Green Energy News

Seneca Global Energy, in Hartlepool, had intended to submit planning applications for two turbines up to 325ft tall on Hartlepool Borough Council owned land off Brenda Road, south of Tata steel. A single turbine on the Tofts Farm Industrial Estate, to the north of Tofts Road West, was also part of the scheme. The plans were opposed by Seaton ward councillors and the Seaton Carew Wind Turbine Action Association who said the turbines were too close to residential properties. Seneca . . .

The inal SA Planning and Design Code draft with reviewed guidelines for wind farms is expected to be handed to the state government by the SA Planning Commission in April, but, in the wake of the Twin Creek wind farm being approved, a recent meeting at Eudunda revealed some communities are still calling for increased setbacks between wind farms and rural houses. Last month, the Planning Commission hosted a public forum following a request from Hansborough and Districts Resident’s Group . . .

A planned wind farm near Oyen that faced staunch opposition by some nearby landowners has earned new approval to be built just as a contract to sell power to the Alberta grid begins. The Sharp Hills wind farm was one of three projects to win a provincial government green energy supply auction in 2017. That 20-year supply contract began on Jan. 1, but regulatory hurdles and opposition twice delayed construction from moving ahead. After new hearings this fall, the Alberta . . .

Onshore wind energy capacity in the U.S. has continued to climb, reaching over 100 gigawatts in 2019 – enough energy to power about 32 million homes. Despite being a prime spot for wind development, the Equality State still doesn’t come close to leading the country in wind energy production. Just over 1,000 turbines are sprinkled across the state, providing 1,536 megawatts in online wind capacity. But Wyoming wind enthusiasts have stayed hopeful all the same, and their optimism could pay off . . .

Alex Salmond hailed it as a green revolution that would create clean energy and more jobs. But wind farms are now raking in more public cash than ever before – for not generating electricity at all. Energy firms are paid compensation to shut down their turbines when the grid is unable to cope with the amount being produced. New figures show 86 wind farms across the UK were together handed more than £136million in so-called ‘constraint payments’ in 2019 – . . .

Some Co-Op City residents are looking on the bright side of a frightening turbine collapse – it’ll finally remove an eyesore they’ve complained about for years. The towering turbine damaged an electronic billboard when it toppled Monday, prompting the city Department of Buildings to order its removal. Co-Op City residents had complained the sign shined into their apartments at night. They were also steamed about the turbine that sat atop a 195-foot “monopole,” which they’d criticized as unsafe – and ugly. . . .

OCEAN CITY – With a Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing planned on the height of the proposed wind turbines off the resort coast, Ocean City last week filed a petition seeking to guarantee a seat at the table. Last month, the PSC released an order opining the proposed dramatic changes in the wind turbine heights for two approved offshore wind projects off the Ocean City coast warranted revisiting and scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 18. Last Monday, the Town . . .

Plans to construct hundreds of wind turbines in northern Israel were granted government approval on Wednesday, boosting renewable energy production while answering security needs. The green light was given after an agreement was reached between the Energy Ministry, Defense Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Electricity Authority. Under the agreement, the ministries will invest NIS 250 million ($72.4m.) in developing technologies to ensure that the construction of the wind turbine farms will not impact security considerations. The agreement will enable the . . .

BAYCHESTER, the Bronx – A wind turbine fell because of windy conditions and, miraculously, no one was hurt, but many in the Bronx are asking why was there a wind turbine way up high in the sky in the first place. Reggie Connell grew up in Baychester. He and friend Bob Williams couldn’t understand how the city Department of Buildings ever approved a permit for a wind turbine on a 200-foot pole. “Shoddy work,” Connell said. “There are lots of kids . . .

CLARINDA – Some of what is known about wind turbines in Page County is on paper. What isn’t fully known is how development of wind turbines will impact the people and area. The Page County Board of Supervisors held town-hall style meetings on Dec. 16 at the courthouse in Clarinda and on Dec. 18 at the Shenandoah Fire Department, getting opinions and comments from the public about having wind turbines in the area. In October, the board approved ordinances related to . . .

Public Utilities Commission Chairman Chris Nelson wasn’t impressed with NextEra’s management of the project and failure to explain certain aspects of the project during previous hearings. “The compliance with the permit is foundation. A name plate, sound and flicker — these are not new to the process,” Nelson said. "At the very least this needs to be deferred until we get some answers.” Nelson said if the decisions isn’t deferred, his other option would be to deny the waiver.

State regulators have delayed a decision whether a wind-power project can continue to be built in northeastern South Dakota. Crowned Ridge Wind already has a permit from the state Public Utilities Commission for 87 towers in Grant and Codington counties. But NextEra Energy recently asked for a temporary waiver so the Florida-based company can start generating electricity as soon as possible. NextEra specifically needs warmer weather of a minimum 50 degrees F to install noise-reducing attachments on all of the . . .

Kansas counties are on their own when negotiating payment in lieu of taxes agreements with wind farm companies looking to install turbines in their counties, and payments vary widely from one wind farm to another. The most recent figures available, from a 2017 study by Flatland, a Kansas City-based public broadcasting system, show payments to counties range from $1,000 to $6,500 per megawatt produced. Marion County’s agreements place it near the bottom for payments for wind farms in the state. . . .

A massive wind turbine in the Bronx came crashing down on Co-op City Monday. The turbine was installed just a few weeks ago, and it was supposed to convert the wind’s kinetic energy into electricity, but instead some of it came crashing down. Department of Buildings inspectors will remain at the scene to oversee work and make sure the area remains safe. The top piece of the wind turbine landed on top of a car around 1:20 p.m., and the . . .

Blades from a controversial wind turbine in Baychester flew off the massive structure Monday, crashing to the street below, according to officials. No one was injured – but a car was smashed and a billboard was knocked down around 1:20 p.m. at 500 Baychester Avenue, according to fire and police officials. State Sen. Jamaal Bailey and Assemblyman Mike Benedetto claimed at the scene in an impromptu press conference the structure was put up quick “in order to try and make a . . .

A cutting-edge wind farm paired with battery storage cannot advance under what developers are calling unworkable terms set by Montana’s Public Service Commission. Caithness Beaver Creek is asking the state’s utility regulators to reconsider terms for the $500 million project near Rapelje. Terms by which Caithness was to sell renewable energy to the utility NorthWestern Energy were set by the PSC in early December. The PSC put the overall avoided cost of the energy at $6 a megawatt hour effectively . . .

Papalote Creek Wind Farm extends for miles between Taft and Odem. There, about 200 turbines stretch almost 300 feet into the sky and produce enough clean energy to power more than 100,000 homes. The turbines are among thousands that have been installed across the country in the past few decades, particularly in Texas – the nation’s largest wind power producer. More than 27 gigawatts of wind capacity are online in the state, which has provided more than $46 billion in . . .

Scottish ministers have been accused of an “irresponsible” dash for green energy as new data reveals that wind farms have expanded while being paid record sums of money to power down turbines. This year, the operators of 86 wind farms across Britain were handed more than £136m in constraint payments to reduce output and discard surplus energy, a new annual record and £12m more than was paid in 2018. Most of the compensation (£127m) was paid to Scottish onshore wind . . .

They say your home is your castle, but what they don’t mention is that even a castle can’t protect you from the abuse of eminent domain. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, eminent domain is a process that allows the government to seize property for public use. In effect, the government takes the property but also pays the owner fair market value for the land. The reasonable use of eminent domain can make sense for projects that serve . . .

LINCOLN COUNTY, Colo. – Another squadron of drones has been sighted in the night skies over northeastern Colorado, this time in Lincoln County. Lincoln County Sheriff Tom Nestor said he received a report from a rancher who spotted five to 10 drones flying 200 feet in the air in a grid pattern around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. That rancher lives adjacent to a wind energy farm which stretches for miles. The Federal Aviation Administration limits drones to daytime operations – from one half . . .