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Is Wind Power Right for Vermont?

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:14:28 GMT

Re “The Not-So-Green Mountains,” by Steve E. Wright (Op-Ed, Sept. 29):

The Green Mountain Power wind project in Lowell, Vt., has unprecedented support. Vermonters overwhelmingly want wind: 75 percent of voters in the town of Lowell supported the project, and 90 percent of Vermonters support wind, 74 percent strongly.

After years of intensive oversight, state and federal agencies have determined that this project, sited on a commercially logged mountain, will meet high standards in protecting water quality, wildlife and local ecosystems. To mitigate the effect of the 175-acre development, more than 2,000 acres of prime animal habitat will be conserved.

Of the federal tax credits the project will receive, 100 percent go directly toward lowering the cost of power to our customers.

When completed, this project will be the most significant renewable project in Vermont, producing clean, affordable, local electricity. It will be part of Vermont’s working landscape, and the benefits will flow to Vermont’s environment and economy for years to come.

DOROTHY SCHNURE
Manager, Corporate Communications
Green Mountain Power
Colchester, Vt., Sept. 29, 2011

Read more at www.nytimes.com

Cohocton Wind Watch Facebook Page

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:43:47 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.facebook.com

Cohocton Wind Watch
Visit the new Cohocton Wind Watch Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cohocton-Wind-Watch/252225944815034 Please like this page and add to your My Page's Favorites

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Cuomo To Sign Power Plant Siting Bill

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:21:12 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from coaxny.org

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding a ceremony today at the Capitol to sign the power plant siting bill that passed the Legislature in June.

The bill, called the Power New York Act, will establish a new Article X power plant siting law and create a panel to oversee the development of power-generating facilities in the state. The state has been without a new siting law since 2003.

Cuomo is expected to use the new law as a way to find alternative energy sources to the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, Westchester County, which Cuomo has vowed to close.

Read more at coaxny.org

ND wind turbine accident

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:01:27 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.forbes.com

BISMARCK, N.D. -- Experts said a North Dakota wind turbine's rotor and blades crashed to the ground because they weren't properly aligned with a power shaft atop the turbine's steel tower, which caused the rotor's connecting bolts to fail.

The March 14 accident north of Rugby will prompt more frequent inspections of other turbines, said Scott Winneguth, director of wind plant engineering for Iberdrola ( IBDRF.PK - news - people ) Renewables Inc. of Portland, Ore.

Winneguth told North Dakota's Public Service Commission that investigators were unsure whether the problem resulted from the turbine's operation or reflected an assembly flaw.

Read more at www.forbes.com

Lawmakers table offshore wind bill

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:38:09 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from articles.baltimoresun.com

Legislative leaders shelved a measure Thursday aimed at putting huge wind turbines off Maryland's Atlantic coast, saying they needed more time to study the likely impact on the state's ratepayers of investing in that form of "clean" energy.

The move was a setback for Gov. Martin O'Malley, who had wanted to boost offshore wind energy development by making Maryland utilities promise to buy electricity generated by the turbines.

The governor and wind supporters had pointed to the potential for thousands of construction and manufacturing jobs associated with building the turbines 12 miles or more off Ocean City, and he stressed that Maryland was in a "race" with other Atlantic Coast states to be the first to start generating electricity from windmills offshore.

Read more at articles.baltimoresun.com

State bill would ban offshore wind farms

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:33:02 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.hollandsentinel.com

Holland, MI —

Wind turbines could be popping up on land along the lakeshore, but don’t expect to see them offshore if a bill now in a state House committee is approved.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Ray Franz, a Republican from Manistee County, said the intent is to keep potential hazards out of the Great Lakes.

“It’s not environmentally sound to have machines like these on our lakes. They are our greatest asset, and industrialization on them is a hazard to nature and the economy,” Franz said.

The bill is in the House Energy and Technology Committee and has not yet been discussed, said State Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township, a member of the committee.

Read more at www.hollandsentinel.com

Obama Visiting Foreign-own Wind Factory

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:33:58 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from nation.foxnews.com

An ill wind is blowing through the energy industry over President Obama's planned visit Wednesday to the Pennsylvania arm of a foreign-owned wind turbine maker.

The president will tour and speak to workers at a Gamesa Technology Corporation plant in Fairless Hills, where about 300 workers labor in a former U.S. Steel industrial site making wind turbines.

It is a nearly perfect example of the president's goal of forging 20th century manufacturing into the new green industries he envisions. But while the company claims to employ about 900 Americans at plants in the United States, Gamesa is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

That's a problem for Howard Makler, president of California-based wind turbine maker WePower.

Read more at nation.foxnews.com

Noisy wind turbines ruined Fairfield, NY

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:21:42 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.uticaod.com

Day and all night long, I hear grinding and grinding, whooshing and whooshing non-stop. I live right under the wind turbines in Fairfield.

Every window, east, west, north and south has a wind turbine. My beautiful landscape is forever gone.

We cannot carry on conversations outside due to the constant noise level. There is a constant droning sound inside my home that was never there before. I can’t even begin to imagine the noise when the turbines are going full force and in the summer; I bet I won’t even be able to have my windows open due to the high noise levels.

I have heard comments that no one is complaining about the noise level.

Not so.

Those of us living within the triangle of the turbines have called our town “fathers” repeatedly with no answers.

When I purchased my home, it was not with the understanding there would be health risking turbines surrounding my home disrupting my peace.

I wonder if I put up something my neighbors did not want, would I have to remove it? I bet I would. No one asked if I agreed to have these ugly things in every window of my home.

I attended town meetings, voiced my opposition to no avail.

Litchfield beware!

Do not allow the wind turbines to destroy your land, peace and health.

Read more at www.uticaod.com

Turbines produce vibration 6.8 mile away

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:30:09 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.windturbinesyndrome.com

A new study by a team of earthquake scientists (seismologists) in Italy has made a signal contribution to our understanding of wind turbine noise & vibration and, by extension, Wind Turbine Syndrome (WTS).

Before examining their research, however, we need to put it in context—the context of Wind Turbine Syndrome (WTS) and the central role played by the utricle and saccule in triggering WTS.

“Seismic Noise by Wind Farms: A case study from the Virgo Gravitational Wave Observatory, Italy”

Read more at www.windturbinesyndrome.com

2 Vermont towns oppose Lowell wind farm

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:37:52 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.businessweek.com

The select boards in the towns of Albany and Craftsbury are opposing a plan to build a wind farm atop a Vermont mountain ridge in the Northeast Kingdom.

Board members have signed a letter against the Kingdom Community Wind project, which would erect 20 or 21 turbines more than 400 feet tall in Lowell.

The towns said in a news release issued Monday by Energize Vermont, a group opposed to the project, that the proposed benefits do not outweigh the adverse impacts to their communities, citing concerns about aesthetics, noise and the effects on the local economy.

Read more at www.businessweek.com

Developer Pulls Plug on Wisconsin Wind

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:34:17 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.reuters.com

The Chicago-based firm cited the state's "regulatory uncertainty" in its decision to cancel plans for the 150-megawatt Ledge Wind Energy Center in southern Brown County.

Invenergy said that the abrupt suspension of state wind siting rules and an "unstable climate" — namely Gov. Scott Walker's bill to establish the nation's most stringent wind standards — had forced the firm to think twice about building its 100-turbine project in Wisconsin.

"We could not justify continuing to make significant financial commitments in maintaining the Ledge project while uncertainty persists regarding relevant project regulations," Invenergy said in a corporate statement.

Read more at www.reuters.com

Painful Lessons for Wind Power

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:35:27 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.humanevents.com

Neil Anderson lives a quarter of a mile from the turbine. He’s an avid supporter of alternative energy, having owned and operated a passive solar company on Cape Cod for the past 25 years. “It is dangerous,” he told WGBH in Boston. “Headaches. Loss of sleep. And the ringing in my ears never goes away. I could look at it all day, and it does not bother me … but it’s way too close.”

Painful to the ears, and especially painful to the birds, the painful lesson environmentalists need to learn is that the answer to America’s growing energy needs is not blowing in the wind.

Read more at www.humanevents.com

When a Town Went Against the Wind

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:29:37 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from www.mvgazette.com

The film begins, as Ms. Israel herself did, with a rosy picture of wind generation. But the whole business of wind farming is portrayed more and more negatively as the movie progresses. There is the physical downside — the risk of “ice throw” from turbine blades, the light flicker, bat mortality, the accidents, the noise. There is the financial downside, a depiction of the way big institutions harvest depreciation allowances and other public money as they harvest wind. There is the legal/moral downside — the pressure brought to bear on townspeople to stifle opposition.

Much of the motivation for encouraging the turbine development was to save local farms, since dairying had become unprofitable. Much of the opposition came from people who made their money elsewhere and had come to Meredith as a retreat. The wind farm supporters wanted an income; the opponents wanted a lifestyle.

Read more at www.mvgazette.com

Offshore wind turbines Erie hearing

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:59:02 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from pottsmerc.com

Offshore wind turbines subject of Erie hearing

Two Erie-area state lawmakers are exploring the idea of offshore wind turbines located in Lake Erie.

Monday's public hearing was hosted by Republican state Sens. Jane Earll, of Fairview Township, and Mary Jo White, of Franklin.

The Erie Times-News says officials from state and federal agencies that would regulate the wind farms testified, as did those from businesses who would like to build the farms. Erie-area residents and environmentalists who oppose or are at least concerned about such plans also testified.

Read more at pottsmerc.com

'Recharge NY' bill approved by Senate

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:48:04 GMT

posted by: Cohocton Wind Watch

Amplify'd from thedailynewsonline.com

The New York State Senate on Tuesday passed legislation sponsored by Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, to create a new, permanent program called “Recharge NY,” that would provide low-cost power to help businesses create and retain jobs.

“The passage of this legislation will enable more businesses across New York to access cheap electricity to create jobs,” said Maziarz, who is chairman of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee. “The program has been renewed on an annual basis for several years, but we’ve needed a permanent solution so businesses can plot their growth. The passage of this legislation ensures that businesses across New York will have the stability needed to plan long-term.”

The discount would be reduced to $70 million in 2014, $50 million in 2015 and $30 million in 2016 and beyond. This phase out would be offset by savings from the scheduled expiration of the electric utility surcharge passed by Senate Democrats in 2009, as well as costs paid by NYPA through a combination of hydroelectric power and other resources.

Read more at thedailynewsonline.com

Amplify | My Newsfeed

Is Wind Power Right for Vermont?

Cohocton Wind Watch Facebook Page

Cohocton Wind Watch Visit the new Cohocton Wind Watch Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cohocton-Wind-Watch/252225944815034 Please like this page and add to your My Page's Favorites

Cuomo To Sign Power Plant Siting Bill

ND wind turbine accident

Lawmakers table offshore wind bill

State bill would ban offshore wind farms

Obama Visiting Foreign-own Wind Factory

Noisy wind turbines ruined Fairfield, NY

Turbines produce vibration 6.8 mile away

“Seismic Noise by Wind Farms: A case study from the Virgo Gravitational Wave Observatory, Italy”

2 Vermont towns oppose Lowell wind farm

Developer Pulls Plug on Wisconsin Wind

Painful Lessons for Wind Power

When a Town Went Against the Wind

Offshore wind turbines Erie hearing

'Recharge NY' bill approved by Senate

Cohocton Wind Watch
Visit the new Cohocton Wind Watch Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cohocton-Wind-Watch/252225944815034 Please like this page and add to your My Page's Favorites