wind energy

JUDGE TO CONSIDER RESTRAINING ORDER TO HALT OCOTILLLO WIND FRIDAY IN SAN DIEGO FEDERAL COURT

By Miriam Raftery

May 16, 2012 (San Diego) – On Friday at 2 p.m., a federal judge will consider a temporary restraining order motion filed by the Quechan Indian tribe seeking to halt construction at the Ocotillo Express wind facility site on federal land.

Despite discovery of six more cremation sites with what are believed to be human remains (12 sites total) that federal law requires be preserved, Pattern Energy is moving forward with heavy equipment, destroying vast acreage in the fragile Yuha desert near Ocotillo.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: PATTERN OF DECEIT

How did the number of homes powered by the Ocotillo wind project get reduced to just one-fifth of what Pattern has been promising?

By Jim Pelley

May 12, 2012 (Ocotillo)--Pattern Energy does a very good job deceiving the people. For example, all throughout the Ocotillo Wind Energy Project process Pattern Energy has been making statements deceiving the press, public and officials about the number of homes this facility will produce power for. Pattern’s website states: “The project will produce enough clean and renewable wind energy to serve more than 130,000 households a year. http://www.patternenergy.com/media/news/announcements/ocotillo_011312


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COALITION OF TRIBES, ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS & LAWYERS CALL FOR HALT TO "FAST TRACKING" OF MASSIVE ENERGY PROJECTS ON FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS

“We are the canaries in the coal mine. If this is not stopped here, destruction of millions of acres of public lands across the southwest will likely soon follow.” -- Terry Weiner, Desert Protective Council

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

May 11, 2012 (Ocotillo) -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed the Record of Decision, giving a go-ahead for the contentious Ocotillo Express wind project. 

The announcement came just hours after a coalition of environmental leaders, tribal representatives, off-road vehicle users, outdoor enthusiasts, residents and legal spokespersons called for a national moratorium on the "fast tracking" of massive energy projects on federal public lands.


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SENATE CANDIDATE DAN HUGHES SHARES VIEWS AT RON PAUL RALLY

 
By Nadin Abbott
 
May 8, 2012 (San Diego) -- United States Senate Candidate Dan Hughes is hoping to take the number two spot in the June primary under California’s new “top two” primary system so that he can directly challenge U.S., Senator Dianne Feinstein in November.
 
A hospital chief executive officer and former factory owner, Hughes has the backing of numerous Tea Party groups statewide. So what are his policy stances?  ECM interviewed Hughes during the Ron Paul rally in San Diego at UCSD on Saturday to find out.

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WHO IS PATTERN ENERGY?

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 23, 2012 (Ocotillo) – The wind industry has been likened to the wildcatters during the oil boom – risk takers seeking out ever more land on which to extract energy to fuel our nation’s power demands.  While some energy companies have made efforts to be good corporate citizens, profits in the energy industry have attracted some players of dubious integrity. (Remember those ENRON traders caught on tape boasting about defrauding grandmothers?)

Thus it’s important for decision makers weighing whether or not to approve major energy projects to consider, among other factors, the ethical record of the project applicant.

Pattern Energy seeks to build the Ocotillo Express wind facility on Bureau of Land Management property in Imperial County.  It also has an application pending for a wind project in the Kitchen Creek area near Campo, in San Diego County.


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WIND SPIN: BLOWING HOLES IN INDUSTRY’S DENIAL OF HEALTH IMPACTS



By Miriam Raftery

April 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – For years, the tobacco industry claimed that cigarettes don’t cause cancer—long after compelling medical evidence proved otherwise.  A similar scenario is now happening with the wind industry, which has put forth various “experts” funded by the wind industry to claim that no evidence exists of negative health impacts caused by wind turbines.

Those are dubious claims that ignore mounting medical and anecdotal evidence around the world indicating that living near wind turbines can harm human health. View a video made by residents living near wind turbines in Wisconsin, discussing health problems they are experiencing which are consistent with symptoms found at many other wind sites around the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71DxuicwCXw&feature=player_embedded

 


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: CITIZENS FIGHT BACK AGAINST OCOTILLO WIND PROJECT

 

May 17, 2012 (Ocotillo) –Robert Lundahl spotted these signs posted by residents and environmentalists, who are mobilizing to inform the public about negative impacts of the proposed Ocotillo Express wind energy facility.


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A WALK THROUGH THE WIND FARM WITH IBERDROLA

By Miriam Raftery

April 15, 2012 (McCain Valley) –Winds of change are blowing in McCain Valley, where Iberdrola Renewables hopes to build the 200 megawatt (MW) Tule Wind energy facility that could power an estimated 60,000 homes.  


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EAGLE DEATHS WILL INCREASE DUE TO FEDERAL RULE CHANGE BENEFITTING WIND INDUSTRY, AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY CHARGES

 

April 13, 2012 (Washington D.C.) -- The American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, has charged that the eagle rule change proposed today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will result in more eagles being killed at wind energy projects.

 


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WINDS OF CHANGE: COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION TO CONSIDER WIND ORDINANCE APRIL 13


 

“We are requesting a moratorium on industrial wind turbine projects and initiation of unbiased, science-based peer-reviewed studies on health…They are subjecting rural residents to be guinea pigs or lab rats on a mass scale that has never been seen anywhere.” –Donna Tisdale, Boulevard Planning Group Chair

 

“Tapping into sources of renewable energy is critical for a number of reasons…We applaud the County’s commitment to achieving these goals by updating and streamling requirements for small and large wind energy systems.” – Jennifer Purczynski Enel Green Power/Padoma Wind Power LLC

By Miriam Raftery

April 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Tomorrow (Friday) morning at 9 a.m., the San Diego County Planning Commission will consider a proposed wind ordinance that would make it easier for industrial-scale wind facilities as well as smaller turbines to be built in unincorporated areas—primarily in East County communities. 


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READER’S EDITORIAL: A THREAT TO ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK

 
Anza-Borrego Foundation
 
April 8, 2012 (Anza-Borrego)--The spectacular vistas, solitary wilderness and unique wildlife of Anza Borrego Desert State Park are under threat.  We write to you today to ask for a few moments of your time to help us protect your park. The Anza-Borrego Foundation opposes the proposed Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility, which will cause profound negative impacts on our desert wildlife, scenic vistas, and our pocketbooks.
We urge you to sign an online petition to help ABF oppose this project.
We also ask you to vote in an online poll conducted by East County Magazine. 

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PROPERTY VALUE LOSSES NEAR WIND TURBINES GREATER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT, APPRAISERS FIND

Losses can be up to 40%; values affected 3 miles from turbine sites

By Billie Jo Jannen

For East County Magazine


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READER’S EDITORIAL: THE 28 YEAR WIND INDUSTRY COVER-UP

 
By Jim Wiegand                         
 
March 14, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--A recent study from Spain estimates bird mortality to be 6-18 million birds and bats annually from their 18,000 installed wind turbines with an installed capacity of 20,676 MW. This works out to a staggering total of 333-1000 birds and bats per turbine or 290-871 mortalities per MW for wind energy in Spain. In America, on the AWEA web site the reported bird death rate from wind turbines is 2.9 fatalities per MW.                                                                                                                                    

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PROTEST PLANNED MARCH 14 AT RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE THAT EXCLUDED ADVOCATES OF ROOFTOP SOLAR

March 12, 2012 (Holtville) – “Why are billions of our tax dollars going to fund large-scale energy development on our public lands instead of to home and business owners for developing rooftop solar?” asks Terry Weiner with the Desert Protective Council and Solar Done Right. Massive solar and wind developments are planned for San Diego and Imperial County, many on public lands, others on prime agricultural croplands.

On Wednesday, March 14 from 7:30 to 11 a.m., activists from throughout California plan to stage a demonstration outside the Barbara Worth Resort in Holtville (Imperial County), where the “Renewable Energy Summit and Expo” is being held.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: AUGUST 4 DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS ON U.S. WIND ENERGY GUIDELINES: ASK THE USFS TO PROTECT EAGLES

By Mark Duchamp, CEO, European Platform Against Wind Farms www.epaw.org
President, Save the Eagles International www.savetheeaglesinternational.org
 

August 2, 2011 (Washington D.C.)--The US Fish and Wildlife Service is asking the public to send in their comments regarding its revised draft Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines. The deadline for sending your comments is August 4, 2011.


This concerns people from anywhere in the world, as these guidelines may inspire other countries and be used as justification for killing protected species.


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COMMENTS DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR TULE WIND, ECO SUBSTATION & RELATED PROJECT IN EAST COUNTY


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SDG&E AND PATTERN ENERGY SIGN CONTRACT FOR 315 MEGAWATTS FROM NEW WIND ENERGY FACILITY


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WHAT HAPPENED AT THE WIND FARM?

 

GONE WITH THE WIND:  25 wind turbines damaged; witness saw explosive blue light before Campo-area wind farm went dark
 


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EDITORIAL: THE WIND INDUSTRY AND THE INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service should investigate bird deaths at wind farms

 

By Jim Wiegand, Wildlife Biologist

 

February 12, 2010 (San Diego)--Every day at wind farms across America threatened or endangered species are killed from collisions with blades of the prop wind turbine. This is considered legal because the offending wind farms either hold the "incidental take permit" or were not required to have one because they did not fully disclose environmental impacts of their activities. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services requires the procurement of an incidental take permit for any individual or private industry if threatened and endangered species will be killed in a project. This killing is referred to as "take" -- and the perrmit holder has immunity from prosecution.


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