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| Current Activity
[24 Dec. 2008] |
| US Forest Service comment period
deadline is 23 Jan. 2008. Go to the To
Do Page for steps to keep turbines out of our
national forests. |
| WV Project
Status Reports |
| FPL Mountaineer |
This 66 MW project
was opposed by Citizens
for Responsible Wind Power. The project became operational
in 2003. It is still killing multitudes of bats and averaged
only 5 MW in August 2007, 2 MW less than its Aug. 2006 dismal
performance.
 C R W P
• PO Box 4405 • Star City WV 26504-4405 • 
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| Ned Power-Shell |
| This 300 MW project
is opposed by Friends of the Allegheny Front. They have filed
a nuisance suit against the project, which is being heard first
in the Grant Co. Circuit Court. |
| Mt. Storm WindForce |
This is a 300 MW
project opposed by Friends
of Blackwater. Construction of roads was begun but may have
stalled pending the outcome of the FOAF lawsuit
F O B •
501 Elizabeth St. • Charleston WV 25311 • 304-345-7663
•
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| Beech Ridge |
This 186 MW project
is opposed by WV
Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy. They have sued
to overturn the WV-PSC's granting of a siting certificate, and
the case has worked its way to the WV Supreme Court for a hearing
on 9 Jan. 2008.
M C R E
• PO Box 1 • Williamsburg WV 24991 • (304) 645-7169
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| Liberty Gap |
This 100 MW project,
temporarily suspended, is opposed by Friends of Beautiful Pendleton
County. Access news of activities pertaining to Liberty Gap
here.
F O B P
C • PO Box 218 • Franklin WV 26807 • |
| Laurel Mt. |
This 125 MW project
is opposed by Laurel
Mt. Preservation Assoc. The group expects a filing for a
siting certificate to the WV-PSC to happen soon.
L M P A
• PO Box 217 • Montrose WV 26283 • 304-621-1095
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Send us your wind news
This page will have updates from
the various groups that have organized to stop the trashing
of our scenic treasures. |
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28 February 2007 update
from Dan Boone
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VA National
Forest may be opened to wind development As
predicted, the wind industry continues its push for opening
up eastern NF's to industrial wind energy development. The following
is to keep you posted on the wind industry's growing threat
to our region's natural heritage. The recently-released "draft"
management plan for the George Washington NF has identified
a significant proportion of the Forest's ridgetop areas as being
"Generally Suitable For Wind Generation Sites"
- see
map provided via this website.
This NF intends to follow the BLM's very pro-development 2002
"interim guidance" in evaluating applications for
the siting of industrial windplants. The link provided here
to BLM's "interim guidance" didn't work for me - but
I
did find this document elsewhere on the web.
MD update In addition, the wind industry in MD is now
pushing legislation which would exempt all wind energy projects
from having to go through a public participation process. If
passed, no person or group could participate in or challenge
the MD Public Service Commission's decision to grant an operating
permit for a wind energy facility which is to be sited on private
or public lands (or waters) in MD. Here
is the weblink to the proposed legislation, which is backed
by the President of the Senate (Mike Miller) - and therefore
has a very good chance of being enacted.
At yesterday's hearing on this proposed MD legislation, proponents
for the bill included wind energy developer Wayne Rogers (Synergics)
and a representative of Mike Tidwell's group (Chesapeake Climate
Action Network). They both used the "streamline review
is needed" argument as reason for passing this legislation,
and heaped on many exaggerated and untrue claims - such as "wind-generated
electricity reduces air pollution", "wind turbines
create significant number of jobs and tax revenue" and
"wind energy will reduce use of coal". Such arguments
are what you'd expect from a developer, and seem to be a purposefully
designed refrain intended to trump the bill's opponents' concern
for wildlife, aesthetic and wildlands impacts (i.e., benefits
to human welfare are perceived as much greater good compared
to birds, bats, scenery and habitat).
In addition, another bill was heard on the House side (HB 1062)
which would double the 7.5% mandated demand for renewable-source
electricity provided for in MD's existing Renewable Portfolio
Standard (RPS) law. If passed, doubling of MD's RPS demand would
likely result in construction of at least 2,000 2-MW wind turbines
by 2020 (though these could be sited anywhere within PJM's grid
region). |
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Will wind turbines be coming to your
neighborhood soon?
8 Dec.
2007 - Wind developers need to do a lot of things before announcing
a project to the public. One requirement is to get FAA approval
for the location and the warning lights of these very tall structures.
Another is to request an interconnection feasibility study from
the grid operator that will serve the project. Developers do this
well in advance of going public with the news.
Both the FAA and in our region grid operator, PJM provide this
information on their web sites, it just takes some digging. Digging
at the PJM web site
shows wind projects already connected and those preparing to be
connected. They are identified by a queue number and the substation
that will connect them. The projects most familiar to West Virginians
are Mountaineer (Backbone Mt.), Liberty Gap (N. Franklin), Mt.
Storm WindForce One (Henry), NedPower-Shell (Greenland Gap), Beech
Ridge (Grassy Falls) and Mt. Storm WindForce Two (Canaan-Seneca).
There are six more project studies listed and the projects are
tentatively scheduled to go into service by the end of 2008 and
2009. The six substations named are Afton, Beryl, Albright, Belington,
Snow Creek and Elk Garden - Junction. If you live near one of
these substations, there's a very good change there will be turbines
nearby as well. Belington, for example, is the likely substation
for the recently announced Laurel Mt. project along the Randolph-Barbour
county line.
Construction phase of wind turbines
at Backbone Mountain, Tucker County, WV.
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