North Carolina Senate Votes to Ban Wind Projects on Ridge Lines. By Kate Galbraith, NYTimes, August 7, 2009. "The North Carolina State Senate has voted overwhelmingly to ban large wind turbines from the state's scenic western ridgelines. The 42-1 vote on Thursday represents the strongest stand against wind turbines taken by lawmakers in any state. The bill [PDF, 6 pp] would amend a 1983 'ridge law' to allow only turbines that are 100 feet or smaller to be placed on ridgelines above 3,000 feet. This effectively bars industrial-sized turbines -- which can reach several hundred feet in height -- from the windy mountaintops. The bill has been sent to the state's House of Representatives for consideration. However, the House is due to adjourn in a few days, so the debate is likely to resume after the legislature returns next May, according to Brandon R. Blevins, the wind program coordinator for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. If the bill becomes law, it would 'virtually ban two-thirds of the onshore wind resource in N.C.,' he said in an e-mail message. The Senate action in North Carolina is the first time a state legislative body has voted to ban turbines, according to Christine Real de Azua, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association. New Jersey had a temporary moratorium on offshore wind projects while the state studied the matter, but now New Jersey is moving ahead with offshore projects, she said."
2009-08-11
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