonathan Colchester, chairman of the Brecon and Radnor Campaign for the Protection of . . . Complete story »
Germany installation growth hits the buffers
Germany’s onshore wind sector hit “negative growth” for the first time in July with a record low of just 22MW added, compared with 35MW of decommissioned, reported onshore wind agency FA Wind (Fachagentur Windenergie an Land), with only 4GW left in the permitted pipeline. Just 2,073MW was newly online in the first nine months of 2018, less than half of the 4,167MW commissioned in the same months of 2017. With 162.5MW of closures after an average operating time of almost . . . Complete story »
Anti-wind vote petition OK’d
L’ANSE – Township clerk Brian Jentoft confirmed he has verified 410 signatures for the petition for a referendum on the zoning ordinances concerning wind turbines in the township at Wednesday’s Township Board meeting. Now the board must decide on when the election will be held and the language for the ballot. “I’m against having a special election because of the expense,” said treasurer Kristine Rice. The board estimates a special election in May would cost the township about $3,000. However, the . . . Complete story »
Hounsfield plans to rescind controversial wind legislation
WATERTOWN – Town of Hounsfield officials plan to rescind recent legislation pertaining to wind farms like the proposed Galloo Island Wind project that sparked litigation from the town of Henderson. The Hounsfield Town Council adopted a local law in November that amended its zoning ordinance to have wind energy included as “essential service” in writing. Henderson officials, however, sued their neighbors and accused them of failing to notify Henderson in time, failing to ensure the law complied with Hounsfield’s comprehensive plan, . . . Complete story »
Judge delays ruling on Deuel landowners lawsuit
CLEAR LAKE – Judge Dawn Elshere took under advisement Thursday morning a case where 14 landowners sued the Deuel County Board of Adjustment regarding its decision to permit a wind energy project. The case was heard in a Third Judicial Circuit courtroom in Clear Lake. The lawsuit charges that two members of the adjustment board had signed wind tower lease agreements with a wind energy company before voting to approve the project. The five-member board voted unanimously on Jan. 22, 2018, . . . Complete story »
New developments in the battle over a proposed wind farm in Burleigh and Emmons Counties
PNE is now challenging the results of a meeting held last week in a letter filed this week to the Burleigh County Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman David Andahl. This comes after the Planning and Zoning Commission denied PNE Wind group’s application for a permit to build a wind farm in Morton Township, after a nearly 4 hour meeting, December 5th. The seven page letter is requesting a continuation of the meeting because the company never had the opportunity to . . . Complete story »
