From Northwest Herald
Complaints breeze in as wind turbines take off
By ELENA GRIMM - Shaw Suburban Media
Some of the wind turbines in southwest DeKalb County spin on Wednesday morning. The turbines have been harnessing wind and turning it into electricity for a few weeks. (Rob Winner – Shaw Suburban Media)
NextEra Energy Resources plans to “officially commission” its 145-tower wind farm in southwestern DeKalb County by the end of this week, although the turbines in the southern part of the county have been harnessing wind and turning it into electricity for a few weeks.
That’s keeping in line with the company’s goal of having the wind farm operating by the end of 2009, said Neil Palmer, a representative for NextEra. The company applied for the permits for the wind farm in January, and the county board approved it in June
“Everything is operable,” he said Monday. “We’re simply going through a bit of a shakedown.”
He said the past few weeks had been spent in a process that’s typical for any kind of machinery: The company is running the equipment to make sure everything is working properly and making adjustments to get the gear to optimal running capacity.
“If anything looks out of the ordinary, it can be taken offline while a technician goes and checks it. It’s not unusual in this early part of the shakedown,” Palmer said.
Crews were on site last week during an ice storm to see whether the ice buildup caused any equipment malfunctions, but there weren’t any problems, he said.
A crew of 14 has been hired to run the wind farm. Most of their work is done by a remote monitoring computer system, although a local control center will be completed in Shabbona, likely in February, Palmer said.
On Tuesday morning, all turbines were still, appearing frozen against the snowy landscape. But Mel Hass, spokesman for a group of people living near the wind turbines that has sued FPL, NextEra’s parent company, and the county over the wind farm, said he and others already had heard “significant” noise coming from the wind towers.
In lower winds, Hass can hear a “whoosh.” In higher winds – such as one evening last week when he went to a neighbor’s house to listen – it can sound like a jet engine, he said.
Towers face Hass’ home on McGirr Road in three directions. He said that, depending on the wind direction and speed, he could hear towers nearly a half-mile away while standing in his yard. Inside his house, the ones nearest his backyard sometimes are audible.
Hass and others who live close to the towers have called the company’s hot line and the DeKalb County Planning and Zoning office when noise issues arise.
DeKalb County Planning Director Paul Miller had taken four complaints as of Tuesday: three were related to noise, and one was about shadow flicker, which happens when sunlight catches the rotating blades at an angle that creates a moving shadow through windows.
The first complaints, noise and shadow flicker, were called in Dec. 16 by different people, Miller said. Another noise complaint came in Dec. 17. On Dec. 22, a complainant called Miller’s office to follow up on their first noise complaint.
“The first thing property owners should do is call the FPL hot line to take complaints and respond to concerns and questions,” he said. “Second, if they don’t feel they’ve gotten any kind of response or are not happy with the response they got, they can call me; call my office. We follow up if there’s an issue, provided it’s one of the conditions of approval.”
Compliance with noise and shadow flicker levels are among the 36 conditions that the energy firm had to agree with in order to build the wind farm.
Miller said these early complaints did not come as a surprise.
“Considering the size and scope of this operation, I wouldn’t characterize the number of complaints as high or excessive yet,” he said. “Inevitably, there are going to be complaints, especially because there’s a lawsuit.”
The plaintiffs, 38 property owners collectively known as Citizens for Open Government, are pushing forward with the lawsuit against FPL and the county, Hass said.
They were given about a month to amend their complaint after a judge dismissed the original complaint in December. Hass said a court date had not been set, but they are “nearing completion” to file an amended complaint next week.
Although litigation is pending, “we have to work together to resolve some of these issues to go forward,” he said.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Who Oversees Turbine Safety?
From the Utica Observer Dispatch
Officials: Smaller wind farms not under state regulations
Photos
Syracuse Post-Standard via The Associated Press
This wind turbine near Buyea Road in the Madison County town of Fenner collapsed around 4 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27. Later in the day, officials from the wind farm's owner, Enel North America, said they did not know what had caused the incident.
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Featured Business » By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:47 PM
Last update Dec 29, 2009 @ 05:10 PM
FENNER — As officials continue to investigate what could have caused a 200-foot-tall wind turbine to collapse in Madison County, it was not at all clear Monday what agency, if any, is responsible for overseeing turbine safety issues at Fenner Wind Farm in this town northeast of Cazenovia.
State officials said the farm does not produce 80 megawatts of energy annually, and therefore, is not large enough to fall under their jurisdiction. Madison County officials also don’t believe they’re responsible for regulation and pointed to town officials for oversight.
However, officials in this rural town of about 1,600 residents said while they played a role in awarding permits for the project before it was completed in 2001, they thought that Enel North America, the company that operates the farm, was responsible for regulating the structures manufactured by General Electric.
“I think they’re pretty conscientious,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said of Enel North America. “They don’t want this to happen again.”
The turbine, which weighed close to 190 tons, toppled over in a cornfield at about 4 a.m. Sunday, shutting down the wind farm’s 19 other turbines. No one was injured.
The collapse on Buyea Road in Fenner followed a power outage recorded at about 3:30 a.m., Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. The cause remains under investigation by the company.
While it was the first time the company saw one of its turbines fall over, collapses of the structures are not unprecedented.
In March, another General Electric turbine split in half at the Noble Altona Windpark, northwest of Plattsburgh in Northern New York. That incident also followed a power outage.
Noble Environmental Power, the company operating the turbine, declared a wiring anomaly was to blame for the incident. General Electric wind turbines are equipped with a system that should shut them down when a loss of power occurs. Without the system working property, the turbine will spin faster than its design allows, the company said in a news release.
However, the collapse at Noble Altona Windpark remains under investigation by the state Public Service Commission because the operation produces enough energy to fall under that agency’s jurisdiction, said Anne Dalton, a spokesperson for the state commission.
“As I understand it, this one owned by Enel North America would be investigated locally,” Dalton said. “All I know is it’s not subject to our jurisdiction.”
The collapse that occurred in Altona on March 6 created a small fire and flung Fiberglass debris as far as 345 feet from the base of the turbine, the company said. No one was injured in the incident.
But Milissa Rocker, a spokesperson for General Electric, said the company’s windmills are safe. Just five of General Electric’s 13,000 turbines operating globally have collapsed since 2002 when General Electric took over the wind power operation from Enron, she said.
“It’s important to understand this is a very rare occurrence,” Rocker said. “This turbine is one of the most reliable in service.”
Despite the apparent resemblance between the incidents in Altona and Fenner, officials from both General Electric and Enel North America said there is no way to draw a parallel until an investigation is complete.
“What’s similar is that a turbine collapsed,” Rocker said. “That’s about as far as the similarities go right now.”
Wind turbines are an increasingly common part of the regional landscape, particularly along U.S. Route 20 and near Lowville.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York’s electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Members of Save Sauquoit Valley Views -- a group opposing the Litchfield windmills - said theFenner tower collapse sparks concern over the Litchfield project.
“Despite the industry’s assurances, large turbines are intrinsically unsafe,” Liz Waszkiewicz said in a statement e-mailed on behalf of the organization. “Since the Fenner incident wasn’t related to high winds or other conditions that should have led to collapse, should a landowner take that chance?”
Sennot said the company does not believe strong winds or foul play were involved in the incident, but declined to discuss other possible causes until an investigation is complete, which likely won’t be until the end of January.
“Generally speaking, turbines are a far enough distance away that -- should something like this happen -- homes wouldn’t be hit,” Sennott said. The company is not concerned about additional turbines collapsing, he said.
The other 19 turbines at Fenner Wind Farm, which produces enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, have been temporarily shut down as a safety precaution, he said.
Officials: Smaller wind farms not under state regulations
Photos
Syracuse Post-Standard via The Associated Press
This wind turbine near Buyea Road in the Madison County town of Fenner collapsed around 4 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27. Later in the day, officials from the wind farm's owner, Enel North America, said they did not know what had caused the incident.
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Featured Business » By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:47 PM
Last update Dec 29, 2009 @ 05:10 PM
FENNER — As officials continue to investigate what could have caused a 200-foot-tall wind turbine to collapse in Madison County, it was not at all clear Monday what agency, if any, is responsible for overseeing turbine safety issues at Fenner Wind Farm in this town northeast of Cazenovia.
State officials said the farm does not produce 80 megawatts of energy annually, and therefore, is not large enough to fall under their jurisdiction. Madison County officials also don’t believe they’re responsible for regulation and pointed to town officials for oversight.
However, officials in this rural town of about 1,600 residents said while they played a role in awarding permits for the project before it was completed in 2001, they thought that Enel North America, the company that operates the farm, was responsible for regulating the structures manufactured by General Electric.
“I think they’re pretty conscientious,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said of Enel North America. “They don’t want this to happen again.”
The turbine, which weighed close to 190 tons, toppled over in a cornfield at about 4 a.m. Sunday, shutting down the wind farm’s 19 other turbines. No one was injured.
The collapse on Buyea Road in Fenner followed a power outage recorded at about 3:30 a.m., Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. The cause remains under investigation by the company.
While it was the first time the company saw one of its turbines fall over, collapses of the structures are not unprecedented.
In March, another General Electric turbine split in half at the Noble Altona Windpark, northwest of Plattsburgh in Northern New York. That incident also followed a power outage.
Noble Environmental Power, the company operating the turbine, declared a wiring anomaly was to blame for the incident. General Electric wind turbines are equipped with a system that should shut them down when a loss of power occurs. Without the system working property, the turbine will spin faster than its design allows, the company said in a news release.
However, the collapse at Noble Altona Windpark remains under investigation by the state Public Service Commission because the operation produces enough energy to fall under that agency’s jurisdiction, said Anne Dalton, a spokesperson for the state commission.
“As I understand it, this one owned by Enel North America would be investigated locally,” Dalton said. “All I know is it’s not subject to our jurisdiction.”
The collapse that occurred in Altona on March 6 created a small fire and flung Fiberglass debris as far as 345 feet from the base of the turbine, the company said. No one was injured in the incident.
But Milissa Rocker, a spokesperson for General Electric, said the company’s windmills are safe. Just five of General Electric’s 13,000 turbines operating globally have collapsed since 2002 when General Electric took over the wind power operation from Enron, she said.
“It’s important to understand this is a very rare occurrence,” Rocker said. “This turbine is one of the most reliable in service.”
Despite the apparent resemblance between the incidents in Altona and Fenner, officials from both General Electric and Enel North America said there is no way to draw a parallel until an investigation is complete.
“What’s similar is that a turbine collapsed,” Rocker said. “That’s about as far as the similarities go right now.”
Wind turbines are an increasingly common part of the regional landscape, particularly along U.S. Route 20 and near Lowville.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York’s electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Members of Save Sauquoit Valley Views -- a group opposing the Litchfield windmills - said theFenner tower collapse sparks concern over the Litchfield project.
“Despite the industry’s assurances, large turbines are intrinsically unsafe,” Liz Waszkiewicz said in a statement e-mailed on behalf of the organization. “Since the Fenner incident wasn’t related to high winds or other conditions that should have led to collapse, should a landowner take that chance?”
Sennot said the company does not believe strong winds or foul play were involved in the incident, but declined to discuss other possible causes until an investigation is complete, which likely won’t be until the end of January.
“Generally speaking, turbines are a far enough distance away that -- should something like this happen -- homes wouldn’t be hit,” Sennott said. The company is not concerned about additional turbines collapsing, he said.
The other 19 turbines at Fenner Wind Farm, which produces enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, have been temporarily shut down as a safety precaution, he said.
Where/ What is Digby??
Digby, Nova Scotia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nickname(s): "The Scallop Capital of The World"
DigbyLocation of Digby, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°37′20″N 65°45′38″W / 44.62222°N 65.76056°W / 44.62222; -65.76056
Country Canada
Province Nova Scotia
County Digby County
Founded 1783
Incorporated February 28, 1890
Electoral Districts
Federal
West Nova
Provincial Digby-Annapolis
Government
- Type Town Council
- Mayor Ben Cleveland
- Governing Body Digby Town Council
Area
- Total 3.15 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Elevation 0 - 152 m (-499 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- Total 2,092
- Density 667.0/km2 (1,727.5/sq mi)
- Change (2001-06) ▼0.9%
- Dwellings 1,070
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Canadian Postal code B0V 1A0
Area code(s) 902
Telephone Exchange 245
Median Earnings* 28,551
NTS Map
GNBC Code
Website http://www.townofdigby.ns.ca
*Median household income, 2005 (all households)
Digby is a town in western Nova Scotia which lies on the Annapolis Basin of the Bay of Fundy. Digby is the shire town and commercial hub of Digby County. The town is famous for its scallop fishing fleet.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Economy
3 Tourism
4 Fishing
5 Transportation
6 Shopping and services
7 Demographics
8 Notable residents
9 Public library
10 References
11 External links
[edit] History
Digby, Nova Scotia in 1906.The area was settled in 1783 by the United Empire Loyalists under the leadership of Sir Robert Digby.
The town developed a sizable shipping fleet in the 19th century. One famous Digby vessel was the brigantine Dei Gratia, which discovered the famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. The town became an important regional transportation centre in the 1890s with the arrival of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Trains connected with a series of steamships such as the City of Monticello and later the SS Princess Helene.
[edit] Economy
Digby’s economy is still based largely on the fishing and tourism industries. The annual Scallop Days Festival, held the first week of August annually, brings the two industries together to showcase the town’s history and heritage to the tourists. The festival offers a variety of themed activities for all ages, including scallop shucking contests, a parade, and an exhibition of local artists.[2]
Since 2004, Digby has become the destination for a major regional motorcycle rally, the annual Wharf Rat Rally. It attracts many times the town's population, up to 17,000 motorcyclists, so many that schools and some roads have to close for the day due to crowds and motorcycle traffic.[3] The Wharf Rat Rally event is generally held the week of Labour Day in September each year.
The area is also widely known for the enormous Bay of Fundy tides that sweep the coastline boasting some of the highest tides in the world. The town's history is preserved and interpeted by the Admiral Digby Museum, located in a historic home facing the harbour.
[edit] Tourism
Tourism has played an important role in Digby during the 20th century following the construction of a large resort on the town's outskirts named The Digby Pines. Built in 1905 and then purchased in 1917 by the Dominion Atlantic Railway, the resort provided a focal point to the local tourism industry. Continuously expanded, it was bought by the Government of Nova Scotia after the Dominion Atlantic sold its hotels.
There are many places to stay if you visit Digby, including[4]:
Accommodation Name Open Year Round
Admiral Digby Inn No
Breaker's Bed & Breakfast Yes
Bayside Inn Yes
Boardwalk Cafe & Suites Yes
Coastal Inn Kingfisher Yes
Digby Campground Yes
Digby Backpacker's Inn Yes
Dockside Suites Yes
Gallery Loft Housekeeping Unit Yes
Harmony B&B/Suites Yes
Montague Row B&B No
Nova's B&B Yes
Ocean Hillside Bed & Breakfast Yes
Shoreline Restaurant, Gifts & Accommodations No
Siesta Motel Yes
Summers Country Inn Yes
The Pines Resort No
Thistle Down Country Inn Yes
[edit] Fishing
Fishing has been an essential economic activity since the town's settlement. Digby's schooner fishery reached its peak in the early 1900s, documented by the famous Canadian historian and photographer Frederick William Wallace. In later years, trawlers, especially those harvesting scallops became the mainstay.
[edit] Transportation
Access to Digby is primarily by Highway 101 and by the M/V Princess of Acadia ferry service to Saint John, New Brunswick (operated by Bay Ferries Limited).
The Kings Transit public transit system has stops in Digby at the Atlantic Superstore/Walmart, Sobeys/Canadian Tire, and the Digby General Hospital, although the bus can be hailed to stop at any location along Hwy 303 between Atlantic Superstore and the hospital.[5] Buses going east or west bound are only available every other hour. The fare covers if you are traveling from Weymouth, Nova Scotia or to Windsor, Nova Scotia.
Kings Transit Fares[6]
Adults / Seniors (Age 60+) Children (5-11) Children (under 5)
$3.50 $1.75 FREE
There are three taxi companies that operate in Digby. They are Admiral Taxi, Basin Taxi, and Digby Cab. All three companies provide the same rates to riders.
[edit] Shopping and services
There are two groceries stores located in Digby, both Atlantic Superstore and Sobeys. There is also a Wal-mart and a Canadian Tire.
Restaurants include franchises such as two Tim Horton's locations, Subway, Pizza Delight, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonald's along with several other locally owned restaurants filling the downtown Water Street area. Most of the locally owned restuarants serve seafood dishes with a high concentration on scallops. Many restaurants close during the winter months due to the slow tourism during that time.
Downtown also has locally owned shops.
Circle K, Ultramar, Shell, and Esso have gas stations located in Digby.
There is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station located on Victoria Street.[7]
The Digby General Hospital, located on Warwick Street, provides basic medical care to the residents, including primary care, inpatient, restorative care, ambulatory, day surgery.[8] Although they note on the website they provide emergency care, it is only available when a physician is available. Many patients are redirected to the hospital in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia or Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the case of an emergency. [9]
[edit] Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:[10]
Population: 2,092 (-0.9% from 2001)
Land area: 3.14 km2 (1.21 sq mi)
Population density: 667.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,728 /sq mi)
National population rank: Ranked 1,274th out of 5,008
Median age: 46.4 (males: 44.3, females: 48.9)
Total private dwellings: 1,070
Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 966
Median household income: $28,551
Digby Main Street of Digby
Harbour of Digby
Balancing Rock near Digby
Tidal Boatworks, Digby. 2008.
Mist on Digby bay
[edit] Notable residents
Pop Smith, major league baseball player
[edit] Public library
Isaiah W. Wilson Memorial Library; Digby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nickname(s): "The Scallop Capital of The World"
DigbyLocation of Digby, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°37′20″N 65°45′38″W / 44.62222°N 65.76056°W / 44.62222; -65.76056
Country Canada
Province Nova Scotia
County Digby County
Founded 1783
Incorporated February 28, 1890
Electoral Districts
Federal
West Nova
Provincial Digby-Annapolis
Government
- Type Town Council
- Mayor Ben Cleveland
- Governing Body Digby Town Council
Area
- Total 3.15 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Elevation 0 - 152 m (-499 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- Total 2,092
- Density 667.0/km2 (1,727.5/sq mi)
- Change (2001-06) ▼0.9%
- Dwellings 1,070
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Canadian Postal code B0V 1A0
Area code(s) 902
Telephone Exchange 245
Median Earnings* 28,551
NTS Map
GNBC Code
Website http://www.townofdigby.ns.ca
*Median household income, 2005 (all households)
Digby is a town in western Nova Scotia which lies on the Annapolis Basin of the Bay of Fundy. Digby is the shire town and commercial hub of Digby County. The town is famous for its scallop fishing fleet.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Economy
3 Tourism
4 Fishing
5 Transportation
6 Shopping and services
7 Demographics
8 Notable residents
9 Public library
10 References
11 External links
[edit] History
Digby, Nova Scotia in 1906.The area was settled in 1783 by the United Empire Loyalists under the leadership of Sir Robert Digby.
The town developed a sizable shipping fleet in the 19th century. One famous Digby vessel was the brigantine Dei Gratia, which discovered the famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. The town became an important regional transportation centre in the 1890s with the arrival of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Trains connected with a series of steamships such as the City of Monticello and later the SS Princess Helene.
[edit] Economy
Digby’s economy is still based largely on the fishing and tourism industries. The annual Scallop Days Festival, held the first week of August annually, brings the two industries together to showcase the town’s history and heritage to the tourists. The festival offers a variety of themed activities for all ages, including scallop shucking contests, a parade, and an exhibition of local artists.[2]
Since 2004, Digby has become the destination for a major regional motorcycle rally, the annual Wharf Rat Rally. It attracts many times the town's population, up to 17,000 motorcyclists, so many that schools and some roads have to close for the day due to crowds and motorcycle traffic.[3] The Wharf Rat Rally event is generally held the week of Labour Day in September each year.
The area is also widely known for the enormous Bay of Fundy tides that sweep the coastline boasting some of the highest tides in the world. The town's history is preserved and interpeted by the Admiral Digby Museum, located in a historic home facing the harbour.
[edit] Tourism
Tourism has played an important role in Digby during the 20th century following the construction of a large resort on the town's outskirts named The Digby Pines. Built in 1905 and then purchased in 1917 by the Dominion Atlantic Railway, the resort provided a focal point to the local tourism industry. Continuously expanded, it was bought by the Government of Nova Scotia after the Dominion Atlantic sold its hotels.
There are many places to stay if you visit Digby, including[4]:
Accommodation Name Open Year Round
Admiral Digby Inn No
Breaker's Bed & Breakfast Yes
Bayside Inn Yes
Boardwalk Cafe & Suites Yes
Coastal Inn Kingfisher Yes
Digby Campground Yes
Digby Backpacker's Inn Yes
Dockside Suites Yes
Gallery Loft Housekeeping Unit Yes
Harmony B&B/Suites Yes
Montague Row B&B No
Nova's B&B Yes
Ocean Hillside Bed & Breakfast Yes
Shoreline Restaurant, Gifts & Accommodations No
Siesta Motel Yes
Summers Country Inn Yes
The Pines Resort No
Thistle Down Country Inn Yes
[edit] Fishing
Fishing has been an essential economic activity since the town's settlement. Digby's schooner fishery reached its peak in the early 1900s, documented by the famous Canadian historian and photographer Frederick William Wallace. In later years, trawlers, especially those harvesting scallops became the mainstay.
[edit] Transportation
Access to Digby is primarily by Highway 101 and by the M/V Princess of Acadia ferry service to Saint John, New Brunswick (operated by Bay Ferries Limited).
The Kings Transit public transit system has stops in Digby at the Atlantic Superstore/Walmart, Sobeys/Canadian Tire, and the Digby General Hospital, although the bus can be hailed to stop at any location along Hwy 303 between Atlantic Superstore and the hospital.[5] Buses going east or west bound are only available every other hour. The fare covers if you are traveling from Weymouth, Nova Scotia or to Windsor, Nova Scotia.
Kings Transit Fares[6]
Adults / Seniors (Age 60+) Children (5-11) Children (under 5)
$3.50 $1.75 FREE
There are three taxi companies that operate in Digby. They are Admiral Taxi, Basin Taxi, and Digby Cab. All three companies provide the same rates to riders.
[edit] Shopping and services
There are two groceries stores located in Digby, both Atlantic Superstore and Sobeys. There is also a Wal-mart and a Canadian Tire.
Restaurants include franchises such as two Tim Horton's locations, Subway, Pizza Delight, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonald's along with several other locally owned restaurants filling the downtown Water Street area. Most of the locally owned restuarants serve seafood dishes with a high concentration on scallops. Many restaurants close during the winter months due to the slow tourism during that time.
Downtown also has locally owned shops.
Circle K, Ultramar, Shell, and Esso have gas stations located in Digby.
There is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station located on Victoria Street.[7]
The Digby General Hospital, located on Warwick Street, provides basic medical care to the residents, including primary care, inpatient, restorative care, ambulatory, day surgery.[8] Although they note on the website they provide emergency care, it is only available when a physician is available. Many patients are redirected to the hospital in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia or Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the case of an emergency. [9]
[edit] Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:[10]
Population: 2,092 (-0.9% from 2001)
Land area: 3.14 km2 (1.21 sq mi)
Population density: 667.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,728 /sq mi)
National population rank: Ranked 1,274th out of 5,008
Median age: 46.4 (males: 44.3, females: 48.9)
Total private dwellings: 1,070
Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 966
Median household income: $28,551
Digby Main Street of Digby
Harbour of Digby
Balancing Rock near Digby
Tidal Boatworks, Digby. 2008.
Mist on Digby bay
[edit] Notable residents
Pop Smith, major league baseball player
[edit] Public library
Isaiah W. Wilson Memorial Library; Digby
Labels:
Digby Nova Scotia
Bay Windfields
President's Report
It has been a very positive experience serving as President of Bay Wind since November of 2007 and I am delighted to be presenting the 2009 Bay Windfield president's report. After this AGM, I will be stepping down from my role as President but expect to continue assisting the company as a Director on the board.
Looking back at the past year, financially speaking, it has been very 'interesting' to say the least. Unless you had your money in a GIC, pretty much all public investment vehicles decreased in value. Fortunately for us, Bay Wind, being a CEDIFand not publicly traded, avoided the downturn in financial markets and maintained its value. Also, fortunately for shareholders of Bay Wind, all our current investments are with companies who are not publicly traded. This is fortunate because there were very few public companies that did not reduced in value over the past year.
During these interesting economic times Bay Wind has managed to keep busy. I will start this report by listing our events of the past year followed by updates on our past investments:
On February 29th 2008 the Bay closed its 5th successful offering. This offering increased our number of shareholders to over 160.
In August of 2008, the Bay made a strategic investment in The Gold Coast . We purchased 51% of the company which also provides us with excellent investment potential for future projects due to the geographic location of their territory. For those unaware, they have the rights between Hfx and Canso.
Also in August 2008, The Bay signed an agreement with a local company which produces wood bricks from waste wood. These bricks are used as an alternative to firewood for heating purposes. This agreement is in the form of an interest bearing loan to the company which provides the Bay with a revenue stream in the form of monthly interest cheques.
In September of 2008, the Bay completed a 10 for 1 stock split. This split was deemed necessary to prevent further dilution of existing shareholder's investments. This factor was determined according to the current market values of investments held by the Bay.
As far as updates on the companies we have previously invested in, two have provided information and the third, being 4G (Fourth Generation Capital) has not supplied any recent information. As far as we have been told, 4G is active in China and has imported Chinese technology to Ontario as it relates to a Biomass power generating plant. We cannot quantify this information but hope that 4G becomes very successful.
RESL (RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICES LTD)
RESL recently held their AGM in Halifax earlier this month. There were 7 shareholders in attendance, this including representation from The Bay. RESL currently have 5 turbines operating. They have sold the following in the last year:
Project with Shear Wind. The two turbines that were part of a joint agreement with Shear Wind were sold to them. They stated it was for operational reasons.
T600 Turbines. They have sold two T600 turbines to Boston and helped to install the product. The turbines were small and were the only ones that they could use at that location that were available at that time.
The installation of the turbine at the Generating Plant at Point Tupper. was not feasible due to unsuitable ground conditions, though the project was cancelled the turbine was relocated to the near-by Wind Farm. Currently RESL has a 25Mw RFP from NS Power and they are concentrating on the Point Tupper wind farm.
Alberta. RESL and AESO (Alberta Electric System Operator) are still carrying out environmental assessments of 2 projects. They currently have 170 Mw under development, but we do not have any additional details on these developments.
RESL is looking for significant investors and are apparently in talks with one or more entities but would not provide any additional details. They are also interested in investment and the Equity Tax Credit is still available for individuals who invest from Nova Scotia.
At this point the company made no reference to going public in the near future.
Scotian WindFields Inc (SWFI)
SWFI now has one "inside the fence" up and running. This is at the Porter's Lake Superstore. It is expected that another one should be announced soon.
In June Scotian WindFields launched Carbon Services Division.
In 2008, Scotian WindFields bought Doctor Solar to help expand into the solar energy industry. Doctor Solar has more than 20 years of experience installing solar thermal systems in Nova Scotia, and was a perfect fit to the community based Scotian WindFields team.
SWIFI considered a merger earlier in the year which promised to bring more financial resources to the Digby Neck project. The merger did not take place but talks are ongoing.
As with RESL, financing is proving to be more difficult in these hard economic times for everyone.
Services SWFI currently provide include:
Utility Wind: bidding on grid scale development in the 30 to 40 MW range as suppliers to Nova Scotia Power Inc.
Embedded Generation: developing 'inside the fence' projects to service commercial retailers, industrial applications, and institutional facilities.
Small Wind: providing turnkey packages to homeowners and small businesses with alternative energy solutions, as well as the tools to reduce their carbon footprint.
Solar: working with clients to provide turnkey solar solutions in hot water heating and photovoltaic applications.
In conclusion, The Bay has been busy looking out for the best interests of our shareholders. We aspire to continue investing in select projects whereby we expect to generate future financial gain to our shareholders while making the environment a more sustainable and energy efficient place. Thank you very much. Alain Belliveau President - The Bay WindField
It has been a very positive experience serving as President of Bay Wind since November of 2007 and I am delighted to be presenting the 2009 Bay Windfield president's report. After this AGM, I will be stepping down from my role as President but expect to continue assisting the company as a Director on the board.
Looking back at the past year, financially speaking, it has been very 'interesting' to say the least. Unless you had your money in a GIC, pretty much all public investment vehicles decreased in value. Fortunately for us, Bay Wind, being a CEDIFand not publicly traded, avoided the downturn in financial markets and maintained its value. Also, fortunately for shareholders of Bay Wind, all our current investments are with companies who are not publicly traded. This is fortunate because there were very few public companies that did not reduced in value over the past year.
During these interesting economic times Bay Wind has managed to keep busy. I will start this report by listing our events of the past year followed by updates on our past investments:
On February 29th 2008 the Bay closed its 5th successful offering. This offering increased our number of shareholders to over 160.
In August of 2008, the Bay made a strategic investment in The Gold Coast . We purchased 51% of the company which also provides us with excellent investment potential for future projects due to the geographic location of their territory. For those unaware, they have the rights between Hfx and Canso.
Also in August 2008, The Bay signed an agreement with a local company which produces wood bricks from waste wood. These bricks are used as an alternative to firewood for heating purposes. This agreement is in the form of an interest bearing loan to the company which provides the Bay with a revenue stream in the form of monthly interest cheques.
In September of 2008, the Bay completed a 10 for 1 stock split. This split was deemed necessary to prevent further dilution of existing shareholder's investments. This factor was determined according to the current market values of investments held by the Bay.
As far as updates on the companies we have previously invested in, two have provided information and the third, being 4G (Fourth Generation Capital) has not supplied any recent information. As far as we have been told, 4G is active in China and has imported Chinese technology to Ontario as it relates to a Biomass power generating plant. We cannot quantify this information but hope that 4G becomes very successful.
RESL (RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICES LTD)
RESL recently held their AGM in Halifax earlier this month. There were 7 shareholders in attendance, this including representation from The Bay. RESL currently have 5 turbines operating. They have sold the following in the last year:
Project with Shear Wind. The two turbines that were part of a joint agreement with Shear Wind were sold to them. They stated it was for operational reasons.
T600 Turbines. They have sold two T600 turbines to Boston and helped to install the product. The turbines were small and were the only ones that they could use at that location that were available at that time.
The installation of the turbine at the Generating Plant at Point Tupper. was not feasible due to unsuitable ground conditions, though the project was cancelled the turbine was relocated to the near-by Wind Farm. Currently RESL has a 25Mw RFP from NS Power and they are concentrating on the Point Tupper wind farm.
Alberta. RESL and AESO (Alberta Electric System Operator) are still carrying out environmental assessments of 2 projects. They currently have 170 Mw under development, but we do not have any additional details on these developments.
RESL is looking for significant investors and are apparently in talks with one or more entities but would not provide any additional details. They are also interested in investment and the Equity Tax Credit is still available for individuals who invest from Nova Scotia.
At this point the company made no reference to going public in the near future.
Scotian WindFields Inc (SWFI)
SWFI now has one "inside the fence" up and running. This is at the Porter's Lake Superstore. It is expected that another one should be announced soon.
In June Scotian WindFields launched Carbon Services Division.
In 2008, Scotian WindFields bought Doctor Solar to help expand into the solar energy industry. Doctor Solar has more than 20 years of experience installing solar thermal systems in Nova Scotia, and was a perfect fit to the community based Scotian WindFields team.
SWIFI considered a merger earlier in the year which promised to bring more financial resources to the Digby Neck project. The merger did not take place but talks are ongoing.
As with RESL, financing is proving to be more difficult in these hard economic times for everyone.
Services SWFI currently provide include:
Utility Wind: bidding on grid scale development in the 30 to 40 MW range as suppliers to Nova Scotia Power Inc.
Embedded Generation: developing 'inside the fence' projects to service commercial retailers, industrial applications, and institutional facilities.
Small Wind: providing turnkey packages to homeowners and small businesses with alternative energy solutions, as well as the tools to reduce their carbon footprint.
Solar: working with clients to provide turnkey solar solutions in hot water heating and photovoltaic applications.
In conclusion, The Bay has been busy looking out for the best interests of our shareholders. We aspire to continue investing in select projects whereby we expect to generate future financial gain to our shareholders while making the environment a more sustainable and energy efficient place. Thank you very much. Alain Belliveau President - The Bay WindField
Labels:
Nova Scotia wind turbines
World Photovoltaics Conference and Expo
From seopressreleases
Nashua, NH, December 29, 2009 — The conference program for the Photovoltaics World Conference & Expo, to be held February 23-25, 2010 in Austin, Texas, has been finalized. Recent advances in photovoltaics technology and manufacturing processes will be addressed, as well as emerging applications for photovoltaic-based solar power generation systems. Information will be presented in two different tracks and seven sessions over a three-day program. The conference will be held in conjunction with PennWell’s Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, which covers all forms of renewable energy, including the wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal, ocean/tidal/wave, bio-power, bio-fuels hydrogen and energy sectors. Nearly 4,000 renewable energy power professionals attended the 2009 conference, and strong growth in 2010 is expected.
“I’m delighted that we are able to present such a strong conference program on photovoltaics that covers not only new manufacturing technologies, but strategic market and policy concerns,” said Pete Singer, Editor-in-Chief of Photovoltaics World and program committee chair. Photovoltaics World, launched in 2009, is the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group and the Renewable Energy World Network. Through its magazine, website and e-newsletters, Photovoltaics World covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation.
Opportunities in the photovoltaics (PV) market in 2010 remain strong according to analysts. “Utilities and home-owners are increasingly interested in PV systems and large utility ecosystem partners, such as construction and merchant power generation firms, are looking into photovoltaics,” said Alfonso Velosa, Research Director, Semiconductors, Gartner, Tucson, AZ. Dave Cavanaugh, Senior Analyst, Pike Research, Boulder, CO, is also positive: “Led by a strong recovery of demand in Germany and burgeoning growth in Italy, Japan and the United States, we are forecasting that demand for solar modules in 2010 will grow by 43% to reach almost 6.8GW. This offers great news to a solar industry whose market demand as little as two quarters ago was looking dismal.”
Still, there is some degree of uncertainty about how the PV market will be impacted by the stability of the global economy, the fate of government incentives, feed-in-tariff (FIT) restructuring, and overall sliding module prices. Another uncertainty is which of the many different types of competing photovoltaic technologies will emerge as the winner. Conventional crystalline silicon PV technology remains the market leader, but thin-film technologies are rapidly improving and are poised to gain in market share, particularly in the U.S. Organic photovoltaics (PV on plastic substrates) have also shown dramatic improvements of late, and are an ideal choice for some applications.
These and other critical issues will be addressed at the Photovoltaics World Conference. Conference sessions include:
New Frontiers in Photovoltaics Manufacturing: A variety of competing technologies are now being investigated or deployed for photovoltaics/solar cell manufacturing. This session looks at some of the recent advances in these technologies, ranging from simple silicon, to III-V and IV materials. Challenges of photovoltaic cell reliability will be addressed, including that of thin films, crystalline silicon and concentrator PV technologies. New developments in holographic solar concentrators will also be presented, as will new developments in integrated photovoltaic combined thermal systems.
Advances in Photovoltaic Materials: The range of candidate biomass feedstocks (e.g. algae) which have the attributes for success is expanding and many of these will be compared and contrasted. Recent, high-impact innovations that enable the use of these feedstocks will be presented.
PV Manufacturing Process Technologies: Photovoltaics manufacturing technology has moved into high volume, with throughput reaching 3000 substrates per hour or more. Development of new processes continues, however, in order to obtain higher cell efficiency, higher tool throughput and reduced cost-of-ownership. This session will examine a variety of new process techniques, including surface texturing, atmospheric surface modification, bulk analysis of trace impurities and dopants, and fluorinated elastomer seals.
Photovoltaics - The Quest for Grid Parity Track: One of the main drivers in photovoltaic solar cell technology is the goal of reducing the cost of the power generated to be equivalent to or less than that provided by conventional technologies. This so-called grid parity is usually considered to be about $1/Watt at peak times. This session will take a broad look at what can impact the cost of PV.
Photovoltaics in Practice: Photovoltaic systems have been in use for more than 20 years but are now being implemented in a wide variety of configurations, from building-integrated PV to solar farms and rooftop installations on homes and businesses. This session will look at PV’s role in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) efforts, provide an engineering and financial analysis of installing a solar power system on a residential house, a sizing method for security PV systems, a report on the new Net Zero neighborhoods plans, and recent progress in PV sun tracking systems.
Panel Discussion on DC-DC Optimization: This panel session will consist of representatives of two manufacturers of optimizer products, a non-panel manufacturing integrator/operator, and a major panel manufacturer. Likely discussion topics include: the technology itself; the factors behind the proposed economic feasibility of the technology; likely context of use and scale; and factors concerning the eventual marriage of the technology with other components, most notably the panels.
Solar-oriented solar sessions are also scheduled as part of the general Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, including PV case studies and applications, solar energy market trends and CSP near-term solutions.
More details on the conference, including speakers, registration information, keynote talks, technical tours, networking breakfasts, and conference hours, can be found at http://www.pvworldevent.com.
About Photovoltaics World
Photovoltaics World, the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group, covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation. Our coverage focuses on solar cell design and manufacture, including cells made of multi-, mono- and nano-crystalline silicon, amorphous thin-film silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide (CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and GaAs. Multijunction cells and concentrator technology are also covered.
About PennWell Corporation
PennWell Corporation is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following global industries: oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiber optics, information technology, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters and conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents. In addition to PennWell’s headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China. (http://www.pennwell.com)
Nashua, NH, December 29, 2009 — The conference program for the Photovoltaics World Conference & Expo, to be held February 23-25, 2010 in Austin, Texas, has been finalized. Recent advances in photovoltaics technology and manufacturing processes will be addressed, as well as emerging applications for photovoltaic-based solar power generation systems. Information will be presented in two different tracks and seven sessions over a three-day program. The conference will be held in conjunction with PennWell’s Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, which covers all forms of renewable energy, including the wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal, ocean/tidal/wave, bio-power, bio-fuels hydrogen and energy sectors. Nearly 4,000 renewable energy power professionals attended the 2009 conference, and strong growth in 2010 is expected.
“I’m delighted that we are able to present such a strong conference program on photovoltaics that covers not only new manufacturing technologies, but strategic market and policy concerns,” said Pete Singer, Editor-in-Chief of Photovoltaics World and program committee chair. Photovoltaics World, launched in 2009, is the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group and the Renewable Energy World Network. Through its magazine, website and e-newsletters, Photovoltaics World covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation.
Opportunities in the photovoltaics (PV) market in 2010 remain strong according to analysts. “Utilities and home-owners are increasingly interested in PV systems and large utility ecosystem partners, such as construction and merchant power generation firms, are looking into photovoltaics,” said Alfonso Velosa, Research Director, Semiconductors, Gartner, Tucson, AZ. Dave Cavanaugh, Senior Analyst, Pike Research, Boulder, CO, is also positive: “Led by a strong recovery of demand in Germany and burgeoning growth in Italy, Japan and the United States, we are forecasting that demand for solar modules in 2010 will grow by 43% to reach almost 6.8GW. This offers great news to a solar industry whose market demand as little as two quarters ago was looking dismal.”
Still, there is some degree of uncertainty about how the PV market will be impacted by the stability of the global economy, the fate of government incentives, feed-in-tariff (FIT) restructuring, and overall sliding module prices. Another uncertainty is which of the many different types of competing photovoltaic technologies will emerge as the winner. Conventional crystalline silicon PV technology remains the market leader, but thin-film technologies are rapidly improving and are poised to gain in market share, particularly in the U.S. Organic photovoltaics (PV on plastic substrates) have also shown dramatic improvements of late, and are an ideal choice for some applications.
These and other critical issues will be addressed at the Photovoltaics World Conference. Conference sessions include:
New Frontiers in Photovoltaics Manufacturing: A variety of competing technologies are now being investigated or deployed for photovoltaics/solar cell manufacturing. This session looks at some of the recent advances in these technologies, ranging from simple silicon, to III-V and IV materials. Challenges of photovoltaic cell reliability will be addressed, including that of thin films, crystalline silicon and concentrator PV technologies. New developments in holographic solar concentrators will also be presented, as will new developments in integrated photovoltaic combined thermal systems.
Advances in Photovoltaic Materials: The range of candidate biomass feedstocks (e.g. algae) which have the attributes for success is expanding and many of these will be compared and contrasted. Recent, high-impact innovations that enable the use of these feedstocks will be presented.
PV Manufacturing Process Technologies: Photovoltaics manufacturing technology has moved into high volume, with throughput reaching 3000 substrates per hour or more. Development of new processes continues, however, in order to obtain higher cell efficiency, higher tool throughput and reduced cost-of-ownership. This session will examine a variety of new process techniques, including surface texturing, atmospheric surface modification, bulk analysis of trace impurities and dopants, and fluorinated elastomer seals.
Photovoltaics - The Quest for Grid Parity Track: One of the main drivers in photovoltaic solar cell technology is the goal of reducing the cost of the power generated to be equivalent to or less than that provided by conventional technologies. This so-called grid parity is usually considered to be about $1/Watt at peak times. This session will take a broad look at what can impact the cost of PV.
Photovoltaics in Practice: Photovoltaic systems have been in use for more than 20 years but are now being implemented in a wide variety of configurations, from building-integrated PV to solar farms and rooftop installations on homes and businesses. This session will look at PV’s role in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) efforts, provide an engineering and financial analysis of installing a solar power system on a residential house, a sizing method for security PV systems, a report on the new Net Zero neighborhoods plans, and recent progress in PV sun tracking systems.
Panel Discussion on DC-DC Optimization: This panel session will consist of representatives of two manufacturers of optimizer products, a non-panel manufacturing integrator/operator, and a major panel manufacturer. Likely discussion topics include: the technology itself; the factors behind the proposed economic feasibility of the technology; likely context of use and scale; and factors concerning the eventual marriage of the technology with other components, most notably the panels.
Solar-oriented solar sessions are also scheduled as part of the general Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, including PV case studies and applications, solar energy market trends and CSP near-term solutions.
More details on the conference, including speakers, registration information, keynote talks, technical tours, networking breakfasts, and conference hours, can be found at http://www.pvworldevent.com.
About Photovoltaics World
Photovoltaics World, the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group, covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation. Our coverage focuses on solar cell design and manufacture, including cells made of multi-, mono- and nano-crystalline silicon, amorphous thin-film silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide (CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and GaAs. Multijunction cells and concentrator technology are also covered.
About PennWell Corporation
PennWell Corporation is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following global industries: oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiber optics, information technology, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters and conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents. In addition to PennWell’s headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China. (http://www.pennwell.com)
Biomass and Diversity
From the Chronicle Herald
By CHRISTOPHER MAJKA
T
HERE is a growing con-
troversy in Nova Scotia
with respect to forest
biomass harvesting such
as that being conducted by
Northern Pulp Nova Scotia
Corporation in the Upper Mus-
qudoboit area.
Environmental groups such
as the Ecology Action Centre
have voiced concerns about the
impacts and sustainability of
whole tree harvesting. David
Wheeler, dean of Dalhousie
University's faculty of manage-
ment and leader of the prov-
ince's biomass consultation
team, has encouraged the Nova
Scotia government to consider
the option, if conducted to the
highest possible environmental
standards. Wheeler says bio-
mass could generate 15 per cent
of the province's renewable
energy. Unaddressed and unan-
swered in this debate is how
such forest harvesting practices
affect the biodiversity of forests.
Natural forests are highly
diverse environments that sup-
port an immense number of
plants and animals that interact
with one another. A biodiverse
I,)
forest shelters many species
and is a resilient ecosystem as a
result of this diversity. It func-
tions efficiently as a photosyn-
thetic engine that absorbs car-
bon dioxide, releases oxygen,
and recycles many essential
nutrients through the soil.
This fall, I completed a study
for the Nova Scotia Species at
Risk Conservation Fund in-
vestigating the saproxylic bee-
tles of Nova Scotia. "Saproxyl-
ic" refers to forest animals
responsible for the decomposi-
tion of wood. This research
revealed an astonishing diversi-
ty of such beetles - some 786
species, a third of all the beetles
found in the province. This does
not include foliage-feeding
species, ground beetles, or those
that feed on carrion.
Of the 786 species found, 269
(34 per cent) were placed in the
most vulnerable "may be at
risk" category. This ranking
reflected their limited distribu-
tion within the province, and
hence potential vulnerability to
disturbance. Furthermore,
studies offorest beetles, con-
ducted over the past decade by
myself and several colleagues,
have shown that 33 per cent of
saproxylic beetles are also ap-
parently very rare.
One reason for such apparent
scarcity may be the long history
offorest management practices
in the region. These have em-
phasized short-rotation, mono-
culture plantations, clearcut-
ting, the use of insecticides, and
the virtual elimination of old-
growth forests. Although 73 per
cent of Nova Scotia's land base
is forested,less than 0.6 per cent
of that is composed of old-
growth forests.
Saproxylic beetles live in and
depend on the full spectrum of
forest microhabitats. Some
inhabit rotten wood, old
stumps, fallen branches and
mossy logs. Others are found in
decaying boles of old trees, at
sap flows or in bark. Some are
cambium feeders, eating the
inner bark offallen logs,
branches or dying trees; others
feed on the wood itself.
Ambrosia beetles excavate
galleries under the bark which
they then inoculate with fungal
spores, feeding on the mildews
that subsequently grow. Bracket
fungi, which grow on decaying
wood, are the food source and
home to a large diversity of
beetles. These beetles are, in
turn, fed upon by many forest
denizens such as woodpeckers.
These diverse natural micro-
habitats supply the conditions
and environment that allow
such beetles to thrive. An area
completely denuded of dead
wood for biomass harvesting, or
where only wood chips or shav-
ings cover the soil, is very dif-
ferent. It is not suitable for the
vast majority of saproxylic
beetles to survive in. The re-
moval of all dead wood, logs,
stumps and branches dramat-
ically alters the habitat. Such
concerns apply to both clear-
cutting and biomass harvesting.
Recent research on the West
Coast has shown it can take 100
years for the woody debris in a
forest to stabilize after a clear-
cut, and that fungi, which many
saproxylic beetles depend on,
declines up to 97 per cent in
clearcut areas.
Other concerns aside, if we
wish to protect the biodiversity
offorests in Nova Scotia, and
ensure that they function as
vibrant ecological environ-
ments, we need to cultivate
forest management practices
that are much more selective in
their impact, and preserve fea-
tures of the natural environ-
ment. Old stands need to be
spared,large clearcuts should
be avoided, corridors or clumps
of trees should remain where
forest species can survive and
disperse from, and dead wood -
not chips or shavings - needs
to be left on the ground.
My research on the forest
beetles of Nova Scotia indicates
there are reasons to be appre-
hensive about the consequences
of clearcutting and biomass
harvesting, particularly since
many beetles in the province
appear to be clinging precari-
ously to their existence. A 2004
study issued by the World Wild-
life Fund, called Deadwood -
Living Forests, noted that
"standing dead or dying trees,
fallen logs, and branches form
one of the most important - yet
often unrecognized - habitats
for biodiversity." In Nova Sco-
tia, we need to heed this lesson,
and not only let the tree fall in
the forest, but let it stay.
Christopher Majka is a biologist who
conducts research on the ecology and
biodiversity of beetles in Atlantic
Canada.
r
By CHRISTOPHER MAJKA
T
HERE is a growing con-
troversy in Nova Scotia
with respect to forest
biomass harvesting such
as that being conducted by
Northern Pulp Nova Scotia
Corporation in the Upper Mus-
qudoboit area.
Environmental groups such
as the Ecology Action Centre
have voiced concerns about the
impacts and sustainability of
whole tree harvesting. David
Wheeler, dean of Dalhousie
University's faculty of manage-
ment and leader of the prov-
ince's biomass consultation
team, has encouraged the Nova
Scotia government to consider
the option, if conducted to the
highest possible environmental
standards. Wheeler says bio-
mass could generate 15 per cent
of the province's renewable
energy. Unaddressed and unan-
swered in this debate is how
such forest harvesting practices
affect the biodiversity of forests.
Natural forests are highly
diverse environments that sup-
port an immense number of
plants and animals that interact
with one another. A biodiverse
I,)
forest shelters many species
and is a resilient ecosystem as a
result of this diversity. It func-
tions efficiently as a photosyn-
thetic engine that absorbs car-
bon dioxide, releases oxygen,
and recycles many essential
nutrients through the soil.
This fall, I completed a study
for the Nova Scotia Species at
Risk Conservation Fund in-
vestigating the saproxylic bee-
tles of Nova Scotia. "Saproxyl-
ic" refers to forest animals
responsible for the decomposi-
tion of wood. This research
revealed an astonishing diversi-
ty of such beetles - some 786
species, a third of all the beetles
found in the province. This does
not include foliage-feeding
species, ground beetles, or those
that feed on carrion.
Of the 786 species found, 269
(34 per cent) were placed in the
most vulnerable "may be at
risk" category. This ranking
reflected their limited distribu-
tion within the province, and
hence potential vulnerability to
disturbance. Furthermore,
studies offorest beetles, con-
ducted over the past decade by
myself and several colleagues,
have shown that 33 per cent of
saproxylic beetles are also ap-
parently very rare.
One reason for such apparent
scarcity may be the long history
offorest management practices
in the region. These have em-
phasized short-rotation, mono-
culture plantations, clearcut-
ting, the use of insecticides, and
the virtual elimination of old-
growth forests. Although 73 per
cent of Nova Scotia's land base
is forested,less than 0.6 per cent
of that is composed of old-
growth forests.
Saproxylic beetles live in and
depend on the full spectrum of
forest microhabitats. Some
inhabit rotten wood, old
stumps, fallen branches and
mossy logs. Others are found in
decaying boles of old trees, at
sap flows or in bark. Some are
cambium feeders, eating the
inner bark offallen logs,
branches or dying trees; others
feed on the wood itself.
Ambrosia beetles excavate
galleries under the bark which
they then inoculate with fungal
spores, feeding on the mildews
that subsequently grow. Bracket
fungi, which grow on decaying
wood, are the food source and
home to a large diversity of
beetles. These beetles are, in
turn, fed upon by many forest
denizens such as woodpeckers.
These diverse natural micro-
habitats supply the conditions
and environment that allow
such beetles to thrive. An area
completely denuded of dead
wood for biomass harvesting, or
where only wood chips or shav-
ings cover the soil, is very dif-
ferent. It is not suitable for the
vast majority of saproxylic
beetles to survive in. The re-
moval of all dead wood, logs,
stumps and branches dramat-
ically alters the habitat. Such
concerns apply to both clear-
cutting and biomass harvesting.
Recent research on the West
Coast has shown it can take 100
years for the woody debris in a
forest to stabilize after a clear-
cut, and that fungi, which many
saproxylic beetles depend on,
declines up to 97 per cent in
clearcut areas.
Other concerns aside, if we
wish to protect the biodiversity
offorests in Nova Scotia, and
ensure that they function as
vibrant ecological environ-
ments, we need to cultivate
forest management practices
that are much more selective in
their impact, and preserve fea-
tures of the natural environ-
ment. Old stands need to be
spared,large clearcuts should
be avoided, corridors or clumps
of trees should remain where
forest species can survive and
disperse from, and dead wood -
not chips or shavings - needs
to be left on the ground.
My research on the forest
beetles of Nova Scotia indicates
there are reasons to be appre-
hensive about the consequences
of clearcutting and biomass
harvesting, particularly since
many beetles in the province
appear to be clinging precari-
ously to their existence. A 2004
study issued by the World Wild-
life Fund, called Deadwood -
Living Forests, noted that
"standing dead or dying trees,
fallen logs, and branches form
one of the most important - yet
often unrecognized - habitats
for biodiversity." In Nova Sco-
tia, we need to heed this lesson,
and not only let the tree fall in
the forest, but let it stay.
Christopher Majka is a biologist who
conducts research on the ecology and
biodiversity of beetles in Atlantic
Canada.
r
Monday, December 28, 2009
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia
Update from Eastlink
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia Home
Project and Service Updates
FAQ's
System Requirements
Zone Map
Check Availability in your area
Technology and Installation Steps
EastLink is on target to provide 100% coverage to its service areas in Zones 5 and 6.
This past summer, EastLink wrapped up a series of well attended public meetings in each of the counties where EastLink representatives shared information and answered questions about the construction and commissioning (connecting) of sites and telecommunications towers.
While the project completion date has moved, we remain on target to provide 100% coverage in our service areas (Zones 5 and 6). We expect that almost 30 of our sites will be connected and serviceable by the end of the year with the remaining sites expected to be connected between January 2010 and May 2010.
We are currently in negotiations with Rogers and Allstream on co-location towers.
Zones 5 and 6: Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby, Annapolis, Kings, Hants
.
Service Launch Update
Service launch is planned for the end of December 2009 in the following areas:
The following outlines how many sites are constructed by county (column a) and how many will be serviceable, by county, by the end of December, 2009 (column b).
(a)
(b)
Lunenburg
12
2
Baker Settlement
Italy Cross
Queens
10
7
Broham Road
Granite Village
Meagher
Molega
North Bookfield
Port Joli
Wellington
Shelburne
7
5
East Sable River
Lower SandyPoint
Middle Ohio
Mikes Point
Shelburne Annapolis Road
Yarmouth
6
3
East Kemptville
Moody's Corner
Tusket Falls
Digby
9
2
Landsdowne
Morganville
Annapolis
12
5
Hannamville
Keji
Nictaux
Stronach Mountain
Trout Lake
Kings
6
5
Aylesford Mountain
Harbourville
Lake George
Lake View
Whites Corner
Hants
6
0
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia Home
Project and Service Updates
FAQ's
System Requirements
Zone Map
Check Availability in your area
Technology and Installation Steps
EastLink is on target to provide 100% coverage to its service areas in Zones 5 and 6.
This past summer, EastLink wrapped up a series of well attended public meetings in each of the counties where EastLink representatives shared information and answered questions about the construction and commissioning (connecting) of sites and telecommunications towers.
While the project completion date has moved, we remain on target to provide 100% coverage in our service areas (Zones 5 and 6). We expect that almost 30 of our sites will be connected and serviceable by the end of the year with the remaining sites expected to be connected between January 2010 and May 2010.
We are currently in negotiations with Rogers and Allstream on co-location towers.
Zones 5 and 6: Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby, Annapolis, Kings, Hants
.
Service Launch Update
Service launch is planned for the end of December 2009 in the following areas:
The following outlines how many sites are constructed by county (column a) and how many will be serviceable, by county, by the end of December, 2009 (column b).
(a)
(b)
Lunenburg
12
2
Baker Settlement
Italy Cross
Queens
10
7
Broham Road
Granite Village
Meagher
Molega
North Bookfield
Port Joli
Wellington
Shelburne
7
5
East Sable River
Lower SandyPoint
Middle Ohio
Mikes Point
Shelburne Annapolis Road
Yarmouth
6
3
East Kemptville
Moody's Corner
Tusket Falls
Digby
9
2
Landsdowne
Morganville
Annapolis
12
5
Hannamville
Keji
Nictaux
Stronach Mountain
Trout Lake
Kings
6
5
Aylesford Mountain
Harbourville
Lake George
Lake View
Whites Corner
Hants
6
0
Labels:
rural Nova Scotia broadband
187 ton Windmill Collapses
From the Observer-Dispatch
By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 27, 2009 @ 07:41 PM
Last update Dec 28, 2009 @ 12:03 PM
FENNER — A wind turbine weighing nearly 190 tons collapsed early Sunday morning in rural Madison County , leaving experts stumped as to what could have brought down the towering structure.
The windmill, located on Buyea Road in Fenner, northeast of Cazenovia and several miles south of Canastota, fell into a cornfield at about 4 a.m., shutting down the 19 other turbines in the wind farm operated by Enel North America, officials said.
No one was injured.
It was the first time the company had seen one of its turbines topple.
“This is just not an everyday occurrence,” Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. “I'd rather wait until we have a chance to investigate rather than speculating as to what could have happened.”
However, Sennott said he doesn't believe sabotage occurred. He also said he doesn't believe the force of the wind could have knocked over the turbine, which soared more than 200 feet above the town's rolling countryside. But he would not answer questions about what possibilities the company is considering for the cause of the collapse.
Buyea Road resident David Kalenak said the crumpled remains of the wind turbine attracted hundreds of onlookers throughout the day on the rural road, which usually sees just one or two cars each hour.
“I think a couple of my neighbors are a little nervous,” said Kalenak, who didn't hear the crash. “This one was in a field, but others are in the line of homes.”
The turbine was one of 20 erected at Fenner Wind Farm in 2001. The farm's turbines produce enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, Sennott said.
Wind turbines have become an increasingly common feature of the Central New York landscape. In Lewis and Madison counties, there are five established projects, most along U.S. Route 20 or in the Lowville area.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York's electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Fenner town Supervisor Russell Cary he was shocked by the incident, but didn't think it should spark cause for concern.
“I think it's a freak thing,” said Cary, who noted he fielded calls from concerned residents throughout the day.
“This isn't something that normally happens,” he said. “It's been an exciting day.”
Sennott said the company is not concerned about the possibility of another turbine collapsing. Instead, he said, the company's efforts will be directed toward securing the site of the crash and discovering what caused it.
Safety fencing was erected around the site of the crash Sunday night, and company workers planned to stand guard to ensure no one would be able to remove debris from the site. The company plans to hire security officers in the coming days to protect the site.
Replacing the turbine would likely cost between $2 million and $3 million, but it's not likely a replacement turbine would be installed immediately, Sennott said.
“It's not like we have an extra one of these things sitting in the backyard,” Sennott said.
By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 27, 2009 @ 07:41 PM
Last update Dec 28, 2009 @ 12:03 PM
FENNER — A wind turbine weighing nearly 190 tons collapsed early Sunday morning in rural Madison County , leaving experts stumped as to what could have brought down the towering structure.
The windmill, located on Buyea Road in Fenner, northeast of Cazenovia and several miles south of Canastota, fell into a cornfield at about 4 a.m., shutting down the 19 other turbines in the wind farm operated by Enel North America, officials said.
No one was injured.
It was the first time the company had seen one of its turbines topple.
“This is just not an everyday occurrence,” Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. “I'd rather wait until we have a chance to investigate rather than speculating as to what could have happened.”
However, Sennott said he doesn't believe sabotage occurred. He also said he doesn't believe the force of the wind could have knocked over the turbine, which soared more than 200 feet above the town's rolling countryside. But he would not answer questions about what possibilities the company is considering for the cause of the collapse.
Buyea Road resident David Kalenak said the crumpled remains of the wind turbine attracted hundreds of onlookers throughout the day on the rural road, which usually sees just one or two cars each hour.
“I think a couple of my neighbors are a little nervous,” said Kalenak, who didn't hear the crash. “This one was in a field, but others are in the line of homes.”
The turbine was one of 20 erected at Fenner Wind Farm in 2001. The farm's turbines produce enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, Sennott said.
Wind turbines have become an increasingly common feature of the Central New York landscape. In Lewis and Madison counties, there are five established projects, most along U.S. Route 20 or in the Lowville area.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York's electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Fenner town Supervisor Russell Cary he was shocked by the incident, but didn't think it should spark cause for concern.
“I think it's a freak thing,” said Cary, who noted he fielded calls from concerned residents throughout the day.
“This isn't something that normally happens,” he said. “It's been an exciting day.”
Sennott said the company is not concerned about the possibility of another turbine collapsing. Instead, he said, the company's efforts will be directed toward securing the site of the crash and discovering what caused it.
Safety fencing was erected around the site of the crash Sunday night, and company workers planned to stand guard to ensure no one would be able to remove debris from the site. The company plans to hire security officers in the coming days to protect the site.
Replacing the turbine would likely cost between $2 million and $3 million, but it's not likely a replacement turbine would be installed immediately, Sennott said.
“It's not like we have an extra one of these things sitting in the backyard,” Sennott said.
Digby Area Events and Listings
From ADEDA
THE HISTORIC GARDENS
An annual membership makes a great (and value-packed) gift anytime of the year. And make sure to save this date … Saturday, May 29 for the 2010 Spring Gala & Auction in support of the Historic Gardens!
SISSIBOO COFFEE ROASTER
Creative entrepreneurs Jon Welch and partner Erin have set up shop in Bear River offering a variety of organic coffee beans that are roasted on-site in small, flavourful batches! Their renovated Rebekah building also houses an amazing concert space, bicycle repair shop and art gallery.
TIMOTHY HARPS
Having relocated from Ontario, Timothy Habinski is a world-renowned harp luthier — one of only six full-time makers in Canada — who has now set up shop in Bridgetown.
VINTAGE VACATIONS
Designer/craftsman Craig Dorsey, newly arrived to Annapolis Digby from southern California, restores classic trailers for celebrities and travel buffs alike!
TAMRA DORSEY DESIGNS
A gifted designer in her own right, Tamra Dorsey brings a wealth of graphic design talent to our region, holding an impressive portfolio that includes branding, advertising and packaging work. Check it out!
DIGBY AREA TOURISM ASSOCIATION
A must-view for anyone planning a trip to the Digby area, and a great reference site for all our tourism operators and retailers to share with visitors!
Remember, there’s always something new at annapolisdigby.com.
THE HISTORIC GARDENS
An annual membership makes a great (and value-packed) gift anytime of the year. And make sure to save this date … Saturday, May 29 for the 2010 Spring Gala & Auction in support of the Historic Gardens!
SISSIBOO COFFEE ROASTER
Creative entrepreneurs Jon Welch and partner Erin have set up shop in Bear River offering a variety of organic coffee beans that are roasted on-site in small, flavourful batches! Their renovated Rebekah building also houses an amazing concert space, bicycle repair shop and art gallery.
TIMOTHY HARPS
Having relocated from Ontario, Timothy Habinski is a world-renowned harp luthier — one of only six full-time makers in Canada — who has now set up shop in Bridgetown.
VINTAGE VACATIONS
Designer/craftsman Craig Dorsey, newly arrived to Annapolis Digby from southern California, restores classic trailers for celebrities and travel buffs alike!
TAMRA DORSEY DESIGNS
A gifted designer in her own right, Tamra Dorsey brings a wealth of graphic design talent to our region, holding an impressive portfolio that includes branding, advertising and packaging work. Check it out!
DIGBY AREA TOURISM ASSOCIATION
A must-view for anyone planning a trip to the Digby area, and a great reference site for all our tourism operators and retailers to share with visitors!
Remember, there’s always something new at annapolisdigby.com.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Are Your Area Turbines Old or New in Design?
Blogger's Note: Are your area politicians planning to install old design turbines?
Also note the reference to not installing turbines in migratory bird pathways or areas with large bird populations, and, I would add an area noted for rare bird species.
from howstuffworks
The Problem with Wind Turbines
It's easy to see why wind turbines are at least potentially hazardous for birds: Massive blades with tips spinning at up to 179 mph (80 meters per second), hundreds of feet (at least 30 meters) in the air, are an obvious problem for anything flying near them [source: MIT]. The fact is, birds do fly into the path of the blades and die a grisly death. Most of the affected birds are songbirds, and about 10 percent are birds of prey like raptors [source: ABC]. It's the raptors that started all the protests, when hundreds of carcasses were found strewn across Northern California's Altamont Pass wind farm.
Phil Schermeister/National Geographic/Getty Images
The Altamont Pass in California is known for its outdated turbines and high avian mortality rate.
Bird conservationists took great interest, and the misconception that wind turbines pose a major threat to bird populations grew from there. By applying the mortality rates at Altamont Pass to every wind farm in the United States, the bird-mortality figures became extremely inflated. In fact, Altamont Pass is a unique case of a wind farm that is truly a significant hazard to birds.
Altamont Pass is different for two main reasons: turbine location and turbine design.
There are more than 4,000 wind turbines at the Altamont Pass energy farm in California. It's one of the first wind farms in the United States, and its 20-year-old turbines are accordingly out-of-date. Their design has long since been abandoned: Latticework blades with small surface area are far from efficient for energy generation, and far from safe for birds. The lattice structure actually attracts large birds, because the frame makes for an excellent perch. Large birds like raptors are drawn to the blades, and collision rates are high as a result.
The other design issue is the blades' low surface area, because less surface area means the blades have to spin faster to turn the electricity-generating turbines. The faster the blades spin, the more dangerous they are to birds flying near them. It's unlikely that a bird that finds itself in the vicinity of the blades could ever make it through when they're spinning so fast.
As if this weren't enough to make old wind farms a bird nightmare, the Altamont Pass power plant was built smack dab in the middle of a major migratory route for large birds. The area also houses the world's largest single population of golden eagles [source: USA Today]. With thousands of dated wind turbines sprawling across a super-high-population bird area, it's inevitable that birds and turbines will meet. A current estimate puts the number of birds killed by turbines at Altamont Pass to be about 4,700 each year, several hundred of which are raptors [source: USA Today].
The Altamont Pass wind farm kills far more birds than any other farm in the United States. The total at that single wind farm with 4,000 turbines is 4,700 fatalities; the total for all wind farms in the United States, with more than 25,000 turbines in operation at any given time, is 10,000 to 40,000 per year [source: Reuters].
Even though up to 1 billion birds die each year by flying into windows, no one is brushing off the tens of thousands of turbine-related deaths every year. So what are we doing to lower that number? On the next page, we'll see what changes are being implemented to save the birds.
Location, Location and Surface Area
In the past couple of decades, turbine designs have changed dramatically. Turbine blades are now solid, meaning no lattice structure to attract birds looking to perch. Also, the blades' surface area is much larger, so they don't have to spin as fast to generate power. Slower-moving blades mean fewer bird collisions.
Frank Whitney/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
Newer turbines, like those on Tug Hill in New York, have a larger surface area and cause fewer bird deaths.
Perhaps the biggest change in wind-farm safety, though, has to do with location. Now, all new turbine proposals are reviewed for ideal, bird-friendly placement. Wind farms cannot be built in migratory pathways, in areas with high bird populations, or in areas with special features that could possibly attract high bird populations in the future. Also, the growing trend toward offshore turbine construction bodes well for birds, since offshore wind farms have fewer bird collisions than land-based farms.
Possibly the greatest indicator that wind turbines are not, in fact, bird-o-matics, is the growing number of endorsements by bird conservation groups. The American Bird Conservancy supports wind power with the caveat that bird-friendly placement and design be primary factors in construction [source: ABC]. The Wisconsin Bird Initiative states that wind turbines have a "low impact" on avian mortality compared to window glass and communication towers [source: WBCI]. And in 2006, the Audubon Society gave its figurative seal of approval to the American Wind Energy Association. The president of the national organization is quoted by Renewable Energy World as stating, "When you look at a wind turbine, you can find the bird carcasses and count them. With a coal-fired power plant, you can't count the carcasses, but it's going to kill a lot more birds" [source: REW].
Of course, zero turbine-related bird deaths would be the best-case scenario, but as far as energy production goes, that seems to be an unrealistic goal. The best we can hope for is smarter placement of wind turbines and more bird-friendly design in order to further reduce the number of bird deaths resulting from one of the best alternative energy sources available right now. Altamont Pass, for its part, is in the process of slowly replacing its turbines with newer models.
Also note the reference to not installing turbines in migratory bird pathways or areas with large bird populations, and, I would add an area noted for rare bird species.
from howstuffworks
The Problem with Wind Turbines
It's easy to see why wind turbines are at least potentially hazardous for birds: Massive blades with tips spinning at up to 179 mph (80 meters per second), hundreds of feet (at least 30 meters) in the air, are an obvious problem for anything flying near them [source: MIT]. The fact is, birds do fly into the path of the blades and die a grisly death. Most of the affected birds are songbirds, and about 10 percent are birds of prey like raptors [source: ABC]. It's the raptors that started all the protests, when hundreds of carcasses were found strewn across Northern California's Altamont Pass wind farm.
Phil Schermeister/National Geographic/Getty Images
The Altamont Pass in California is known for its outdated turbines and high avian mortality rate.
Bird conservationists took great interest, and the misconception that wind turbines pose a major threat to bird populations grew from there. By applying the mortality rates at Altamont Pass to every wind farm in the United States, the bird-mortality figures became extremely inflated. In fact, Altamont Pass is a unique case of a wind farm that is truly a significant hazard to birds.
Altamont Pass is different for two main reasons: turbine location and turbine design.
There are more than 4,000 wind turbines at the Altamont Pass energy farm in California. It's one of the first wind farms in the United States, and its 20-year-old turbines are accordingly out-of-date. Their design has long since been abandoned: Latticework blades with small surface area are far from efficient for energy generation, and far from safe for birds. The lattice structure actually attracts large birds, because the frame makes for an excellent perch. Large birds like raptors are drawn to the blades, and collision rates are high as a result.
The other design issue is the blades' low surface area, because less surface area means the blades have to spin faster to turn the electricity-generating turbines. The faster the blades spin, the more dangerous they are to birds flying near them. It's unlikely that a bird that finds itself in the vicinity of the blades could ever make it through when they're spinning so fast.
As if this weren't enough to make old wind farms a bird nightmare, the Altamont Pass power plant was built smack dab in the middle of a major migratory route for large birds. The area also houses the world's largest single population of golden eagles [source: USA Today]. With thousands of dated wind turbines sprawling across a super-high-population bird area, it's inevitable that birds and turbines will meet. A current estimate puts the number of birds killed by turbines at Altamont Pass to be about 4,700 each year, several hundred of which are raptors [source: USA Today].
The Altamont Pass wind farm kills far more birds than any other farm in the United States. The total at that single wind farm with 4,000 turbines is 4,700 fatalities; the total for all wind farms in the United States, with more than 25,000 turbines in operation at any given time, is 10,000 to 40,000 per year [source: Reuters].
Even though up to 1 billion birds die each year by flying into windows, no one is brushing off the tens of thousands of turbine-related deaths every year. So what are we doing to lower that number? On the next page, we'll see what changes are being implemented to save the birds.
Location, Location and Surface Area
In the past couple of decades, turbine designs have changed dramatically. Turbine blades are now solid, meaning no lattice structure to attract birds looking to perch. Also, the blades' surface area is much larger, so they don't have to spin as fast to generate power. Slower-moving blades mean fewer bird collisions.
Frank Whitney/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
Newer turbines, like those on Tug Hill in New York, have a larger surface area and cause fewer bird deaths.
Perhaps the biggest change in wind-farm safety, though, has to do with location. Now, all new turbine proposals are reviewed for ideal, bird-friendly placement. Wind farms cannot be built in migratory pathways, in areas with high bird populations, or in areas with special features that could possibly attract high bird populations in the future. Also, the growing trend toward offshore turbine construction bodes well for birds, since offshore wind farms have fewer bird collisions than land-based farms.
Possibly the greatest indicator that wind turbines are not, in fact, bird-o-matics, is the growing number of endorsements by bird conservation groups. The American Bird Conservancy supports wind power with the caveat that bird-friendly placement and design be primary factors in construction [source: ABC]. The Wisconsin Bird Initiative states that wind turbines have a "low impact" on avian mortality compared to window glass and communication towers [source: WBCI]. And in 2006, the Audubon Society gave its figurative seal of approval to the American Wind Energy Association. The president of the national organization is quoted by Renewable Energy World as stating, "When you look at a wind turbine, you can find the bird carcasses and count them. With a coal-fired power plant, you can't count the carcasses, but it's going to kill a lot more birds" [source: REW].
Of course, zero turbine-related bird deaths would be the best-case scenario, but as far as energy production goes, that seems to be an unrealistic goal. The best we can hope for is smarter placement of wind turbines and more bird-friendly design in order to further reduce the number of bird deaths resulting from one of the best alternative energy sources available right now. Altamont Pass, for its part, is in the process of slowly replacing its turbines with newer models.
BEFORE Wind Turbines Are Allowed...
From theindependant.com
With development up, area counties add wind power regulations
By Mark Coddington
mark.coddington@theindependent.com
Published: Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:15 PM CST
As two Central Nebraska counties prepare for proposed commercial wind farms, several others are adding zoning regulations to cover wind turbines.
Most of the counties have not been approached by private wind developers like the ones who are planning wind farms near Petersburg in Boone County and Broken Bow in Custer County, though they have had residents ask about installing small-scale wind turbines.
The new regulations are being driven instead by a desire to be prepared should significant requests for wind development arrive.
"It looks like it's a trend that's going to be moving forward," said Jerry Hoegh, chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, which passed regulations earlier this month. "And we just want to be ready for it when our citizens approach us about it."
Hamilton County's new regulations cover only small-scale wind projects of fewer than 100 kilowatts. North of Grand Island, Valley and Wheeler counties have passed regulations this fall encompassing both small-scale and commercial wind development, and Sherman County is working on regulations for both, as well.
Orval Stahr, who runs the York zoning consulting firm Stahr and Associates, said he has worked with about a half-dozen counties on wind regulations within the past year, including Valley, Wheeler and Sherman counties.
Stahr said counties' interest in regulating wind power picked up after two events last spring.
First, the state's first commercially developed wind project, Elkhorn Ridge near Bloomfield in northeast Nebraska, went online in March.
Second, the state Legislature passed a bill in May enabling net metering, which allows residents who generate their own power to sell the excess back to public utilities.
That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be seeing small wind turbines dotting the countryside anytime soon, Stahr said.
"I honestly don't think we're going to see a lot of small units," Stahr said. "At today's cost and efficiency, it just doesn't make a lot of sense."
Still, counties are interested in making sure that if that small-scale wind power develops, they have a handle on it.
"We just kind of want to be prepared instead of waiting until people are already doing something," said Dan Hruza, zoning administrator in Valley and Wheeler counties, as well as Garfield County, which hasn't looked at wind regulations yet.
Stahr said two of the most important issues in regulations are the beating that county roads take when the turbine equipment is driven into the county and the turbines' decommissioning years down the road.
He recommends that counties require that commercial developers have an arrangement with city or county roads officials about where they are allowed to drive as part of a conditional-use permit process.
Regulations on decommissioning are intended to prevent turbines from turning into an eyesore once their useful life is past, though Stahr said he's not sure that county zoning departments have the power to demand a surety in case the turbines aren't cleaned up properly.
Several zoning administrators said another of their primary concerns is setback distances from both residences and others' property.
Those regulations are intended to keep the turbines' noise away from residents and to ensure that if they fall down, they land only on their owners' property.
Sherman County Zoning Administrator Marie Fredrick said her county is looking at basing the setbacks on the length of the blade, rather than the length of the entire tower, to allow turbines to be placed on pivot corners in fields.
Sherman County held a public hearing Monday on its proposed regulations with Stahr present. No members of the public showed up.
That's been typical of the public response (or lack thereof) in many counties, Stahr said, since the regulations are dealing with hypothetical situations at this point.
Hamilton County Zoning Administrator Darla Svoboda said she hopes that once those hypotheticals turn into actual cases, the county will have the ability to tweak the regulations to make sure they work, especially since it's an area of zoning the county has never dealt with.
"This is all new, and we're not sure that we're covering everything," Svoboda said. "It may be that we'll take a look at it and decide that we're including something that didn't work that well for that particular issue. ... It's kind of a trial and error process."
With development up, area counties add wind power regulations
By Mark Coddington
mark.coddington@theindependent.com
Published: Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:15 PM CST
As two Central Nebraska counties prepare for proposed commercial wind farms, several others are adding zoning regulations to cover wind turbines.
Most of the counties have not been approached by private wind developers like the ones who are planning wind farms near Petersburg in Boone County and Broken Bow in Custer County, though they have had residents ask about installing small-scale wind turbines.
The new regulations are being driven instead by a desire to be prepared should significant requests for wind development arrive.
"It looks like it's a trend that's going to be moving forward," said Jerry Hoegh, chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, which passed regulations earlier this month. "And we just want to be ready for it when our citizens approach us about it."
Hamilton County's new regulations cover only small-scale wind projects of fewer than 100 kilowatts. North of Grand Island, Valley and Wheeler counties have passed regulations this fall encompassing both small-scale and commercial wind development, and Sherman County is working on regulations for both, as well.
Orval Stahr, who runs the York zoning consulting firm Stahr and Associates, said he has worked with about a half-dozen counties on wind regulations within the past year, including Valley, Wheeler and Sherman counties.
Stahr said counties' interest in regulating wind power picked up after two events last spring.
First, the state's first commercially developed wind project, Elkhorn Ridge near Bloomfield in northeast Nebraska, went online in March.
Second, the state Legislature passed a bill in May enabling net metering, which allows residents who generate their own power to sell the excess back to public utilities.
That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be seeing small wind turbines dotting the countryside anytime soon, Stahr said.
"I honestly don't think we're going to see a lot of small units," Stahr said. "At today's cost and efficiency, it just doesn't make a lot of sense."
Still, counties are interested in making sure that if that small-scale wind power develops, they have a handle on it.
"We just kind of want to be prepared instead of waiting until people are already doing something," said Dan Hruza, zoning administrator in Valley and Wheeler counties, as well as Garfield County, which hasn't looked at wind regulations yet.
Stahr said two of the most important issues in regulations are the beating that county roads take when the turbine equipment is driven into the county and the turbines' decommissioning years down the road.
He recommends that counties require that commercial developers have an arrangement with city or county roads officials about where they are allowed to drive as part of a conditional-use permit process.
Regulations on decommissioning are intended to prevent turbines from turning into an eyesore once their useful life is past, though Stahr said he's not sure that county zoning departments have the power to demand a surety in case the turbines aren't cleaned up properly.
Several zoning administrators said another of their primary concerns is setback distances from both residences and others' property.
Those regulations are intended to keep the turbines' noise away from residents and to ensure that if they fall down, they land only on their owners' property.
Sherman County Zoning Administrator Marie Fredrick said her county is looking at basing the setbacks on the length of the blade, rather than the length of the entire tower, to allow turbines to be placed on pivot corners in fields.
Sherman County held a public hearing Monday on its proposed regulations with Stahr present. No members of the public showed up.
That's been typical of the public response (or lack thereof) in many counties, Stahr said, since the regulations are dealing with hypothetical situations at this point.
Hamilton County Zoning Administrator Darla Svoboda said she hopes that once those hypotheticals turn into actual cases, the county will have the ability to tweak the regulations to make sure they work, especially since it's an area of zoning the county has never dealt with.
"This is all new, and we're not sure that we're covering everything," Svoboda said. "It may be that we'll take a look at it and decide that we're including something that didn't work that well for that particular issue. ... It's kind of a trial and error process."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Santa Claus> yikes! wind farms!!
from Examiner.com
Santa Claus reports close call travelling over wind farms
Santa, as captured by one young boy in Iowa this morning
Heavy snows and poor visibility provided some tense moments for Santa Claus and his team of reindeer, while traveling over Iowa early this morning. Without realizing it, Santa and his sleigh were headed directly into a series of wind turbines in rural Iowa.
As they neared the wind farm, Santa reported Rudolph's nose began blinking erratically in a distress signal and Santa quickly turned the sleigh upwards, narrowly missing the giant blades of a wind turbine.
At his next stop, Santa made a note on his "to do" list for next year. Add radar to sleigh. He delivered gifts and picked up a few extra cookies for his reindeer, saving the biggest one for Rudolph.
Thanks to the efforts of the red nosed reindeer, Rudolph, a Christmas tragedy was avoided. Children all around the world will be able to enjoy their Christmas morning because of this remarkable reindeer.
Santa Claus reports close call travelling over wind farms
Santa, as captured by one young boy in Iowa this morning
Heavy snows and poor visibility provided some tense moments for Santa Claus and his team of reindeer, while traveling over Iowa early this morning. Without realizing it, Santa and his sleigh were headed directly into a series of wind turbines in rural Iowa.
As they neared the wind farm, Santa reported Rudolph's nose began blinking erratically in a distress signal and Santa quickly turned the sleigh upwards, narrowly missing the giant blades of a wind turbine.
At his next stop, Santa made a note on his "to do" list for next year. Add radar to sleigh. He delivered gifts and picked up a few extra cookies for his reindeer, saving the biggest one for Rudolph.
Thanks to the efforts of the red nosed reindeer, Rudolph, a Christmas tragedy was avoided. Children all around the world will be able to enjoy their Christmas morning because of this remarkable reindeer.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Pylons/Turbines and Landscape
From Burham and Highbridge Weekly News
In the shadow of the giant pylons
12:00pm Thursday 24th December 2009
By David Hemming »
A PROSPECTIVE MP for Burnham is calling for a show of solidarity from the community over plans for a new corridor of “super-size” pylons.
LibDem candidate Tessa Munt wants residents in villages surrounding the proposed pylon route to write to applicants National Grid and local MP David Heathcoat-Amory voicing their concerns.
The Weekly News has reported how National Grid has proposed two potential routes for the electricity pylons, which would connect the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant to the electricity transmission system in Avonmouth.
One of the routes would see the pylons pass through East Huntspill, Mark and Wedmore and Mrs Munt is concerned about the size of the pylons and their effect on the local landscape.
She said: “The proposed pylons will be over 152ft high and 60ft wide - to put this in context, I took a photo of scale models of Castle Head House on the A38 at Biddisham and one of the new pylons; then stood in front of the house to show the size of that property.
“People complain about a constant humming emitted from all pylons, particularly these super-sized ones.”
Among Mrs Munt's concerns are the pylons' potential loss of energy, their effect on tourism in the area, and their inability to transport electricity from tidal power.
She added: “Only by demonstrating the strength of public opinion have we any chance of stopping the pylons from marching across our beautiful countryside.”
Tory MP Mr Heathcoat-Amory says the pylons would be “intrusive” on the landscape and is urging his constituents to contact him with their views.
National Grid says the connection would have to be carried out in the most economical and efficient way possible and the two proposed corridors are the only routes which could be built.
A consultation period is taking place until January 8
In the shadow of the giant pylons
12:00pm Thursday 24th December 2009
By David Hemming »
A PROSPECTIVE MP for Burnham is calling for a show of solidarity from the community over plans for a new corridor of “super-size” pylons.
LibDem candidate Tessa Munt wants residents in villages surrounding the proposed pylon route to write to applicants National Grid and local MP David Heathcoat-Amory voicing their concerns.
The Weekly News has reported how National Grid has proposed two potential routes for the electricity pylons, which would connect the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant to the electricity transmission system in Avonmouth.
One of the routes would see the pylons pass through East Huntspill, Mark and Wedmore and Mrs Munt is concerned about the size of the pylons and their effect on the local landscape.
She said: “The proposed pylons will be over 152ft high and 60ft wide - to put this in context, I took a photo of scale models of Castle Head House on the A38 at Biddisham and one of the new pylons; then stood in front of the house to show the size of that property.
“People complain about a constant humming emitted from all pylons, particularly these super-sized ones.”
Among Mrs Munt's concerns are the pylons' potential loss of energy, their effect on tourism in the area, and their inability to transport electricity from tidal power.
She added: “Only by demonstrating the strength of public opinion have we any chance of stopping the pylons from marching across our beautiful countryside.”
Tory MP Mr Heathcoat-Amory says the pylons would be “intrusive” on the landscape and is urging his constituents to contact him with their views.
National Grid says the connection would have to be carried out in the most economical and efficient way possible and the two proposed corridors are the only routes which could be built.
A consultation period is taking place until January 8
Bethel USA and wind turbine ordinances
From Bethelcitizen.com
Planners urge ordinance covering wind turbines
By Michael Daniels
WIND TURBINES ARE NOT THE ONLY AREA where Bethel planners would like to see town ordinances updated to deal with new technologies. Planning Board Chairman Al Cressy said the town Sign Ordinance — under which the new Telstar sign was approved — needs to be revised to address LED lights such as the bright red lights now flashing across from the Bethel Alliance Church. While internally illuminated signs are not permitted by the current ordinance, there is no mention of LED lights, and when the sign went up, Cressy said, the Town Office began receiving calls from businesses saying “What’s going on? We thought signs like this were not allowed.” Others have complained about the brightness of the lights. And for himself, Cressy said: “Basically I think [approving] that sign was a major mistake in terms of what we’ve been trying to do with the signage. It really sticks out like a sore thumb.” Planner Jon Cowan, who voted to approve the sign, agreed. Noting that the appllcation called for amber, not red, lights he said: “My sense now is we voted in error. My vote, knowing what I see now, was not a good decision. I thought we could trust them to do the right thing, and they didn’t.”
Photo: M. Daniels
With proposals for clusters of wind turbines (or wind “farms”) springing up with increased rapidity across the state, including one for 11 towers on Spruce Mountain in Woodstock, Al Cressy, chairman of the Bethel Planning Board told his fellow planners last week: “I think the town is hanging out on a limb, with no ordinance regulating wind turbines.”
“If someone came to us with a proposal for a turbine farm, or even a personal turbine, we’d have nothing to go on, absolutely nothing,” he said.
In fact, the only statutory authority the board would have over wind turbines would be Site Plan Review, which limits commercial structures to 2-1/2 stories, or 35 feet in height.
As a first step toward remedying that lack of oversight, Cressy asked the board to approve a letter he had drafted to the town Board of Selectmen, recommending that a wind turbine ordinance be drafted and presented to voters at next year’s annual Town Meeting in June.
Rumford already has such an ordinance in place, he told the planners, and the State Planning Office has also drafted a model ordinance that Bethel might look at as a starting point.
And to bridge the gap until such an ordinance might be enacted, Cressy’s letter to the selectmen also recommends the town enact a 180-day moratorium on wind turbine construction.
Following brief discussion the planners approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
There was some discussion at last week’s meeting as to whether or not a new ordinance should apply to personal as well as commercial turbines.
On that point, Cressy said, he was personally uncertain.
“Maybe it should; maybe it shouldn’t,” he said.
Planner Jon Cowan thought both should be covered, at least in the initial ordinance.
“I think you’d be on safer ground if you covered them all, and didn’t try to sort out commercial and residential, for now,” Cowan said.
The planners ultimately approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
The recommendation to the selectmen are as follows:
1) A Town ordinance be developed for proposal to the voters of Bethel for approval at the June 2010 Town Meeting. In conjunction with this recommendation, the Planning Board would like to propose that a Selectboard-appointed ad hoc committee, to include one Planning Board member, be established for the purpose of drafting a proposed ordinance and seeking Town voter input on that ordinance.
2) A 180-day moratorium be established as soon as possible by the Town of Bethel on the erection of wind turbines for both personal and commercial use. Such a moratorium would preclude any wind turbines from being erected within Bethel until the Town voters have had a chance to consider a wind turbine ordinance for approval.
At the selectmen’s next meeting, Monday, Jan. 4, they are expected to take up the Planning Board’s recommendations.
Among the questions that the selectmen will likely be discussing is whether or not the proposed 180-day moratorium should go to voters at the special Town Meeting set for Feb. 9 (see police-coverage story).
Planners urge ordinance covering wind turbines
By Michael Daniels
WIND TURBINES ARE NOT THE ONLY AREA where Bethel planners would like to see town ordinances updated to deal with new technologies. Planning Board Chairman Al Cressy said the town Sign Ordinance — under which the new Telstar sign was approved — needs to be revised to address LED lights such as the bright red lights now flashing across from the Bethel Alliance Church. While internally illuminated signs are not permitted by the current ordinance, there is no mention of LED lights, and when the sign went up, Cressy said, the Town Office began receiving calls from businesses saying “What’s going on? We thought signs like this were not allowed.” Others have complained about the brightness of the lights. And for himself, Cressy said: “Basically I think [approving] that sign was a major mistake in terms of what we’ve been trying to do with the signage. It really sticks out like a sore thumb.” Planner Jon Cowan, who voted to approve the sign, agreed. Noting that the appllcation called for amber, not red, lights he said: “My sense now is we voted in error. My vote, knowing what I see now, was not a good decision. I thought we could trust them to do the right thing, and they didn’t.”
Photo: M. Daniels
With proposals for clusters of wind turbines (or wind “farms”) springing up with increased rapidity across the state, including one for 11 towers on Spruce Mountain in Woodstock, Al Cressy, chairman of the Bethel Planning Board told his fellow planners last week: “I think the town is hanging out on a limb, with no ordinance regulating wind turbines.”
“If someone came to us with a proposal for a turbine farm, or even a personal turbine, we’d have nothing to go on, absolutely nothing,” he said.
In fact, the only statutory authority the board would have over wind turbines would be Site Plan Review, which limits commercial structures to 2-1/2 stories, or 35 feet in height.
As a first step toward remedying that lack of oversight, Cressy asked the board to approve a letter he had drafted to the town Board of Selectmen, recommending that a wind turbine ordinance be drafted and presented to voters at next year’s annual Town Meeting in June.
Rumford already has such an ordinance in place, he told the planners, and the State Planning Office has also drafted a model ordinance that Bethel might look at as a starting point.
And to bridge the gap until such an ordinance might be enacted, Cressy’s letter to the selectmen also recommends the town enact a 180-day moratorium on wind turbine construction.
Following brief discussion the planners approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
There was some discussion at last week’s meeting as to whether or not a new ordinance should apply to personal as well as commercial turbines.
On that point, Cressy said, he was personally uncertain.
“Maybe it should; maybe it shouldn’t,” he said.
Planner Jon Cowan thought both should be covered, at least in the initial ordinance.
“I think you’d be on safer ground if you covered them all, and didn’t try to sort out commercial and residential, for now,” Cowan said.
The planners ultimately approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
The recommendation to the selectmen are as follows:
1) A Town ordinance be developed for proposal to the voters of Bethel for approval at the June 2010 Town Meeting. In conjunction with this recommendation, the Planning Board would like to propose that a Selectboard-appointed ad hoc committee, to include one Planning Board member, be established for the purpose of drafting a proposed ordinance and seeking Town voter input on that ordinance.
2) A 180-day moratorium be established as soon as possible by the Town of Bethel on the erection of wind turbines for both personal and commercial use. Such a moratorium would preclude any wind turbines from being erected within Bethel until the Town voters have had a chance to consider a wind turbine ordinance for approval.
At the selectmen’s next meeting, Monday, Jan. 4, they are expected to take up the Planning Board’s recommendations.
Among the questions that the selectmen will likely be discussing is whether or not the proposed 180-day moratorium should go to voters at the special Town Meeting set for Feb. 9 (see police-coverage story).
Labels:
Bethel wind turbine ordinances
Wind Turbines and Your Insurance
LETTER: Beware turbines' impact on insurance, 12-25-09
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Posted Dec 24, 2009 @ 02:38 PM
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Many cities and towns in Massachusetts are allowing commercial wind turbines by special permit within hundreds of feet of residential homes.
In some cases, these turbines are as high as the Statue of Liberty.
Setbacks are new to residential home owners as well as your insurance company.The insurance companies currently set rates for distance to fire hydrants and fire stations.
They set residential rates, commercial rates, flood rates, single family, two family, etc.
If you called your insurance agent today about commercial wind turbines, they would have no idea what you are talking about in regard to rate increases/changes.
Residential insurance rates are a valid consideration, and one that ought to be examined, especially by those homeowners who will be directly affected by the turbines, which will include living within the blade throw, ice throw, fire, lightning, environmental spill hazards, etc. of a commercial wind turbine.
Since this setback issue is new for the insurance companies, actuaries for the insurance companies will be figuring out the exposure to commercial wind turbines only after they are installed in your neighborhoods.
As the state moves forward, Massachusetts residents within the commercial wind turbine zone should be advised how to insure against a commercial wind turbine and tower.
Frank Haggerty
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Posted Dec 24, 2009 @ 02:38 PM
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Many cities and towns in Massachusetts are allowing commercial wind turbines by special permit within hundreds of feet of residential homes.
In some cases, these turbines are as high as the Statue of Liberty.
Setbacks are new to residential home owners as well as your insurance company.The insurance companies currently set rates for distance to fire hydrants and fire stations.
They set residential rates, commercial rates, flood rates, single family, two family, etc.
If you called your insurance agent today about commercial wind turbines, they would have no idea what you are talking about in regard to rate increases/changes.
Residential insurance rates are a valid consideration, and one that ought to be examined, especially by those homeowners who will be directly affected by the turbines, which will include living within the blade throw, ice throw, fire, lightning, environmental spill hazards, etc. of a commercial wind turbine.
Since this setback issue is new for the insurance companies, actuaries for the insurance companies will be figuring out the exposure to commercial wind turbines only after they are installed in your neighborhoods.
As the state moves forward, Massachusetts residents within the commercial wind turbine zone should be advised how to insure against a commercial wind turbine and tower.
Frank Haggerty
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Whales Die On Beach
Twelve pilot whales beached themselves close to Bartlett Beach, Digby County, on Canada's southwest shore in Nova Scotia. Apparently only one survived. The bodies of those that died were removed and taken away on a flatbed truck, according to local sources. There is no word yet on an apparent cause for this tragic event.
Lake Michigan Wind Farm Lease Proposal
From oceanaheraldjournal.com
Developer wants counties to co-lease for Lake Michigan wind farm
By John Cavanagh
Herald-Journal Writer
Scandia Wind Offshore CEO Steve Warner wants Oceana and Mason counties to join him when the wind turbine developer goes to the state for a lease for a 1,000 megawatt wind farm in Lake Michigan.
“We are proposing to jointly apply with a riparian (water property) owner for a lease to the State of Michigan.” Warner told the Herald-Journal Dec. 18. “That’s our way of gauging local support of the project, and their voice will be expressed through an agreement like that.”
The company and its Norwegian partner, Havgul Clean Energy, is proposing to construct 100-200 wind turbines to create the wind farm in Lake Michigan from Silver Lake State Park north to Consumer Energy’s Ludington Pumped Storage Facility in Mason County.
The proposal is for the facility to be 3.7 miles off shore at its north end, but closer to shore as it extends south toward Silver Lake State Park. It would connect to the electrical system grid through the Ludington Pumped Storage Facility. Warner said he wants to apply for the lease sometime in the first quarter of 2010.
“The reason for that is this process takes a long time,” Warner said. “It takes years. We’re not in any way trying to accelerate the process.”
Oceana County’s Lake Michigan property includes the Cedar Point County Park between Silver Lake and Pentwater in northern Golden Township. Warner said the company would need to use some property for onshore equipment such as substations depending if the pumped storage facility is involved, but no property in Oceana County is under consideration now.
Developer wants counties to co-lease for Lake Michigan wind farm
By John Cavanagh
Herald-Journal Writer
Scandia Wind Offshore CEO Steve Warner wants Oceana and Mason counties to join him when the wind turbine developer goes to the state for a lease for a 1,000 megawatt wind farm in Lake Michigan.
“We are proposing to jointly apply with a riparian (water property) owner for a lease to the State of Michigan.” Warner told the Herald-Journal Dec. 18. “That’s our way of gauging local support of the project, and their voice will be expressed through an agreement like that.”
The company and its Norwegian partner, Havgul Clean Energy, is proposing to construct 100-200 wind turbines to create the wind farm in Lake Michigan from Silver Lake State Park north to Consumer Energy’s Ludington Pumped Storage Facility in Mason County.
The proposal is for the facility to be 3.7 miles off shore at its north end, but closer to shore as it extends south toward Silver Lake State Park. It would connect to the electrical system grid through the Ludington Pumped Storage Facility. Warner said he wants to apply for the lease sometime in the first quarter of 2010.
“The reason for that is this process takes a long time,” Warner said. “It takes years. We’re not in any way trying to accelerate the process.”
Oceana County’s Lake Michigan property includes the Cedar Point County Park between Silver Lake and Pentwater in northern Golden Township. Warner said the company would need to use some property for onshore equipment such as substations depending if the pumped storage facility is involved, but no property in Oceana County is under consideration now.
Green Holiday Tips
From Live Earth
Green Holiday TipsSubmitted by jgeeslin on 22 December, 2009 - 13:45
How can you celebrate, but make your holidays as green as they can be? Read about how to make your own wrapping paper, make tasty eco-friendly holiday dinners, share the ride, and recycle your tree on the holiday edition of our blog!
How can you make your holidays as green as they can be? Here are some great ideas:
Make Your Own Wrapping Paper
Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, try using creative ways to be eco-friendly. Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of a newspaper, or children's artwork. Or use a scarf, attractive dish towel, bandana, or some other useful cloth item. If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
Buy Energy-Saving Holiday Lights
Now you can decorate your house with LED lights that use 90% less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season! LED lights are now available at many major retailers, like Target.
Use Organic and Local Foods to make your Holiday Meals
Check out your local famer’s markets and co-ops. Support those local farmers who grow sustainable meat and produce. Not only does it taste better, but you'll be doing your part for the planet too.
Give a Gift the Gives Back!
Help support all those wonderful charities that are working to make the world a better place for others.
Click here for more.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree
Each year, 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. While your tree won't fit in the recycling bin with your newspapers and bottles, you can recycle your tree: many cities offer programs to turn your tree to mulch or wood chips. Check out www.earth911.org to find the tree-recycling program near you.
Try soy or beeswax candles
They are cleaner and gentler on the environment but are every bit as beautiful and fragrant. Plus they last longer!
Carpool to the Party
If you’re the one entertaining, don’t let all your guests drive separately to the party! Include a carpool suggestion on the invite. Or register your event with Ride Amigos! They take care of everything from arranging carpools, rideshares, taxi shares and even calculates the CO2 saved by rideshares in offsetting the carbon footprint of the event.
Thermostat Smarts
Turn down your thermostat a few notches before your guests arrive. As more and more guests arrive, the room’s temperature will rise to a comfortable but not stuffy level and people won’t be sneaking outside for fresh air.
Check out these eco-friendly gift-wrapping ideas from our friends at Your Daily Thread:
jgeeslin's blog
How to Recycle Christmas Decorations
How to Use Green Gift Wrap This Holiday Season
Go Green This Memorial Day!
Green Holiday TipsSubmitted by jgeeslin on 22 December, 2009 - 13:45
How can you celebrate, but make your holidays as green as they can be? Read about how to make your own wrapping paper, make tasty eco-friendly holiday dinners, share the ride, and recycle your tree on the holiday edition of our blog!
How can you make your holidays as green as they can be? Here are some great ideas:
Make Your Own Wrapping Paper
Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, try using creative ways to be eco-friendly. Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of a newspaper, or children's artwork. Or use a scarf, attractive dish towel, bandana, or some other useful cloth item. If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
Buy Energy-Saving Holiday Lights
Now you can decorate your house with LED lights that use 90% less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season! LED lights are now available at many major retailers, like Target.
Use Organic and Local Foods to make your Holiday Meals
Check out your local famer’s markets and co-ops. Support those local farmers who grow sustainable meat and produce. Not only does it taste better, but you'll be doing your part for the planet too.
Give a Gift the Gives Back!
Help support all those wonderful charities that are working to make the world a better place for others.
Click here for more.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree
Each year, 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. While your tree won't fit in the recycling bin with your newspapers and bottles, you can recycle your tree: many cities offer programs to turn your tree to mulch or wood chips. Check out www.earth911.org to find the tree-recycling program near you.
Try soy or beeswax candles
They are cleaner and gentler on the environment but are every bit as beautiful and fragrant. Plus they last longer!
Carpool to the Party
If you’re the one entertaining, don’t let all your guests drive separately to the party! Include a carpool suggestion on the invite. Or register your event with Ride Amigos! They take care of everything from arranging carpools, rideshares, taxi shares and even calculates the CO2 saved by rideshares in offsetting the carbon footprint of the event.
Thermostat Smarts
Turn down your thermostat a few notches before your guests arrive. As more and more guests arrive, the room’s temperature will rise to a comfortable but not stuffy level and people won’t be sneaking outside for fresh air.
Check out these eco-friendly gift-wrapping ideas from our friends at Your Daily Thread:
jgeeslin's blog
How to Recycle Christmas Decorations
How to Use Green Gift Wrap This Holiday Season
Go Green This Memorial Day!
Whales Beach Themselves in Digby County
More whales reportedly stranded
Thu. Dec 24 - 4:46 AM
DFO fisheries officer Dwayne Muise of Meteghan and Jonathan Hynes of Tusket try to turn a whale around.
YARMOUTH — Federal fishery officers were on their way to another reported beaching of pilot whales late Wednesday.
Officers headed to Bartletts Beach in Digby County, where six whales were said to be on the beach.
A report came in after 2 p.m. that the whales had stranded themselves, said Howard Blinn, who works in the Meteghan office of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
It was not immediately known what condition the whales were in or what officers would be able to do to help the animals return to the sea.
Four pilot whales beached themselves Tuesday at nearby Port Maitland Beach, Yarmouth County, and along another rocky beach near Beaver River.
Eight fisheries officers managed to return some of the whales to the sea but at least two died, said Mr. Blinn.
Two whales were roughly four metres in length and each weighed about one tonne, while the smaller ones each weighed about 360 kilograms or less, fisheries officers said Tuesday
Thu. Dec 24 - 4:46 AM
DFO fisheries officer Dwayne Muise of Meteghan and Jonathan Hynes of Tusket try to turn a whale around.
YARMOUTH — Federal fishery officers were on their way to another reported beaching of pilot whales late Wednesday.
Officers headed to Bartletts Beach in Digby County, where six whales were said to be on the beach.
A report came in after 2 p.m. that the whales had stranded themselves, said Howard Blinn, who works in the Meteghan office of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
It was not immediately known what condition the whales were in or what officers would be able to do to help the animals return to the sea.
Four pilot whales beached themselves Tuesday at nearby Port Maitland Beach, Yarmouth County, and along another rocky beach near Beaver River.
Eight fisheries officers managed to return some of the whales to the sea but at least two died, said Mr. Blinn.
Two whales were roughly four metres in length and each weighed about one tonne, while the smaller ones each weighed about 360 kilograms or less, fisheries officers said Tuesday
Dan Mills re: Digby Neck Wind Farm
Subject: Environment Critic
I attended MLA Andrew Youngers' session on renewable energy on Tuesday. A capable young man,he made all feel at ease and responded handily to all concerns expressed.
A good part of the discussion centered on large Wind Rigs soon coming to a spot near you on Digby Neck.
The word, compromise, was never uttered, but there were overtones and undertones of it throughout.
Compromise is fine, but not at the expense of truth. Beware, people, those who wag forked tongues!
May I illustrate? In my former life I wore many hats. One was that of marriage counsellor. Sometimes it was a case of infidelity by one or other spouse. Let's take the case of a husband, away from home all week, is found out to be involved with another lady each of six nights that's he is away.
Should he proffer compromise and agree to reduce his visits to his paramour by half, do you think his wife would agree? I think not! That would be a compromise worth nothing! And so not a compromise at all!
When the Wind folk begin playing with our minds and with figures, it may not be truth they speak, but rather manipulation to con us into believing that they are walking the extra mile.
My advice: don't let measurements be the guide. Try truth instead! The peer reviewed author, Dr.Nina Pierpont proposes medical truths that intelligent people should take seriously. Don't be duped by fifty meters here or there, or a move of a Wind Rig to another place.....That may well be a sham which leaves shame on our face.
Daniel Mills
9396 Waterford
RR 4, Digby NS
BOV 1A0
I attended MLA Andrew Youngers' session on renewable energy on Tuesday. A capable young man,he made all feel at ease and responded handily to all concerns expressed.
A good part of the discussion centered on large Wind Rigs soon coming to a spot near you on Digby Neck.
The word, compromise, was never uttered, but there were overtones and undertones of it throughout.
Compromise is fine, but not at the expense of truth. Beware, people, those who wag forked tongues!
May I illustrate? In my former life I wore many hats. One was that of marriage counsellor. Sometimes it was a case of infidelity by one or other spouse. Let's take the case of a husband, away from home all week, is found out to be involved with another lady each of six nights that's he is away.
Should he proffer compromise and agree to reduce his visits to his paramour by half, do you think his wife would agree? I think not! That would be a compromise worth nothing! And so not a compromise at all!
When the Wind folk begin playing with our minds and with figures, it may not be truth they speak, but rather manipulation to con us into believing that they are walking the extra mile.
My advice: don't let measurements be the guide. Try truth instead! The peer reviewed author, Dr.Nina Pierpont proposes medical truths that intelligent people should take seriously. Don't be duped by fifty meters here or there, or a move of a Wind Rig to another place.....That may well be a sham which leaves shame on our face.
Daniel Mills
9396 Waterford
RR 4, Digby NS
BOV 1A0
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Turbines No-Go on Rural Properties
From the Associated Press
Minn. agency rejects New Ulm wind energy project
(AP) – 1 day ago
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has rejected a permit for New Ulm's proposed wind-power project.
But New Ulm City Attorney Hugh Nierengarten says the project is not dead. Nierengarten says city officials will regroup with staff and discuss alternatives.
By a vote of 5-0, the PUC voted Monday to deny New Ulm's request to place five wind turbines on rural properties just across the Minnesota River from the city.
New Ulm wants to put up the turbines to meet the city's energy needs. Farmers opposed the idea, saying the land should be used for agriculture.
Minn. agency rejects New Ulm wind energy project
(AP) – 1 day ago
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has rejected a permit for New Ulm's proposed wind-power project.
But New Ulm City Attorney Hugh Nierengarten says the project is not dead. Nierengarten says city officials will regroup with staff and discuss alternatives.
By a vote of 5-0, the PUC voted Monday to deny New Ulm's request to place five wind turbines on rural properties just across the Minnesota River from the city.
New Ulm wants to put up the turbines to meet the city's energy needs. Farmers opposed the idea, saying the land should be used for agriculture.
Offshore Turbines and the Fishery
Local Maine fishermen concerned about turbine site
Concerns raised over state's plan to test wind power in region
COURTESY PHOTO Waters off Boon Island are a proposed location for a wind turbine demonstration area. Many local fishermen oppose the project because they say the turbines will disrupt the lobster, shrimp and fishing industries.
By Susan Morse
also by Deborah Mcdermott
news@seacoastonline.com
December 23, 2009 2:00 AM
YORK — Local fishermen have raised a number of concerns about the state's plans to use Boon Island as a demonstration site for offshore wind turbine testing.
The turbines would take away prime fishing, lobstering and shrimping areas, according to lobsterman Pat White of York, who initiated two recent meetings on the issue at the York Senior Center.
At least a dozen fishermen and lobstermen attended each.
White represents fishermen on a governor's task force, serves on the Maine State Lobsterman's Association and is president of the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation.
"It seriously disrupts the lobster community because the guys that fish there will have to move over into someone else's territory," he said.
The state on Tuesday, Dec. 15, chose three sites for wind turbine testing. Those sites are located in the waters off Boon, Damariscove and Monhegan islands.
In theory, said Mark Robinson, spokesperson for the turbine project, the wind turbines will be in Maine waters for two to three years. After that, they would likely move farther out to sea into federal waters.
State geologist Robert Marvinney said the state listened well to the fishermen and lobstermen at the two meetings in York — and will continue to listen to them if and when a commercial turbine company expresses interest in placing a prototype at Boon Island.
A company is only allowed two turbines at Boon Island by law, and before anything is placed in the water there will be meetings with the local Department of Marine Resources lobster zone council and affected towns.
If the prototypes indicate a turbine farm would be successful, it would be located farther offshore, in federal waters, said Marvinney. By law, the farm can not be at any of the test sites, he said.
"If it's a lot farther offshore, it would have less impact," said White. "Eighty percent less impact."
This is because lobstermen wouldn't be displaced by the turbines in deeper waters, he said.
The turbines will eventually affect fishermen from other states, once the sites are moved farther offshore, said New Hampshire fisherman Erik Anderson, who promotes eating local at NHseafood.com.
"If it moves forward, it's going to have some effect on the fishing industry, whether it's lobstermen, ground fishing, shrimp," he said. "It's going to the affect the industry somewhere."
Concerns raised over state's plan to test wind power in region
COURTESY PHOTO Waters off Boon Island are a proposed location for a wind turbine demonstration area. Many local fishermen oppose the project because they say the turbines will disrupt the lobster, shrimp and fishing industries.
By Susan Morse
also by Deborah Mcdermott
news@seacoastonline.com
December 23, 2009 2:00 AM
YORK — Local fishermen have raised a number of concerns about the state's plans to use Boon Island as a demonstration site for offshore wind turbine testing.
The turbines would take away prime fishing, lobstering and shrimping areas, according to lobsterman Pat White of York, who initiated two recent meetings on the issue at the York Senior Center.
At least a dozen fishermen and lobstermen attended each.
White represents fishermen on a governor's task force, serves on the Maine State Lobsterman's Association and is president of the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation.
"It seriously disrupts the lobster community because the guys that fish there will have to move over into someone else's territory," he said.
The state on Tuesday, Dec. 15, chose three sites for wind turbine testing. Those sites are located in the waters off Boon, Damariscove and Monhegan islands.
In theory, said Mark Robinson, spokesperson for the turbine project, the wind turbines will be in Maine waters for two to three years. After that, they would likely move farther out to sea into federal waters.
State geologist Robert Marvinney said the state listened well to the fishermen and lobstermen at the two meetings in York — and will continue to listen to them if and when a commercial turbine company expresses interest in placing a prototype at Boon Island.
A company is only allowed two turbines at Boon Island by law, and before anything is placed in the water there will be meetings with the local Department of Marine Resources lobster zone council and affected towns.
If the prototypes indicate a turbine farm would be successful, it would be located farther offshore, in federal waters, said Marvinney. By law, the farm can not be at any of the test sites, he said.
"If it's a lot farther offshore, it would have less impact," said White. "Eighty percent less impact."
This is because lobstermen wouldn't be displaced by the turbines in deeper waters, he said.
The turbines will eventually affect fishermen from other states, once the sites are moved farther offshore, said New Hampshire fisherman Erik Anderson, who promotes eating local at NHseafood.com.
"If it moves forward, it's going to have some effect on the fishing industry, whether it's lobstermen, ground fishing, shrimp," he said. "It's going to the affect the industry somewhere."
Protecting Forested Areas
Forest groups team up to protect land areas
By JEFFREY SIMPSON Provincial Reporter
Wed. Dec 23 - 5:26 AM
Unlikely bedfellows have come up with ways to help the province meet its goal of protecting 12 per cent of its land by 2015, calling for a halt on the development of areas seen as a priority.
Environmental groups and forestry companies unveiled a report on Tuesday that resulted from five years of collaboration.
Created as a result of the Colin Stewart Forest Forum, the report identifies Crown and private land where industrial work such as forest harvesting, mining and road building should be restricted.
The report identified about 269,000 hectares of private and public land worth conserving, while the province needs only 190,000 to hit its target. The forum recommended that 175 sites, covering 58,000 hectares of Crown land, should be protected immediately.
Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau said the forum’s work gave the province a good starting point for achieving its goal, having already announced $75 million to acquire land to conserve.
“We’ll be using this as a guide," Mr. Belliveau said in an interview.
“It gives the option of a lot of flexibility, of picking and choosing the sites that are important. So I’m pleased they went beyond the initial amount of land which we need."
The province will now draw up a plan while consulting with affected groups and Mi’kmaq bands, he said.
The areas identified as necessary for protecting include a wide range of the province’s natural environment from broad swaths of forests equalling 10,000 hectares to small islands on the Eastern Shore.
Raymond Plourde of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax said he is confident the province will honour its commitment in following up on the recommendations.
“Prior to this, the government had no plan," said Mr. Plourde, who helped establish the forum with the late Mr. Stewart, an ecologist and environmental activist. He said the unusual partnering of the province’s four largest forestry companies and environmentalists was unprecedented, acknowledging their views sometimes clashed. But the collaboration was a necessary step, he said. Chris Miller, a national manager with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said the report was a monumental step in preserving the natural beauty of Nova Scotia.
“There was a conscious decision for environmentalists and industry to put aside our differences and try to work together to identify areas for protection," he said.
“In the past, certainly, there’s been lots of conflict between environmentalists and the forest industry."
Mike McLarty, the timberlands manager for the Northern Pulp mill in Abercrombie Point, said his company manages some of the land identified for protection in the report and will now work on ways to preserve it, although he didn’t know how that would happen.
(jsimpson@herald.ca)
By JEFFREY SIMPSON Provincial Reporter
Wed. Dec 23 - 5:26 AM
Unlikely bedfellows have come up with ways to help the province meet its goal of protecting 12 per cent of its land by 2015, calling for a halt on the development of areas seen as a priority.
Environmental groups and forestry companies unveiled a report on Tuesday that resulted from five years of collaboration.
Created as a result of the Colin Stewart Forest Forum, the report identifies Crown and private land where industrial work such as forest harvesting, mining and road building should be restricted.
The report identified about 269,000 hectares of private and public land worth conserving, while the province needs only 190,000 to hit its target. The forum recommended that 175 sites, covering 58,000 hectares of Crown land, should be protected immediately.
Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau said the forum’s work gave the province a good starting point for achieving its goal, having already announced $75 million to acquire land to conserve.
“We’ll be using this as a guide," Mr. Belliveau said in an interview.
“It gives the option of a lot of flexibility, of picking and choosing the sites that are important. So I’m pleased they went beyond the initial amount of land which we need."
The province will now draw up a plan while consulting with affected groups and Mi’kmaq bands, he said.
The areas identified as necessary for protecting include a wide range of the province’s natural environment from broad swaths of forests equalling 10,000 hectares to small islands on the Eastern Shore.
Raymond Plourde of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax said he is confident the province will honour its commitment in following up on the recommendations.
“Prior to this, the government had no plan," said Mr. Plourde, who helped establish the forum with the late Mr. Stewart, an ecologist and environmental activist. He said the unusual partnering of the province’s four largest forestry companies and environmentalists was unprecedented, acknowledging their views sometimes clashed. But the collaboration was a necessary step, he said. Chris Miller, a national manager with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said the report was a monumental step in preserving the natural beauty of Nova Scotia.
“There was a conscious decision for environmentalists and industry to put aside our differences and try to work together to identify areas for protection," he said.
“In the past, certainly, there’s been lots of conflict between environmentalists and the forest industry."
Mike McLarty, the timberlands manager for the Northern Pulp mill in Abercrombie Point, said his company manages some of the land identified for protection in the report and will now work on ways to preserve it, although he didn’t know how that would happen.
(jsimpson@herald.ca)
North America Biomass Projects Database
From RISI
Wood Biomass Projects Database
RISI's Wood Biomass Projects Database is the first and only comprehensive database of virtually all North American wood biomass projects recently started, or currently under construction to be compiled.
With complete data from over 200 projects, including; operator, location, project type, capacity, estimated start up date, and cost of construction, there are endless applications for this resource. Subscribers are able to view and analyze important industry trends, and predict the strategy of major players in the market.
How much current demand is there for woodfiber, where is the demand and capacity the greatest, how much more capacity/demand will be coming online in the future? These are questions you can answer with the Wood Biomass Projects Database.
The Wood Biomass Projects Database contains the following data:
Project type (Wood Pellets, Wood Energy, Liquid Biofuels)
Company
Location (City, State, Region)
Wood Consumption (total)
Wood Consumption (by year)
Production Capacity
Start-up Date
Project Cost
The Wood Biomass Projects Database is available as part of a corporate sale only, and can be purchased in one of the following two formats:
Email - The database can be purchased as a one-time "snap-shot" version. With this option, the most recently updated version of the database would be emailed to you. Updates would not be included.
Online - The database can also be purchased as part of a package that includes a subscription to the Wood Biomass Market Report. With this option, you would gain access to an online and regularly updated version of the database.
For more information or to order, please contact us at wt@risiinfo.com, or 866.271.8525 (press option #3).
Related Products:
Wood Biomass Market Report - the only comprehensive source of market information and wood biomass feedstock pricing for the North American biomass market.
Wood Biomass Projects Database
RISI's Wood Biomass Projects Database is the first and only comprehensive database of virtually all North American wood biomass projects recently started, or currently under construction to be compiled.
With complete data from over 200 projects, including; operator, location, project type, capacity, estimated start up date, and cost of construction, there are endless applications for this resource. Subscribers are able to view and analyze important industry trends, and predict the strategy of major players in the market.
How much current demand is there for woodfiber, where is the demand and capacity the greatest, how much more capacity/demand will be coming online in the future? These are questions you can answer with the Wood Biomass Projects Database.
The Wood Biomass Projects Database contains the following data:
Project type (Wood Pellets, Wood Energy, Liquid Biofuels)
Company
Location (City, State, Region)
Wood Consumption (total)
Wood Consumption (by year)
Production Capacity
Start-up Date
Project Cost
The Wood Biomass Projects Database is available as part of a corporate sale only, and can be purchased in one of the following two formats:
Email - The database can be purchased as a one-time "snap-shot" version. With this option, the most recently updated version of the database would be emailed to you. Updates would not be included.
Online - The database can also be purchased as part of a package that includes a subscription to the Wood Biomass Market Report. With this option, you would gain access to an online and regularly updated version of the database.
For more information or to order, please contact us at wt@risiinfo.com, or 866.271.8525 (press option #3).
Related Products:
Wood Biomass Market Report - the only comprehensive source of market information and wood biomass feedstock pricing for the North American biomass market.
Biomass and our Forests
From the Chronicle Herald
Just how much clearcutting will be needed?
By ROGER TAYLOR Business Columnist
Wed. Dec 23 - 5:54 AM
ENVIRONMENTALISTS say they have come up with a simple way to demonstrate just how much of Nova Scotia’s forests would need to be clearcut if the province is to generate 150 megawatts of electricity from biomass each year.
But the image they use is more than a little provocative.
Jamie Simpson, the forestry program co-ordinator from the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, called me Tuesday to say that he and his colleague, Kermit deGooyer, the group’s wilderness and public land conservation planner, estimate that burning biomass to generate 150 megawatts of electricity would be equivalent to clearcutting Kejimkujik National Park once every four years.
Just to be clear, no one has ever suggested trees would be harvested in Kejimkujik for biomass power generation. It wasn’t by accident, however, that they chose Kejimkujik, one of the most popular and beloved wilderness parks in Atlantic Canada, to help illustrate just how much area they believe would be affected by clearcutting.
I have to admit I’m not sure the comparison is an accurate one.
Kejimkujik National Park covers about 400 square kilometres, or 40,000 hectares, in an undeveloped area of southwestern Nova Scotia between Liverpool and Annapolis Royal. But no matter what, the desire to generate electricity from renewable energy in the coming years is going to increase the amount of cutting in Nova Scotia’s forests.
David Wheeler, the soon-to-be former dean of the faculty of management at Dalhousie University in Halifax and leader of a team of consultants asked by government to make recommendations on renewable energy, has said that burning biomass will help the province achieve its goal of producing 25 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy generation by 2015.
Wheeler said that he believes Nova Scotia’s forests could be sustainably used to provide biomass for electricity generation and, even though that would likely mean clearcutting, he believes the government could establish stringent regulations for clearcutting so that it would not devastate the province’s forests.
Papermaker NewPage Port Hawkesbury Ltd. has already announced a desire to build a $100-million, 60-megawatt biomass furnace at its mill in Point Tupper, Richmond County. The biomass generator would put renewable energy on the provincial energy grid and the waste steam produced would be used in the papermaking process.
The total amount of biomass contemplated for the Point Tupper project is about 650,000 tonnes annually. Of that, NewPage is already producing 225,000 tonnes of wood waste from the logs it takes into its paper mill. The Ligni Bel sawmill in Scotsburn, Pictou County, is expected to provide another 70,000 tonnes of wood waste.
If it isn’t allowed to burn forest biomass, NewPage warns that it will be forced to burn oil.
At the same time, Wheeler has endorsed a Nova Scotia Power Inc. plan to mix biomass with coal and burn it in its coal-fired generators as an interim step toward increasing the amount of renewable energy generated in the province.
But that has its critics, too.
Luciano Lisi, a renewable energ y proponent with Cape Breton Explorations Ltd. in Sydney who supports biomass energy production, said his biggest beef with the Wheeler report was the preliminary recommendation on the mixing of coal and wood waste.
There is no other jurisdiction in the world where the practice of mixing biomass with coal is considered renewable energy, he said.
“You cannot make a dirty product (coal) clean and green by adding a little bit of something else. You cannot. It’s as simple as that."
So it’s not only the fight over using our forests to provide biomass for power generation, it is also going to be a dispute over mixing biomass with coal. There are no easy decisions for government on this issue.
(rtaylor@herald.ca)
Just how much clearcutting will be needed?
By ROGER TAYLOR Business Columnist
Wed. Dec 23 - 5:54 AM
ENVIRONMENTALISTS say they have come up with a simple way to demonstrate just how much of Nova Scotia’s forests would need to be clearcut if the province is to generate 150 megawatts of electricity from biomass each year.
But the image they use is more than a little provocative.
Jamie Simpson, the forestry program co-ordinator from the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, called me Tuesday to say that he and his colleague, Kermit deGooyer, the group’s wilderness and public land conservation planner, estimate that burning biomass to generate 150 megawatts of electricity would be equivalent to clearcutting Kejimkujik National Park once every four years.
Just to be clear, no one has ever suggested trees would be harvested in Kejimkujik for biomass power generation. It wasn’t by accident, however, that they chose Kejimkujik, one of the most popular and beloved wilderness parks in Atlantic Canada, to help illustrate just how much area they believe would be affected by clearcutting.
I have to admit I’m not sure the comparison is an accurate one.
Kejimkujik National Park covers about 400 square kilometres, or 40,000 hectares, in an undeveloped area of southwestern Nova Scotia between Liverpool and Annapolis Royal. But no matter what, the desire to generate electricity from renewable energy in the coming years is going to increase the amount of cutting in Nova Scotia’s forests.
David Wheeler, the soon-to-be former dean of the faculty of management at Dalhousie University in Halifax and leader of a team of consultants asked by government to make recommendations on renewable energy, has said that burning biomass will help the province achieve its goal of producing 25 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy generation by 2015.
Wheeler said that he believes Nova Scotia’s forests could be sustainably used to provide biomass for electricity generation and, even though that would likely mean clearcutting, he believes the government could establish stringent regulations for clearcutting so that it would not devastate the province’s forests.
Papermaker NewPage Port Hawkesbury Ltd. has already announced a desire to build a $100-million, 60-megawatt biomass furnace at its mill in Point Tupper, Richmond County. The biomass generator would put renewable energy on the provincial energy grid and the waste steam produced would be used in the papermaking process.
The total amount of biomass contemplated for the Point Tupper project is about 650,000 tonnes annually. Of that, NewPage is already producing 225,000 tonnes of wood waste from the logs it takes into its paper mill. The Ligni Bel sawmill in Scotsburn, Pictou County, is expected to provide another 70,000 tonnes of wood waste.
If it isn’t allowed to burn forest biomass, NewPage warns that it will be forced to burn oil.
At the same time, Wheeler has endorsed a Nova Scotia Power Inc. plan to mix biomass with coal and burn it in its coal-fired generators as an interim step toward increasing the amount of renewable energy generated in the province.
But that has its critics, too.
Luciano Lisi, a renewable energ y proponent with Cape Breton Explorations Ltd. in Sydney who supports biomass energy production, said his biggest beef with the Wheeler report was the preliminary recommendation on the mixing of coal and wood waste.
There is no other jurisdiction in the world where the practice of mixing biomass with coal is considered renewable energy, he said.
“You cannot make a dirty product (coal) clean and green by adding a little bit of something else. You cannot. It’s as simple as that."
So it’s not only the fight over using our forests to provide biomass for power generation, it is also going to be a dispute over mixing biomass with coal. There are no easy decisions for government on this issue.
(rtaylor@herald.ca)
Copenhage Post Mortem from Avaaz
Dear friends,
The polluting industry lobby stopped a real deal at Copenhagen, and now they're trying to silence the rising climate movement by suing youth activists. They've raised $750,000 for their intimidation effort -- if 20,000 of us give just a small amount each, we'll show them their tactics backfired, and show politicians that people-power can defeat polluters.
Leaders disappointed the entire world in Copenhagen last weekend. But one group was cracking open the champagne - the polluting industry lobbyists who pushed our politicians to failure. The polluters have only one worry now: us.
Recently a few youth climate activists (funded by Avaaz online donations!) dared to challenge the most powerful polluter lobbyist group, the US Chamber of Commerce, by helping to stage a humorous satirical press conference announcing the Chamber had decided to help fight climate change.
The polluter lobby’s response? A huge lawsuit suing these young activists for potentially enormous amounts of money. Experts say a response like this is extremely rare. It appears designed to send a chilling message to our movement and silence all who would speak out.
Let's send a message back. The Chamber has raised $750,000 from US corporations to help launch this attack – If 20,000 of us give just a small amount each to our effort to stand up for climate activists and stop the polluter lobby, we’ll raise more than them - showing their intimidation backfired! Let’s show the polluter lobby that we can’t be silenced, and show politicians that the future belongs to people, not polluters:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/people_vs_polluters
Copenhagen failed primarily because big polluters US and China wanted a weak agreement. President Obama was heavily constrained by a US Congress that has been captured by lobbyists. The Chamber is a front group for the largest corporations in the polluting lobby, including oil and coal companies like Exxon Mobil. They were major backers of President George W Bush, and have spent hundreds of millions of dollars blocking Obama's attempts at change. The Chamber claims to represent US businesses, but even many large corporations (like Apple, Nike and Microsoft) have opposed its pro-polluter positions on climate change.
While people were out in force in Copenhagen, polluter lobbyists worked in the shadows, their voices loud only in our politicians' ears. To get the climate deal we need, we have to expose their influence, stand up to their intimidation tactics, and send a signal to others that the time has come, once and for all, to stand up to the villains holding our planet hostage:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/people_vs_polluters
In our journey together as the Avaaz community, we've taken on dictators in Burma and Zimbabwe, promise-breaking politicians in Europe and North America, and the forces of extremism in the Middle East. But the Chamber is in some ways the most powerful and dangerous opponent we've faced. Some have advised Avaaz to stay quiet about this, to protect our own organization. But with danger comes opportunity, and if people power can defeat even the most powerful corporate lobby in the world, we'll send a much broader message, that a new world, the one we all seek, is on its way.
With hope,
Ricken, Ben, Iain, Alice, Graziela, Luis, Paul, Taren, Sam, Pascal, Benjamin, Paula, Milena and the whole Avaaz team
PS - here are some links for more information:
New York Times -- "Way behind the curve" - the NYT savages the Chamber's position on climate change:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30wed3.html
Washington Post -- "The U.S. chamber vs honesty" - the Post is scathing about the Chamber's tactics:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102602714.html
Huffington Post -- "PGE Quits US Chamber of Commerce" - about large corporations leaving the Chamber because of its climate stance:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-demelle/pge-quits-us-chamber-of-c_b_295424.html
Common Dreams - covering the satirical press conference about the Chamber:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/19-9
The polluting industry lobby stopped a real deal at Copenhagen, and now they're trying to silence the rising climate movement by suing youth activists. They've raised $750,000 for their intimidation effort -- if 20,000 of us give just a small amount each, we'll show them their tactics backfired, and show politicians that people-power can defeat polluters.
Leaders disappointed the entire world in Copenhagen last weekend. But one group was cracking open the champagne - the polluting industry lobbyists who pushed our politicians to failure. The polluters have only one worry now: us.
Recently a few youth climate activists (funded by Avaaz online donations!) dared to challenge the most powerful polluter lobbyist group, the US Chamber of Commerce, by helping to stage a humorous satirical press conference announcing the Chamber had decided to help fight climate change.
The polluter lobby’s response? A huge lawsuit suing these young activists for potentially enormous amounts of money. Experts say a response like this is extremely rare. It appears designed to send a chilling message to our movement and silence all who would speak out.
Let's send a message back. The Chamber has raised $750,000 from US corporations to help launch this attack – If 20,000 of us give just a small amount each to our effort to stand up for climate activists and stop the polluter lobby, we’ll raise more than them - showing their intimidation backfired! Let’s show the polluter lobby that we can’t be silenced, and show politicians that the future belongs to people, not polluters:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/people_vs_polluters
Copenhagen failed primarily because big polluters US and China wanted a weak agreement. President Obama was heavily constrained by a US Congress that has been captured by lobbyists. The Chamber is a front group for the largest corporations in the polluting lobby, including oil and coal companies like Exxon Mobil. They were major backers of President George W Bush, and have spent hundreds of millions of dollars blocking Obama's attempts at change. The Chamber claims to represent US businesses, but even many large corporations (like Apple, Nike and Microsoft) have opposed its pro-polluter positions on climate change.
While people were out in force in Copenhagen, polluter lobbyists worked in the shadows, their voices loud only in our politicians' ears. To get the climate deal we need, we have to expose their influence, stand up to their intimidation tactics, and send a signal to others that the time has come, once and for all, to stand up to the villains holding our planet hostage:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/people_vs_polluters
In our journey together as the Avaaz community, we've taken on dictators in Burma and Zimbabwe, promise-breaking politicians in Europe and North America, and the forces of extremism in the Middle East. But the Chamber is in some ways the most powerful and dangerous opponent we've faced. Some have advised Avaaz to stay quiet about this, to protect our own organization. But with danger comes opportunity, and if people power can defeat even the most powerful corporate lobby in the world, we'll send a much broader message, that a new world, the one we all seek, is on its way.
With hope,
Ricken, Ben, Iain, Alice, Graziela, Luis, Paul, Taren, Sam, Pascal, Benjamin, Paula, Milena and the whole Avaaz team
PS - here are some links for more information:
New York Times -- "Way behind the curve" - the NYT savages the Chamber's position on climate change:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30wed3.html
Washington Post -- "The U.S. chamber vs honesty" - the Post is scathing about the Chamber's tactics:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102602714.html
Huffington Post -- "PGE Quits US Chamber of Commerce" - about large corporations leaving the Chamber because of its climate stance:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-demelle/pge-quits-us-chamber-of-c_b_295424.html
Common Dreams - covering the satirical press conference about the Chamber:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/19-9
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tidal Energy in Nova Scotia
Minas Basin and tidal power on world stage
Article online since December 22nd 2009, 15:58
Minas Basin and tidal power on world stage
By Heather Desveaux
While Canada is enduring a tarnished reputation on the world stage when it comes to climate change commitments, there is a significant effort to ensure Nova Scotia will have a good name, according to Scott Travers, President and COO of Minas Basin Pulp and Paper.
“The Province of Nova Scotia put together a really good team representing the renewable energy projects we have to offer here. In fact, I’d say we had the best represented province in the country,” Travers said from Copenhagen last week.
Minas Basin is one of twelve Nova Scotia companies accompanying provincial officials led by Premier Darrell Dexter to Copenhagen to attend the recent UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The delegation went there to promote Nova Scotia’s green technology sector, in particular tidal energy and LED lighting, and to demonstrate the province’s commitment to reducing and mitigating climate change.
“As we establish our common path for the future and take our place with the rest of the world, Minas has been committing and will continue to commit its resources in this international race to stabilize earth’s climate,” said Travers.
While government officials also took time in Denmark to explore new sustainable energy projects to potentially try on in Nova Scotia, Travers says there was no time for his team to attend anything but meetings with the investment community.
‘We were also registered to take part in the larger, more political, COP15 conference, but our real focus is to bring the dollars home.”
To Travers, this means investment in the company’s efforts in tidal energy; in particular, its key role in the development of North America’s first tidal power site, the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE). In addition to renewable energy, the project is expected to generate a continuous flow of economic prosperity, including job creation and attracting global expertise to the region.
“The people we have met from the EU really didn’t have any idea about our tidal resources,” said Travers. The Bay of Fundy’s tides are ten times the height of tides in Copenhagen.
“When we present our company’s history to an international audience - that we’ve been around since 1927 and we’ve consistently delivered renewable sources since then- together with the incredible people resources and natural resources here, it is a really good story to tell.”
The company’s St. Croix hydroelectric plant has been producing green energy in West Hants since 1935. The addition of wind turbines, recycled paper and plastic waste to carbon marketing to its operations support the company’s progressive steps to address long-term sustainability. Then there is its recent partnership with Marine Current Turbines’ technically advanced SeaGen tidal generator. The SeaGen unit -successfully operating since 2008 in the narrows of Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland - is currently the only commercial turbine in the world hooked up and delivering energy to the grid. SeaGen produces 5 mega-watts, enough energy to power approximately 1500 households, and has minimal environmental impact.
The company’s marine science experts estimate approximately 2,000 mega-watts of in-stream energy can be safely extracted from the Bay of Fundy’s tidal flows. “Renewable energy resources of this magnitude cannot help but attract global attention from a social, political, financial and environmental perspective,” said Travers.
While he’s pleased the company received a tremendous response, he added there is still work to do.
“The reality is that the economic climate is not great at the moment, so we’re not getting cheques thrown at us yet. An important part of this exercise will be to follow up on the interest we’ve had from people throughout the EU.”
Travers also credits government, particularly the Province, for the success of Minas Basin in recent years and in Copenhagen. “Interdepartmental co-operation coupled with private sector input has prepared Nova Scotia for global leadership. It has sent clear messages to the international investment community that Nova Scotia is open for business.”
“But we also will need more leaders at the federal level to help leverage support for capital costs so we can all play in the Bay ethically, ” he said.
Travers’ trip to Copenhagen came days after a groundbreaking event for the Hantsport company as they were contracted to provide electricity to the Town of Berwick. Travers says they are looking forward to expanding this service and passing along savings to other municipal utilities such as Chester, Bridgewater and Antigonish.
Although Minas Basin Pulp and Power is one of the original developers of power generation, transmission and distribution in the province, the company has, “put a lot of effort over the past ten years to get changes made to the market so it can be more competitive.”
“We have shown that Nova Scotia Power is not the only company in the province that can buy and sell electricity.”
Blogger's Note: It does not report here whether these turbines have mechanisms to protect sea life, nor does it say what they plan to do about the raise in temperature to the sea water that turbines produce.
Article online since December 22nd 2009, 15:58
Minas Basin and tidal power on world stage
By Heather Desveaux
While Canada is enduring a tarnished reputation on the world stage when it comes to climate change commitments, there is a significant effort to ensure Nova Scotia will have a good name, according to Scott Travers, President and COO of Minas Basin Pulp and Paper.
“The Province of Nova Scotia put together a really good team representing the renewable energy projects we have to offer here. In fact, I’d say we had the best represented province in the country,” Travers said from Copenhagen last week.
Minas Basin is one of twelve Nova Scotia companies accompanying provincial officials led by Premier Darrell Dexter to Copenhagen to attend the recent UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The delegation went there to promote Nova Scotia’s green technology sector, in particular tidal energy and LED lighting, and to demonstrate the province’s commitment to reducing and mitigating climate change.
“As we establish our common path for the future and take our place with the rest of the world, Minas has been committing and will continue to commit its resources in this international race to stabilize earth’s climate,” said Travers.
While government officials also took time in Denmark to explore new sustainable energy projects to potentially try on in Nova Scotia, Travers says there was no time for his team to attend anything but meetings with the investment community.
‘We were also registered to take part in the larger, more political, COP15 conference, but our real focus is to bring the dollars home.”
To Travers, this means investment in the company’s efforts in tidal energy; in particular, its key role in the development of North America’s first tidal power site, the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE). In addition to renewable energy, the project is expected to generate a continuous flow of economic prosperity, including job creation and attracting global expertise to the region.
“The people we have met from the EU really didn’t have any idea about our tidal resources,” said Travers. The Bay of Fundy’s tides are ten times the height of tides in Copenhagen.
“When we present our company’s history to an international audience - that we’ve been around since 1927 and we’ve consistently delivered renewable sources since then- together with the incredible people resources and natural resources here, it is a really good story to tell.”
The company’s St. Croix hydroelectric plant has been producing green energy in West Hants since 1935. The addition of wind turbines, recycled paper and plastic waste to carbon marketing to its operations support the company’s progressive steps to address long-term sustainability. Then there is its recent partnership with Marine Current Turbines’ technically advanced SeaGen tidal generator. The SeaGen unit -successfully operating since 2008 in the narrows of Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland - is currently the only commercial turbine in the world hooked up and delivering energy to the grid. SeaGen produces 5 mega-watts, enough energy to power approximately 1500 households, and has minimal environmental impact.
The company’s marine science experts estimate approximately 2,000 mega-watts of in-stream energy can be safely extracted from the Bay of Fundy’s tidal flows. “Renewable energy resources of this magnitude cannot help but attract global attention from a social, political, financial and environmental perspective,” said Travers.
While he’s pleased the company received a tremendous response, he added there is still work to do.
“The reality is that the economic climate is not great at the moment, so we’re not getting cheques thrown at us yet. An important part of this exercise will be to follow up on the interest we’ve had from people throughout the EU.”
Travers also credits government, particularly the Province, for the success of Minas Basin in recent years and in Copenhagen. “Interdepartmental co-operation coupled with private sector input has prepared Nova Scotia for global leadership. It has sent clear messages to the international investment community that Nova Scotia is open for business.”
“But we also will need more leaders at the federal level to help leverage support for capital costs so we can all play in the Bay ethically, ” he said.
Travers’ trip to Copenhagen came days after a groundbreaking event for the Hantsport company as they were contracted to provide electricity to the Town of Berwick. Travers says they are looking forward to expanding this service and passing along savings to other municipal utilities such as Chester, Bridgewater and Antigonish.
Although Minas Basin Pulp and Power is one of the original developers of power generation, transmission and distribution in the province, the company has, “put a lot of effort over the past ten years to get changes made to the market so it can be more competitive.”
“We have shown that Nova Scotia Power is not the only company in the province that can buy and sell electricity.”
Blogger's Note: It does not report here whether these turbines have mechanisms to protect sea life, nor does it say what they plan to do about the raise in temperature to the sea water that turbines produce.
Environment vs Environment
From online wsj
BARSTOW, Calif. -- A California senator's move Monday to put more than one million acres of the Mojave Desert off limits to development is spotlighting a clash between two prime goals of environmentalists.
Before Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to create the Mojave Trails National Monument and other protected wilderness areas, solar-power developers had submitted nearly two dozen proposals since 2006 for projects that would make the Southern California desert the biggest solar farm on Earth.
California has set an ambitious target of garnering one-third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. That has sparked a renewable-development boom as utilities sign contracts for everything from solar farms to geothermal plants. It also has made it easier for developers to secure financing.
But some of the land solar developers consider prime real estate also is prized by conservationists who want to preserve unspoiled stretches of unique desert, such as the Sleeping Beauty Valley and Marble Mountains in the Mojave.
The conflicting visions for the Mojave are part of a broader struggle playing out as the nation embarks on a renewable-energy push. In Kansas, some of the last tall-grass prairie habitat could be threatened by wind farms in the Flint Hills area. More than 96% of tall-grass prairie has been destroyed. Critics say wind turbines not only have a visual impact on the landscape, but also require extensive road construction.
Mrs. Feinstein's Mojave bill would protect 1.7 million acres of desert, while still allowing current recreational uses. The biggest piece would form the Mojave Trails National Monument, at 941,000 acres, east of Los Angeles along a 105-mile stretch of historic Route 66. It also would create the Sand to Snow National Monument on 134,000 acres of federal land near Palm Springs, and would put additional acreage under wilderness protection, including important animal-migration corridors.
Mrs. Feinstein is a longtime supporter of desert preservation who sponsored the 1994 California Desert Protection Act that turned the nearby Death Valley and Joshua Tree wilderness areas into national parks. Once word spread that she was trying to protect another stretch of desert in the Mojave, some developers began to rethink their plans.
Tessera Solar, a Houston developer, dropped plans to develop a 5,000-acre site in the Mojave, "knowing Sen. Feinstein was moving forward with her bill," a company spokeswoman said.
BrightSource Energy signed power-purchase agreements with Southern California Edison, a unit of Edison International, and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., a unit of PG&E Corp., for 2,600 megawatts of power it intends to furnish from numerous desert sites beginning in 2013.
John Woolard, chief executive of BrightSource, said Mrs. Feinstein "got quite upset" when she learned development was proposed on some pristine tracts under federal control. His company decided to forgo plans to build a solar project in the Broadwell Dry Lake area that would be within the proposed monument boundaries. However, he warned that putting parts of the Mojave off limits "would push solar farms out of state."
Others have also complained that California's aggressive renewable-energy target, combined with tough land-protection laws, could end up sparking a renewable-energy boom in neighboring Nevada or Arizona.
Mrs. Feinstein's bill attempts to find common ground between developers and those who support renewable energy. Although it prohibits energy development within the monument area, the bill includes provisions that would allow faster and cheaper development of private lands. Instead of taking seven to nine years to do endangered-species act reviews on private land, renewable-energy developers would qualify for reviews taking 18 months to three years.
California's own analysis shows it needs 128,000 acres of desert terrain to fulfill the state mandate for a big boost in utility-scale solar projects. But there currently are projects proposed that would utilize nearly a million acres.
David Myers, the executive director of Wildlands Conservancy, the chief critic of Mojave development, said the legislation is "fantastic" because it redirects activity from sensitive areas to land that already has been degraded by prior use, such as cattle grazing or alfalfa cultivation. His organization donated 600,000 acres in the Mojave to the federal government in stages from 1999 to 2003, with the understanding that it would be permanently protected. Mr. Myers was furious when applications began pouring into the Bureau of Land Management seeking permission to develop it into renewable-energy parks -- as though there were no prior understanding.
The Mojave is particularly attractive because it not only offers nearly uninterrupted days of bright sunshine in a sparsely populated area, but lies near a major electric-transmission corridor from California to Nevada.
"We don't have to sacrifice our national treasures for renewable energy," Mr. Myers said. "We need both."
Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith@wsj.com
BARSTOW, Calif. -- A California senator's move Monday to put more than one million acres of the Mojave Desert off limits to development is spotlighting a clash between two prime goals of environmentalists.
Before Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to create the Mojave Trails National Monument and other protected wilderness areas, solar-power developers had submitted nearly two dozen proposals since 2006 for projects that would make the Southern California desert the biggest solar farm on Earth.
California has set an ambitious target of garnering one-third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. That has sparked a renewable-development boom as utilities sign contracts for everything from solar farms to geothermal plants. It also has made it easier for developers to secure financing.
But some of the land solar developers consider prime real estate also is prized by conservationists who want to preserve unspoiled stretches of unique desert, such as the Sleeping Beauty Valley and Marble Mountains in the Mojave.
The conflicting visions for the Mojave are part of a broader struggle playing out as the nation embarks on a renewable-energy push. In Kansas, some of the last tall-grass prairie habitat could be threatened by wind farms in the Flint Hills area. More than 96% of tall-grass prairie has been destroyed. Critics say wind turbines not only have a visual impact on the landscape, but also require extensive road construction.
Mrs. Feinstein's Mojave bill would protect 1.7 million acres of desert, while still allowing current recreational uses. The biggest piece would form the Mojave Trails National Monument, at 941,000 acres, east of Los Angeles along a 105-mile stretch of historic Route 66. It also would create the Sand to Snow National Monument on 134,000 acres of federal land near Palm Springs, and would put additional acreage under wilderness protection, including important animal-migration corridors.
Mrs. Feinstein is a longtime supporter of desert preservation who sponsored the 1994 California Desert Protection Act that turned the nearby Death Valley and Joshua Tree wilderness areas into national parks. Once word spread that she was trying to protect another stretch of desert in the Mojave, some developers began to rethink their plans.
Tessera Solar, a Houston developer, dropped plans to develop a 5,000-acre site in the Mojave, "knowing Sen. Feinstein was moving forward with her bill," a company spokeswoman said.
BrightSource Energy signed power-purchase agreements with Southern California Edison, a unit of Edison International, and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., a unit of PG&E Corp., for 2,600 megawatts of power it intends to furnish from numerous desert sites beginning in 2013.
John Woolard, chief executive of BrightSource, said Mrs. Feinstein "got quite upset" when she learned development was proposed on some pristine tracts under federal control. His company decided to forgo plans to build a solar project in the Broadwell Dry Lake area that would be within the proposed monument boundaries. However, he warned that putting parts of the Mojave off limits "would push solar farms out of state."
Others have also complained that California's aggressive renewable-energy target, combined with tough land-protection laws, could end up sparking a renewable-energy boom in neighboring Nevada or Arizona.
Mrs. Feinstein's bill attempts to find common ground between developers and those who support renewable energy. Although it prohibits energy development within the monument area, the bill includes provisions that would allow faster and cheaper development of private lands. Instead of taking seven to nine years to do endangered-species act reviews on private land, renewable-energy developers would qualify for reviews taking 18 months to three years.
California's own analysis shows it needs 128,000 acres of desert terrain to fulfill the state mandate for a big boost in utility-scale solar projects. But there currently are projects proposed that would utilize nearly a million acres.
David Myers, the executive director of Wildlands Conservancy, the chief critic of Mojave development, said the legislation is "fantastic" because it redirects activity from sensitive areas to land that already has been degraded by prior use, such as cattle grazing or alfalfa cultivation. His organization donated 600,000 acres in the Mojave to the federal government in stages from 1999 to 2003, with the understanding that it would be permanently protected. Mr. Myers was furious when applications began pouring into the Bureau of Land Management seeking permission to develop it into renewable-energy parks -- as though there were no prior understanding.
The Mojave is particularly attractive because it not only offers nearly uninterrupted days of bright sunshine in a sparsely populated area, but lies near a major electric-transmission corridor from California to Nevada.
"We don't have to sacrifice our national treasures for renewable energy," Mr. Myers said. "We need both."
Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith@wsj.com
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