"Pants on Fire!" says Truth-o-Meter to health problems from turbine shadow flicker

From an article on Political Fact Check:To some, spinning wind turbines are a majestic source of pollution-free energy. But when they're proposed for residential areas, opponents often portray them as a menace to healthy, safety, aesthetics and property values.The rhetoric can get pretty extreme.When one was proposed in Barrington in 2008, opponents claimed that unnamed "independent medical experts" had found that turbines can cause everything from headaches to heart problems, and that sunlight flashing through the blades can produce a stroboscopic effect that may lead to nausea, dizziness, disorientation and seizures.So when a massive 427-foot turbine was proposed for Stamp Farm on Route 2 in North Kingstown, it wasn't surprising that the opposition would echo those claims. One opponent was...

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Coalition discredits realtors’ wind assessment

A news release issued by the Wisconsin Energy Business Association:A group of over 60 Wisconsin energy businesses and organizations distributed a memorandum to legislators today to respond to the factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations in a memorandum distributed by the Wisconsin Realtors Association last week, including the following points:1. There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values in Kewaunee County.2. There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values statewide.3. The property value study cited by WRA contains several methodological errors and weaknesses that greatly reduce its value.4. WRA’s discussion of windpower’s impacts on commercial and residential construction...

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Obama visits Broadwind Energy to see clean energy job creation and innovation in action

From a news release issued by Broadwind Energy and posted on Business Wire:MANITOWOC, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--President Barack Obama underscored key themes from his State of the Union speech of job creation, innovation and global competitiveness when he visited Broadwind Energy, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: BWEN) wind turbine tower manufacturing facility today in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Broadwind Energy and its more than 800 employees are playing a critical role in powering up the clean energy industry, stimulating local economies like Manitowoc and driving innovation in the U.S.—innovation the President is calling for to maintain our global leadership position. “President Obama is essentially asking the same of our country—bring together all of our best talents and solutions and help our country and other...

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New rules on wind farms will kill jobs

From an editorial in the Sheboygan Press:If Gov. Scott Walker is all about creating jobs for Wisconsin residents, he will back off his support for new rules on wind farms.Last year, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, in response to inconsistent siting rules adopted by individual communities, held hearings, reviewed scientific information and heard from health experts in an effort to come up with uniform standards sitting rules.The PSC said the wind turbines, which generate electricity — and are responsible for hundreds of new jobs in Wisconsin already — must be located 1,250 feet from any residence and about 450 feet from property boundaries.The PSC siting rules take into account the concerns of homeowners and are based on about 150 reports on medical and safety issues.But new rules,...

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Illinois wind advocates advise Wisconsin's renewable energy developers to 'Escape to Illinois'

From a news release issued by The Illinois Wind Energy Association:(CHICAGO) -- Today the Illinois Wind Energy Association (IWEA) invited wind power developers working in Wisconsin to focus their efforts on Illinois, where Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly have worked to streamline regulations for the wind energy business.Wind developers have been apprehensive about investing in Wisconsin since Governor Scott Walker proposed legislation that would effectively ban wind development from the Badger State. With these new job-destroying regulations on the table, IWEA is happy to highlight the much more business-friendly climate just to the south.Recently introduced in the Wisconsin legislature, the War on Wind Initiative would dramatically extend setback distances from wind turbines...

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Walker's windbreak

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Gov. Scott Walker's proposal on wind turbine setback requirements would kill jobs and hurt the state's renewable energy portfolio. The Legislature should reject it.If Gov. Scott Walker is serious about creating jobs in Wisconsin - and we believe he is - he should not turn his back on job-creation opportunities that are available in green industries. Yet he seems to be doing exactly that, a primary example of which is proposed regulation that could effectively kill wind energy production in Wisconsin.Walker's proposal would require an 1,800-foot setback for wind turbines from nearby properties. Wind farm developers and supporters say that such a requirement would kill or severely curtail 10 of the 12 wind projects underway or proposed. That...

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Tidal power in UK renewable energy sector

Tidal power to provide most of the UK's renewable energy. United Kingdom is one of the countries that want to play important role in global clean energy race, and currently the renewable energy sector in which United Kingdom has the edge over all other countries is tidal power. The United Kingdom currently leads the way in the innovation and commercialization of tidal power, and this renewable...

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Milwaukee to revamp energy efficiency program

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Milwaukee is revamping a program aimed at encouraging homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient and will unveil it this spring, Mayor Tom Barrett said.The city sought a variety of funding alternatives to encourage homeowners to boost the efficiency of their buildings, letting city residents pay for the upgrades over time on their utility bill or their tax bill.Rebuffed in those efforts, the city will instead apply stimulus funds to help create a revolving loan fund for the projects when it relaunches the ME2, or Milwaukee Energy Efficiency program, this spring, Barrett said during a White House roundtable Tuesday on "greening America's cities.""But to me that still doesn't get at the core issue," Barrett said. "The...

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Don't blow back on wind power

From an editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal:More government regulation and tighter restrictions?That's the wrong path for Wisconsin to take on promising wind energy projects.Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature should instead stick with the reasonable and uniform rules that the state Public Service Commission has approved. Wisconsin is already falling behind its neighbors in the push to use wind as a clean, renewable energy source. At the same time, Wisconsin imports a huge portion of its power from out of state.That's why the PSC was smart to adopt standard rules for siting smaller wind operations as well as bigger wind farms. The PSC, after listening to public testimony, health experts and industry officials, wisely streamlined and replaced a hodgepodge of local restrictions.The PSC...

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Walker's wind ban proposal is jobs killer

From a commentary by by Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director of Clean Wisconsin:MADISON -- A special session bill recently proposed by Governor Scott Walker includes many provisions that could hurt Wisconsin’s economy and environment, but one of the most perplexing proposals in this package is a new regulation that would effectively ban wind energy projects in Wisconsin. The regulatory reform bill proposed by Gov. Walker would close Wisconsin’s doors to clean, renewable wind power and cost our state thousands of jobs. Our state legislators – who were elected on the promise of real job creation and economic recovery – should reject Gov. Walker’s bill.The proposed bill creates regulations that effectively prohibit wind energy developers from constructing a wind turbine within 1,800 feet...

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Wisconsin is Blowing It

From a news release issued by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters:Illinois Stands to Benefit from Walker’s Excessive Wind Regulations Madison - Just days after appearing on TV and radio in Chicago to remind Illinois that Wisconsin is open for business, Governor Walker introduced a bill that would essentially ban wind development in Wisconsin. The move would leave Wisconsin dependent on other states, including Illinois, to meet our energy demand.In the bill introduced for consideration in the special session, Governor Walker suggests placing regulations on wind development that are so restrictive, they would essentially prohibit the developmentof future wind projects in Wisconsin, and even stop some already on the docket. If passed, it's estimated that Wisconsin will immediately lose...

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Biomass against climate change

Climate change is one of the most difficult challenges in world's history, and world is constantly looking at possible options to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels when burned create harmful carbon emissions that end up in Earth's atmosphere, and contribute to global warming phenomenon.Fossil fuels are still dominant sources of energy but world looks to be ready to go for...

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Plan for lakefront wind turbine stirs debate

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:More than 160 people got their first glimpse Thursday of what a city wind turbine development near the Port of Milwaukee would look like.A packed house at the South Shore Park Pavilion took a look at the renderings. Some asked questions about the project, its cost, and the noise the turbines would generate, among other concerns.The city's Office of Environmental Sustainability is proposing the project to make a statement in support of renewable energy and to tap greener sources of electricity for the Port of Milwaukee's administration building.The turbines would be either 115 or 156 feet tall, depending on the model selected. That's less than half as tall as the utility-scale turbines built in recent years by We Energies and...

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Wind turbine by port: What would it look like?

From an article by Tom Content of the Journal Sentinel:The city's Office of Environmental Sustainability has released renderings of what a proposed wind turbine near the Port Administration building would look like.Here are two views, showing one of each turbine. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison because they are shown at two different sites, one by the port building and one closer to the lakeshore near the Lake Express ferry terminal. The renderings were prepared by the University of WIsconsin-Milwaukee Institute for Ecological Design.The first shows the smaller turbine, a 20-kilowatt tower standing 115 feet tall. designed by Renewegy of Oshkosh, by the Port Administration building:Below is a view of the North Power 100, built by Vermont-based...

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Walker seeks to halt wind projects, cut property tax relief, send jobs to other states

From an article by Colleen Kottke in the Fond du Lac Reporter:Local municipalities are profiting from the wind. While many residents in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties live nowhere near the turbines dotting the landscape, the revenue stream from the towering towers is helping to offset increases in property taxes.Last year, owners of Wisconsin’s four largest wind energy projects paid out nearly $2.8 million in rent to landowners hosting turbines and payments in lieu of property taxes to local governments, according to figures compiled by RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.Fond du Lac County, which is home to 166 wind turbines, received a revenue payment of $625,000. Dodge County received $296,000 in payments for hosting 85 wind turbines. “While we didn’t designate...

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Yes to turbines

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wind turbines on the lakefront would be a good sign for the city's renewable energy portfolio.Milwaukee's lakefront may in some ways indeed be sacred to local residents. Its natural beauty is a defining characteristic of the city and the region. But it is not so sacred that worthwhile projects can't be developed for the lakefront.One such project that deserves serious consideration is placing one to three wind turbines near the Lake Express car ferry terminal to provide renewable power for the Port of Milwaukee administration. It also is designed to demonstrate the city's commitment renewable energy. These are all good things.The project would be funded with a block grant from federal economic stimulus dollars, Erick Shambarger, a city environmental...

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Meeting set to discuss possible wind turbine along lakefront

From a letter to the editor by Matt Howard, a new resident of Bay View, as well as the Environmental Sustainability Director for the City of Milwaukee, in the Bay View Compass:My name is Matt Howard, a new resident of Bay View, as well as the Environmental Sustainability Director for the City of Milwaukee. My office is exploring the feasibility of constructing a wind turbine in Bay View on Port property to supply the Port with clean, renewable energy. I wanted to give you some basic information on the options we’re exploring so that we as a community will have a more fruitful discussion next Thursday evening. (Thanks to Ald. Zielinski for organizing this meeting on my behalf.)The purchase and construction of this turbine would be fully paid for through federal grant funds my office administers,...

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Say no to revving up rickety reactors

From a column by John LaForge of Nukewatch, a Wisconsin-based organization, in The Capital Times:The owners of two 40-year-old nuclear reactors at Point Beach, on Lake Michigan north of Two Rivers, want to increase the power output for each unit by 17 percent -- from 1,540 megawatts to 1,800.The gunning of rickety old nukes is getting a green light all over the region.The Monticello reactor, 30 miles from Minneapolis, will boost its output to 120 percent of the original licensed limit -- from 613 megawatts to 684. Monticello’s been rattling along since 1971, and it rattles badly. In 2007, a 35,000-pound turbine control box (6 feet by 6 feet and 20 feet long) broke its welds and fell onto a large steam pipe that was cut open, causing the loss of so much pressure that an automatic reactor shutdown...

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Solar panel company to bring 600 jobs to Wisconsin

From an article by Judy Newman in The Capital Times:W Solar Group, a privately owned company with technology for manufacturing solar panels, said it will move to Wisconsin and set up its corporate headquarters and a separate research and development center in Dane County. No specific locations were given in the announcement Thursday by Gov. Jim Doyle’s office.The state Department of Commerce will provide up to $28 million in enterprise zone tax credits for the Chatsworth, Calif., company, which says it plans to invest more than $300 million in facilities in Wisconsin and create more than 600 jobs by 2015.“W Solar Group was attracted to Wisconsin early in our search for a project location,” said Chris Hamrin, president and chief executive officer. “We are impressed with the high-quality work...

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