Wind Power

Days after state environmental officials found unacceptable noise levels from wind turbines in Falmouth, they are considering new regulations that would require the state to review potential noise issues before wind turbines are built in Massachusetts. The state might also conduct sound studies in other communities, such as Fairhaven and Kingston, where residents, as in Falmouth, have complained about newly installed turbines, officials said. A panel of independent scientists and doctors, convened by the state to look at the effects of wind turbines on the health of nearby residents, urged the...

RE " STATE moves to shut turbine over noise levels: Step may boost wind-power foes " (Page A1, May 16): A wind turbine in Falmouth that is too noisy will be shut down at night? Well, highways and airports are noisy too, and they, more than turbines, are often near housing. So we should shut them down at night as well, right? Wait, I heard that. You just said, "But we need highways and airports. " So what makes you think we don't need wind turbines? R. Philip Dowds Cambridge

For the first time since the state began promoting wind power, environmental officials have recommended shutting down a wind turbine because of elevated noise levels that they described as unacceptable to local residents. The state Department of Environmental Protection, in a long-awaited response to Falmouth residents' complaints about noise from two turbines, released a report Tuesday finding that one turbine less than 1,500 feet from the nearest home repeatedly exceeded allowable noise levels.

Days after state environmental officials found unacceptable noise levels from wind turbines in Falmouth, they are considering new regulations that would require the state to review potential noise issues before wind turbines are built in Massachusetts. The state might also conduct sound studies in other communities, such as Fairhaven and Kingston, where residents, as in Falmouth, have complained about newly installed turbines, officials said. A panel of independent scientists and doctors, convened by the state to look at the effects of wind turbines on the health of nearby...

A sensible wind turbine project collapsed recently under the weight of baseless concerns by neighbors in the Squantum section of Quincy and political skittishness in Quincy City Hall. Buried in the process is a great opportunity to generate clean energy, create new jobs, and reduce municipal energy budgets. More than two years ago, officials from both Boston and Quincy were hailing a joint undertaking to take advantage of the favorable winds on Boston Harbor's Moon Island, which is owned by Boston but located within Quincy's city limits.

Opponents of a wind power project being built on a ridge in Lowell in northern Vermont came to the State House yesterday to express their concerns to lawmakers. The group Energize Vermont organized the event, which included the showing of a film decrying wind power development on mountain ridges. An organizer says that more than 100 came to the event; about 40 filled the House gallery at one point to watch the proceedings. Green Mountain Power is developing the 21-turbine project in Lowell.

With four grid-scale wind projects already built in Maine and another two under construction, the state is poised to surpass an important milestone as it moves toward its 2015 wind-power-generation goal. After last week's ribbon-cutting at the Rollins wind farm in Penobscot County, Maine has four major wind farms. Rollins will soon join the others in generating power. Construction is underway at two more, Spruce Mountain in Woodstock and Record Hill near Rumford. Power produced from all of the completed projects, along with an approved portion of another planned wind farm in Aroostook County,...

Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a bill designed to streamline the permitting of facilities that turn wind power into energy. The House voted 101 to 52 in favor of the measure, following a debate that stretched over two days. Opponents had gathered at the State House to pressure legislators to reject the measure, which they said would take away local control of the projects. Supporters defended the bill, saying it actually preserves local control. They say it’s easier to get a permit for a fossil fuel power plant in Massachusetts than for a wind turbine.

The U.S. says China has ended certain subsidies to Chinese wind turbine manufacturers after Washington filed a case to the World Trade Organization. The case was filed in December in response to a petition from the United Steelworkers union, which alleged that the subsidies allowed Chinese businesses to sell the equipment cheaper than their international competitors. The U.S. estimates the grants provided under a special wind power equipment fund since 2008 could have totaled several hundred million dollars.

Frankfort has become the latest Maine town to approve a local wind power ordinance. Thursday's vote was held in response to residents' concerns about a proposed four- to six-turbine wind farm that Eolian Renewable Energy proposed building on a privately owned parcel on top of Mount Waldo. Residents voted 244-222 in favor of the ordinance, which creates setback restrictions and strict limits on allowable noise levels. The Bangor Daily News ( http://bit.ly/u2kXVe) says the ordinance proposal created tension between opponents and supporters in the weeks leading up to...

Days after state environmental officials found unacceptable noise levels from wind turbines in Falmouth, they are considering new regulations that would require the state to review potential noise issues before wind turbines are built in Massachusetts. The state might also conduct sound studies in other communities, such as Fairhaven and Kingston, where residents, as in Falmouth, have complained about newly installed turbines, officials said. A panel of independent scientists and doctors, convened by the state to look at the effects of wind turbines on the health of nearby residents, urged the...

BERLIN, Conn. — The new chief executive of Northeast Utilities said Wednesday that New England's largest utility has its work cut out for it following two storms last year that damaged power lines and the company's reputation. Chief executive Thomas J. May told reporters he is reassuring customers and regulators that Northeast Utilities has learned from last year's problems that resulted from a tropical storm in late August and a freak snow storm two months later. Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power for as long as 11 days after the October...

For the first time since the state began promoting wind power, environmental officials have recommended shutting down a wind turbine because of elevated noise levels that they described as unacceptable to local residents. The state Department of Environmental Protection, in a long-awaited response to Falmouth residents' complaints about noise from two turbines, released a report Tuesday finding that one turbine less than 1,500 feet from the nearest home repeatedly exceeded allowable noise levels.

WASHINGTON - A 380-mile underwater power line to serve wind farms planned off the East Coast cleared a regulatory hurdle Monday, though construction is years away. The Atlantic Wind Connection would enable up to 7,000 megawatts of electricity to be produced at offshore wind farms from Virginia to New Jersey. Google Inc. and other investors have pledged up to $5 billion for a network of transmission lines for offshore wind farms. The Interior Department said no competitor had proposed a similar project, allowing Atlantic Wind to move forward knowing it is likely to secure a federal...

Electric car owners who prided themselves on being green now find themselves in a bind as Japan's government maneuvers to restart dozens of nuclear power plants idled after last year's meltdowns. For decades, nuclear generation has been a crucial source of power here, but the tsunami-triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant have spurred a national debate over how to supply Japan's electricity in the future. Long touted as a clean, zero-emission alternative to vehicles powered by dirty fossil fuels, electric cars are now at risk of being tainted by their association with...

It is the Achilles heel of wind power: When the blades on a large turbine break, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to arrange the cranes, technicians, and replacement parts to fix them. The expense rises when the failure occurs offshore, making the reliability of a turbine vital to wind projects such as those planned off Cape Cod. But the sprawling Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown, built with state and federal dollars at a cost of about $40 million, aims to help the wind industry develop turbines better able to survive gale-force winds,...

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar vowed yesterday to spur offshore wind projects in the Atlantic Ocean by expediting permits and identifying promising areas for wind power. At a speech in Baltimore, Salazar said he will institute a “smart permitting process’’ that could result in leases issued within two years, instead of seven years or more. Salazar and developers of the nation’s first offshore wind farm signed a lease last month launching the 130-turbine Cape Wind project off Massachusetts, following an eight-year federal review.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Windmills off the East Coast could generate enough electricity to replace most, if not all, the coal-fired power plants in the United States, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said yesterday. But those numbers were challenged as "overly optimistic" by a coal industry group, which noted that half the nation's electricity currently comes from coal-fired power plants. The secretary spoke at a public hearing in Atlantic City on how the nation's offshore areas can be tapped to meet America's energy needs.

A sensible wind turbine project collapsed recently under the weight of baseless concerns by neighbors in the Squantum section of Quincy and political skittishness in Quincy City Hall. Buried in the process is a great opportunity to generate clean energy, create new jobs, and reduce municipal energy budgets. More than two years ago, officials from both Boston and Quincy were hailing a joint undertaking to take advantage of the favorable winds on Boston Harbor's Moon Island, which is owned by Boston but located within Quincy's city limits.

Strong winds downed tree branches across the state today, resulting in power outages for thousands of customers. The weather also forced the cancellation of some ferry service to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard as a strong low-pressure system generated gusts topping 60 miles an hour. Approximately 650 National Grid customers were still without power at 11 p.m., according the company's website. ‘‘The numbers have been bouncing up and down all day," Graves said. ‘‘It's mostly tree branches that have come down and tripped breakers...