Windaction News Issue: August 14, 2013
By Lisa Linowes -- August 14, 2013
Windaction.org’s periodic newsletter keeps readers updated on the latest news in the wind energy industry!
facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy’s real impacts
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News
Regulator hears opposition to wind project August 13
by Ray Scherer in St. Joseph News-Press — Kansas
But setting an attendance record for the center wasn’t the purpose for the audience members, many of whom raised hands to express their opposition to Clean Line’s efforts. The utility seeks to construct a 700-mile overhead, high-voltage direct current transmission line to send 3,500 megawatts of wind power from western Kansas to eastern states,
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Ruling alarms clean energy industry August 13
by Hannah Northey in E&E News — New England
A federal judge’s decision this week that New England electric transmission companies should make less money on power line projects has triggered concern among wind and solar generators hoping to see a revitalization and expansion of the country’s aging grid. The initial decision would reduce the return of transmission owners’ investments from 11.14 percent to 9.7 percent in New England states.
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Salmond attacked over payment to shut down wind farms August 13
by Simon Johnson in The Telegraph — UK
A spokesman said this can happen through a combination of blustery conditions and temperatures that are too warm for households to be using heating and too mild for air conditioning.The situation is made worse because the transmission network lacks the capacity to transport much of the electricity generated by wind farms in rural Scotland to urban centres in England where it is most needed. more…
Five Iowa counties home to wind turbines August 13
by Rod Boshart in The Gazette — Iowa
The company continues working with county officials and landowners and has secured development and interconnection rights for the wind farm sites, MidAmerican officials said. Construction is expected to begin in September 2013, and all projects are planned for completion prior to the end of 2015.
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Wind farm approved in disputed vote August 13
by Joe Mahoney in The Daily Star — New York
The Richfield Town Planning Board, for the second time in two years, voted Monday night to permit the six-turbine Monticello Hills wind farm to be constructed on the western edge of the town – but the validity of the vote was immediately questioned by Town Supervisor Fran Enjem.
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Germans grow skeptical over renewables August 12
by Johanna Schmeller in
Deutsche Welle — Germany
One out of two Germans has grown critical of the policy change, according to a recent survey by German pollster Forsa, commissioned by the consumer advocacy group, vzbv. …From a natural science point of view, the change towards green energy was an absurd undertaking, said physicist Horst-Joachim Lüdecke.Noting that renewables yield less energy than fossil fuels …”You can hold out your hand in a storm, but not put it into a furnace.”
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Wind farm approvals remanded back to boards August 12
by Barbara Tetreault in Berlin Daily Sun — New Hampshire
In a decision released earlier this month, Bornstein remanded the matter back to the zoning board to determine whether the amended site plan approved by the planning board violates the spirit and intent of the zoning ordinance. …In January, the planning board approved amending the site plan to install three 500-foot high turbines. The zoning board also approved amending its variance to allow the three turbines at 500 feet.
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Mayor calls for inquiry into wind subsidies August 12
by Peter Collins In The Daily Standard — Australia / New Zealand
Data from the Australian Energy Market Operator showed that on July 4, when the Macarthur, Portland and Lake Bonney wind farms shut down at the same time, there were no blackouts over four states because coal-fired power stations picked up the load in seconds.”The back-up coal was being burnt anyway,” Mr Cumming said. more…
Proposed Kingston zoning limits flicker: turbines August 11
by Kathryn Gallerani in Wicked Local Kingston — Massachusetts
The Board of Health intends to develop its own flicker regulations pertaining to health impacts. Board members plan to hire an independent engineer to review any studies of the local turbines. The health agent will reach out to six companies about setting up interviews.
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Green energy costs raising concerns August 10
by Bruce Mohl in Commonwealth Magazine — Massachusetts
The rising cost of green energy mandates in Massachusetts is starting to raise concerns, with one utility estimating the state’s renewable energy initiatives currently account for 5.4 percent of a typical customer’s monthly bill and are expected to take a much larger share in the next few years. …The National Grid estimate is the first attempt to assess the cost of the state’s green energy initiatives, most of which are more than five years old.
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Oregon resident sues over turbine noise August 10
by Helen Jung in The Oregonian — Oregon
Williams acknowledged the company has tried to work on a solution, but he contends that the Chicago-based company’s proposed measures are inadequate and untested.The complaint also notes that the local county commission and land-use appeals panels agreed that the wind farm was exceeding permissible noise levels, but officials have done nothing to curb the project’s operations. more…
‘Political uncertainty’ led to closure August 9
in Telegraph-Herald– Wisconsin
The availability of low-cost natural gas has been on the rise. He noted the self-sufficiency in that industry based on U.S. and Canadian reserves and continued fracking.”Wind energy got beat by cheap, natural gas. …If wind energy could be produced and stand on its own without subsidy, that would be a positive development, but I don’t see that as being in the cards right now,” he said. more…
WWII explosives scuttle windfarm opening August 9
in Der Spiegel — Germany
Only a handful of companies have the qualifications and equipment to remove seafloor explosives — the special ship required for it costs up to €200,000 per day …the turbines are currently being powered by a diesel generator, because they need to continue moving to avoid gathering rust. Given the latest developments, Riffgat may be an energy drain, instead of an energy producer, for quite some time.
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GE abandons plans for Aurora solar plant August 9
by Mark Jaffe in The Denver Post — Colorado
The Arvada research center – where the technology was created and which was formerly PrimeStar Solar – will be closed, with 50 people losing their jobs, GE spokeswoman Lindsay Thiele said. …The move is being driven by an overcapacity in solar-panel manufacturing and about a 50 percent drop in panel prices in the past two years.
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Hettinger wind project delayed by PSC August 8
by Lauren Donovan in The Bismarck Tribune — North Dakota
Commissioner Brian Kalk said the PSC made its decision partly because the Adams County Planning and Zoning Commission hasn’t decided if the project meets its comprehensive land use plan and also because Thunder Spirit Wind failed to file a map showing the location of all 75 turbines in the time required by law.
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PSB weighs penalty; noise violations at wind site August 8
by Andrew Stein in VT Digger — Vermont
Tensions ran high Thursday as the Vermont Public Service Board held a hearing to determine whether Green Mountain Power should be sanctioned for operating the 21-turbine Lowell Mountain wind project at above permitted sound levels.The quasi-judicial board called the hearing after GMP reported the wind project produced noise above 45 decibels outside neighboring residences. This is the threshold that the project is not permitted to exceed. more…
Regional grid answers Vt gov. on wind restrictions August 7
by Wilson Ring in Associated Press — Vermont
Vermont’s largest electric utility knew the limits of its Lowell Mountain wind project and that it would be asked to keep electricity generated there off the grid from time to time, the head of New England’s electric grid wrote in a letter to Gov. Peter Shumlin.
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Baldwin County wind farm ban passes August 6
by Thyrie Bland in AL.com — Alabama
The Baldwin County Commission effectively put the brakes on a company’s plan to put large wind turbines in the county by passing an ordinance Tuesday than bans wind farms.The commission unanimously voted to pass two ordinances that ban large wind turbines and wind farms in Baldwin County. more…
Commission denies proposal for Bowers Wind August 6
by Whit Richardson in Bangor Daily News — Maine
“In addition, while the project area is designated as part of the expedited permitting area for wind energy projects, the great ponds are primarily located in the only area in southern and eastern Maine that is not designated as a wind expedited area, which is the Downeast Lakes Region.”
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State’s turbines not producing much electricity August 6
by Joe Shortsleeve in WBZ-TV — Massachusetts
The problem with the project is power lines were not equipped to carry away the excess electricity, which delayed the project for two years. But finally, this past spring, those huge blades started turning. …Within weeks of beginning operations, one of the turbines was struck by lightning in May, and since then the windmills have been still.
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Fight over wind farm on rare turtle rages on August 6
by Rachel Mendleson in The Star — Canada
Gilead Power and the Environment ministry are challenging the findings of an environmental review tribunal, which last month sided with defenders of Blanding’s turtle, and stopped a wind farm from being built on Ostrander Point.The decision, which overturned the province’s earlier approval of the project, is now being appealed. more…
Area litigants appear in County Court August 6
by Roger DuPuis in Times Leader — Pennsylvania
Colorado-based RES Americas claims BP Wind Energy and a related firm, Mehoopany Wind Energy LLC, owes them almost $56.2 million that the contractor says it is owed for work done to ensure that the $250 million wind farm went on line by Dec. 31.
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Wind insurance analysis: need for monitoring August 6
by David Appleyard in Renewable Energy World — USA
Using data based on reported claims in the U.S. for 2012, the analysis shows that blade damage and gearbox failure account for the greatest number of losses — accounting for 41.4 percent and 35.1 percent of the total claims reported, respectively. Although the majority of wind turbine blade damage can be attributed to lightning strikes …Poor maintenance contributes significantly to the leading cause of gearbox failure.
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Couple told to grow hedge to block wind turbine August 5
in The Telegraph — UK
The document says that if a conifer hedgerow, which has been planted around the boundary of their garden, was allowed to grow to 5.4 metres (17ft 7ins) it would “screen all views of the turbines.”It also says further tree planting near the boundary of their garden, or closer to the house, would help to screen views within about eight years. more…
More bids in for broken Portsmouth wind turbine August 5
by Tim Faulkner in ecoRI News — Rhode Island
If the latest proposals aren’t acceptable, the fate of the turbine may lead to the the scrap yard. “Sell it as is and pay off the debt with tax revenue.The town would likely have “egg on our face” for losing money and tarnishing wind-energy development, Crosby said. The project, however, was economically sound, he said, as the now-bankrupt manufacturer, AAER Wind Energy, deserves most of the blame. more…
Vermonters to see rate hikes: Transmission August 4
by Andrew Stein in VT Digger — Vermont
Green Mountain Power announced last week that it has reached an agreement with the state that would allow the utility to raise electricity rates by up to 5 percent over the next two years. A 2.5 percent rate hike that would go into effect in October 2013 would pay for upgrades to the Vermont and New England power grid system.
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Wind lobby cites jobs risk as law change August 4
by Colin Donald in Sunday Herald — UK
The group was responding to a landmark case concerning a small proposed development in Berwickshire by Wind Direct, where a local householder has been allowed to take Scottish Borders Council to the Court of Session over the erection of two 110m-high turbines less than one kilometre from her house in the conservation village of Cockburnspath.
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Inadequate transmission keeps wind off grid August 4
by Tux Turkel in Maine Sunday Telegram — Maine
Wind companies knew about these constraints when they built the plants. Upgrading transmission lines will take money, and that will come from ratepayers. It’s too soon to say how much the upgrades would cost.But the investors in wind farms still make money, even if the power isn’t sold on the grid, because of how these projects are financed and the rates companies have negotiated for their energy. more…
Scots ‘face world’s biggest energy bills’ from wind August 4
by David Maddox in The Scotsman — UK
Sir Donald Miller, former chairman of both the South of Scotland Electricity Board and of ScottishPower, has described the SNP’s current energy policy on producing 100 per cent of Scotland’s needs from renewables as “disastrous”.
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Plug pulled on wind project, official says August 3
by Kris Reilly in Daily Press — California
The plan had been on the drawing board for more than five years. The development hit a major snag when golden eagles were found nesting near the project site, which lies on 72 acres in the Granite Mountain range near Apple Valley and Lucerne Valley.
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Five killed at Chinese wind farm construction site August 3
by Wu Qi in North American Windpower — Asia
Five workers died and another five were injured when a wall collapsed at the approach to a wind farm currently under construction in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. …Five died despite medical efforts, and the other injured were receiving treatment at two different hospitals.
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Audit finds bloated budget for green jobs training August 3
by Perry Chiaramonte in FoxNews.com — USA
“The GAO report is just more evidence that the administration has no clue what drives a successful economy and job growth,” said Paul Chesser, an associate fellow at the National Legal and Policy Center. “President Obama tried to build this economic sector, but the buyers didn’t come. And now after the initial flurry, the ‘green jobs’ are evaporating.”
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Suzlon reports wider loss on costs August 3
by Sally Bakewell in Bloomberg News — India, Germany
Suzlon Energy Ltd. is this year’s worst-performing stock in the NEX index of clean-energy shares with wider quarterly loss after incurring costs from scaling back wind-turbine manufacturing in Germany.The net loss expanded to 10.6 billion rupees ($173.5 million) in the quarter through June …Sales fell 18 percent to 38.9 billion rupees. more…
Property owners file suit over wind project August 3
by Lisa Rogers in The Gadsden Times — Alabama
The suit asks for a court order that would authorize the County Commission to regulate the permitting, construction, placement and operation of wind turbines, wind mills, wind farms and any other wind-generated energy production facility or equipment operated in the unincorporated areas of Etowah County.It asks that the County Commission establish standards, specifications, criteria and conditions on the operations, and make a determination about appropriate sites where wind turbines can be located. more…
Scandinavian workers maintain British wind farm August 2
by Hayley Dixon in The Telegraph — UK
Because the Centrica turbines off the coast of Skegness are made in Denmark, workers from the region are being flown in daily to work on them.The demand has meant that Scandinavian Airlines will begin a six day a week service between Copenhagen and Humberside Airport in October. more…
Region’s wind future up in air as Acciona exits August 2
by Patrick Kulp in Pacific Coast Business Times — California
Acciona, which faces a struggling economy at home in Europe, was the first company to attempt a major wind project in the region. And it may also be the last, experts said. Tough permitting processes, high land prices, a delicate coastal ecology and lack of high-voltage power infrastructure all make the Tri-Counties an unlikely home for big wind farms.
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Lake township board hears turbine presentation August 1
by John Bonke in Huron County View — Michigan
Swinbanks explained that noise is made up of many frequencies, and low-frequency noise is outside the range of human hearing. While people cannot hear low-frequency noise, it can impact a person’s health. Unfortunately when measuring turbine noise, ordinances typically put more restrictions on noise within the human hearing range and do not restrict low-frequency noise enough.
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Wind industry catches breeze after tough half-year August 1
by Daniel Cusick in E&E News — USA
The U.S. wind energy industry’s growth engine badly sputtered and then stalled in the first half of 2013, with only 1.6 megawatts of new wind power coming online between January and June, according to data released yesterday by the American Wind Energy Association.
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Appeals Board requests funds to defend itself July 30
by C. Kazarian in Falmouth Enterprise — Massachusetts
…the reason for the suit was to protect the town, which has already been faced with a lawsuit in US District Court in Boston from two homeowners claiming that the turbines represent a nuisance and are seeking monetary damages. If others follow suit, the town could be faced with a potential liability of $215 million if nuisance claims are proven.
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Opinions
Wind industry ignores, makes up the facts August 13
in South Coast Today — Massachusetts
“The ‘Kelly paper’ is just one of many studies published in the 1980s by acousticians and other researchers working under grants from the DOE, NASA, and others. … The acoustical conferences, at least in the U.S., all had presentations on wind turbine noise; it was one of the ‘hot’ topics in the field.”The industry response? Ignore or deny the science. more…
First Wind willing to trash Maine August 11
in Sun Journal — Maine
When those subsidies stop, you can count on First Wind disappearing with the public’s tax dollar-generated profits, leaving behind a severely impoverished industrialized landscape.It is a scam being perpetrated on the people of Maine by well-funded industrial wind lobbyists, a few quasi-environmental groups who refuse to get their heads out of the sand and others who refuse to stop taking the bribe money the wind corporations enjoy passing out. more…
Alternative energy providers must stand on own two feet August 11
in The Tennessean — Tennessee
For decades, the renewable energy industry has languished in a state of perpetual infancy, needing to be spoon-fed by an ever-attentive nanny state. Eventually it must walk on its own to survive. Weaning it from the breast of the TVA is a good first step.
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Europe pulls the plug on its green future August 10
in The Australian
As country after country abandons, curtails or reneges on once-generous support for renewable energy, Europe is beginning to realise that its green energy strategy is dying on the vine. Green dreams are giving way to hard economic realities.
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Obama in center of fight over bald eagle deaths August 9
in The Hill — USA
Existing permits allow green energy companies to put up wind farms as long as the Fish and Wildlife Service declares they use “advanced conservation practices” to protect birds. The Obama administration is considering a rule that would extend the permits from five to 30 years.
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Going ‘green:’ By force, not choice August 2
in New Hampshire Union Leader — New Hampshire
In two years, PSNH could not get even 150 customers to pay more each month to buy electricity from “green” sources. These programs raise utility bills by an average of 30 percent, according to NHPR. That is a steep premium to pay so your house can be powered by wind or solar instead of coal or nuclear power. That is why activists try to get governments to force people to go “green.”
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Documents
Complaint filed US District Court: Daniel Brian Williams v. Willow Creek Energy LLC August 9
by Attorney James E. Mccandlish, of Griffin & Mccandlish — Oregon
This complaint was filed in US District Court in reference to Invenergy’s Willow Creek wind energy facility, Invenergy’s furst project in the Sttae of Oregon. THe project which consists of 48 turbines with a maximum output of 78 megawatts became operational in December 2008. Noise complaint were ongoing since before…
more
Labor’s green jobs efforts highlight challenges of targeted training programs for emerging industries June, 2013
by United States Government Accountability Office — USA …more
Pictures
- FIRE: Wind turbine engine burning along I-10 see…
- Turbines tower over a farming neighborhood see…
Videos
- Ocotillo Wind – Pattern Energy – 08/07/2013 Turbine #169 Noise watch…
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