We feel that the issue of banning wind turbines and wind farms has become important enough that we need to keep tabs on what’s going on out there. If you would like to help please feel free to comment and leave updates of places you have seen that are banning wind turbines, thinking about it or having votes on the situation. Typically to ban a wind turbine it takes a string of official votes by cities, counties, states and different trade commissions. Depending on what country the banning is taking place it is obviously going to be a little bit different of a process. The proceedings normally result in an ordinance against wind turbines that is made on a city or county level. We are all in this together and we will cover all countries that are considering bans on turbines or heavy handed taxes or regulations on wind farms.

For now we’ll just list links to stories covering the specific banning issue in depth and do a quick synopsis of what you can expect to find on the other side of that link.

WATCH LIST

Wind Turbine or Wind Farm Banning Issues

December 5th, 2012: The Town of Poughkeepsie located in Dutchess County, New York, United States has temporarily suspended people from installing wind turbines and solar panels at their homes. The first issue with installing wind turbines or solar panels is that they feel, “Ill-planned wind and solar power facilities may significantly reduce or impair the visual quality of residential and non-residential areas.” The statements come from a Zoning Office document that was accessible online. The tipping point for the town was when one member of the community wanted to install solar panels in their front yard which some resident felt, “would detract from the appearance of the neighborhood.” In regards to installing wind turbines for generating extra electricity a man named Alistair Hall, Sustainability Assistant to the Resource Conservation Fund at Vassar said in MisscellanyNews.com, “As I understand it, frankly, wind power in the Poughkeepsie area isn’t a useful option. We don’t have strong enough wind potential for it to be really effective.” Stories covering this issue are listed below:

http://www.miscellanynews.com/2.1576/town-board-considers-banning-wind-turbines-solar-panels
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20121205/NEWS01/312050011/Town-Poughkeepsie-wants-timeout-wind-solar-power

November 6th, 2012: Hampshire County, England is considering a ban on wind farms and wind turbines on all land owned by the Hampshire County Council. The voting election is scheduled for vote on November 6th, 2012. Specifics can be found here. Stories covering this issue are listed below:

October 10th, 2012: Kerry County Council in Rathass, Tralee Ireland is looking to impose a complete ban on wind farms in a specific area. Currently cities like Castleisland, Ballydesmond and Tralee would be effected all around the Mount Eagle area. The reason for the ban? EU regulations on special protection areas for the Hen Harrier which is a rare bird of prey under protection. Spokesman in the wind industry say that this ban could shut down a very significant portion of wind turbines (225 turbines) that have been in place for a long time.
Stories covering this issue are listed below:

October 18th, 2012: Anglesey, United Kingdom area is facing wind turbine bans due to petitions filed by a group called, “Anglesey Against Wind Turbines (AAWT). A total of 8,000 people have signed the wind turbine banning petition to keep their island and area free of turbines. They said in a statement, “The council has a duty to respect the wishes of its citizens, where planning is concerned. No-one wants the island to become a giant wind farm by default. Allow commercial turbines to be shoved up across the island and that’s what you’d get.”
Stories covering this issue are listed below:

March 2012 / August 26th, 2012: Litchfield, New York has been experiencing a year of controversy with banning commercial wind turbines in the area. The original ban started after a Town Board ruling of 4-1 to ban in March 2012, “construction of industrial wind turbines.” The Law is called Wind Energy Facilities Law and is very long 36 page document that lists issues with having wind turbines. A summary of those issues are things like Aesthetics, Disruption of Landscape, Traffic Problems & Potential Erosion.

While it seems the law passed just fine problems have popped up with residents who feel cheated out of the freedom of having wind turbines on their land. A lawsuit was filed by 5 residents in Litchfield, NY claiming the new law, “wrongfully and effectively banned” wind energy development in the area. The residents are upset because they say, “If they don’t put them here, they’re going to put them somewhere else.”

Some social media campaigns run by residents & other organziations have put together Facebook & Twitter campaigns and accounts to show their support for wind turbines and wind energy support in Litchfield, NY. The Facebook page is called, “Litchfield Residents for Wind Energy” and their cause is stated as, “We are a group of Litchfield residents and friends that are the quiet majority in favor of a potential wind farm in town.” The Twitter account is @LitchfieldWind and seems to be directly associated with the Facebook page. The Twitter statement says, “We are residents that support renewable wind energy. The town of Litchfield, NY is currently developing a wind ordinance for a potential wind project.”
Stories covering this issue are listed below:

February 2nd, 2012: Springfield-Sangamon County Illinois submits changes to consider an update to their Sangamon County Wide Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) Ordinance. The original ordinance was approved in 2006 and was put on the ballot initiatives for elections to decide whether it should be amended. In the Daily Kos a representative of Sangamon Wind was interviewed and said that if the new guidelines are approved it would effectively ban wind turbines in Sangamon County IL. The changes in the ordinance have to do with the locations of wind turbines and their distance from structures or neighboring property lines. Perimeter distances are getting worse and proposals are making it look like a dire place for the wind business which is really bad news for Sangamon Wind.
Stories covering this issue are listed below:

August 2012: San Diego County faces some kickback from residents in East County that are concerned with wildfires created by wind turbines. An editorial was written by Miriam Raftery the Editor of East County Magazine. In the editorial Mr. Raftery sites how the San Diego Democratic Central Committee passed a measure asking for more firefighting resources but removed a key part of the legislation that would have banned wind turbines due to fire danger. An article is cited from BDN Maine about Forest Fires being caused by wind turbines. Multiple incidents of wind turbine fires spreading into fields & large acreages is referred to throughout the opinion piece. This certainly sheds light on a battle brewing in the San Diego, California region that could end up banning wind turbines due to their fire risk and their safety when that situation happens.
Stories covering this issue are listed below:

November 7th, 2012: Medina, MN had an amended ordinance that banned any type of wind turbine on residential property. It was suggested in City Council meetings that changes or exceptions should be investigated for more rural residents. Everyone agreed that by November 10th, 2012 they will come back to the table repealing the moratorium on the turbine ban and set regulations to allow them on residential property. The new ordinance says a residence must have 20 acres or more, produce no more than 10 kilowatts of electricity and needs to be 150 feet from structure and about 300 feet from the property line.
Stories covering this issue are listed below: