The Council of State has definitively blocked a wind farm development project on 14 islets in the Cyclades and Dodecanese islands, canceling producer licenses renewed by the Regulatory Authority for Energy. The areas are biodiversity hotspots hosting threatened bird species. The project would have installed wind turbines on islets and rocky outcrops near Anafi, Astypalaia, Nisyros, Amorgos and Leros. The Environment Ministry had already rejected environmental licensing in May 2021, citing negative assessments and critical gaps in ecological studies.

The Laramie County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday denied a controversial wind energy development proposal three times the size of Cheyenne after getting an earful from dozens of county residents opposed to the project. The Laramie Range Wind Project, backed by Spanish energy giant Repsol, had a long line of people speaking out against the project, claiming the up to 170 wind turbines could disturb local wildlife and become an eyesore. After a more than four-hour hearing, the commission voted the project down in a 3-1 vote.

The Grundy County Board rejected a Brisbin Solar project being pitched for an area near the Brisbin Road interchange along Interstate 80 on Tuesday, following recommendations from both the zoning board of appeals and land use committees. Those recommendations came after municipalities like Morris, legislators like state Sens. Chris Balkema, R-Channahon and Sue Rezin, R-Morris, and organizations like the Grundy Economic Development Commission issued objections. Brisbin Solar wants to use 15.27 acres of a 28.27-acre plot of land in Saratoga Township for a two megawatt solar farm that would provide $9,637 per year over the full life of the project. The solar farm itself would only occupy 13.09 acres of the land.

A plan for a solar farm that developers said could generate enough power for an Oxfordshire town has been rejected. AMPYR Solar Europe applied to build the 30MW farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) on agricultural land off Witney Road in Brize Norton, near the Grade II* listed wedding venue Caswell House...The council's Lowlands Area planning committee dismissed it earlier. Nine councillors voted to reject it and three abstained. One councillor was opposed to the rejection.

The Pipestone County Board of Appeals, during their Aug. 28 meeting, denied a variance that would have allowed Pivot Energy MN Solar 24 LLC, which is owned by US Solar, to build a 1 megawatt (MW) community solar garden less than 400 feet from the foundation of a non-participating occupied dwelling, as required by the county’s zoning ordinance. Emily Neuharth, project developer with US Solar, said the nearest property would have been about 155 feet from the solar garden...About a dozen people attended the public hearing, held to take comments on the variance request. Nine people spoke during the hearing and all of them, except Remund and his son, were opposed to the solar garden. They expressed concerns about a potential negative impact on property values and aesthetics, as well as the glare of the sun off the panels and potential health effects from the electromagnetic field generated by a solar garden. “We have a backyard and we sit back there and we can see rural land and we love it out there,” said Mark Mahik, who lives nearby. “I don’t really want to look at a solar farm every day.”...In addition to the comments at the hearing, the city of Pipestone submitted a letter opposing the variance, citing the opposition of residents in the area, the potential to hinder future residential development in the area and potential damage to city streets.

Large wind and solar farms are now restricted from being built in the unincorporated areas of all of Clark County’s 10 townships for at least two years. Clark County commissioners approved Wednesday by a 2-1 vote to restrict “all large wind farms, large solar farms or economically significant wind farm facility developments as described in substitute Senate Bill 52 ... excluding all brownfield, landfill, barrel fill and contiguous land proposed within the restricted areas” for two years expiring on Dec. 31, 2027. This resolution will go into effect in 30 days...Commissioners previously received resolutions from the boards of trustees of Bethel, German, Green, Harmony, Mad River, Madison, Moorefield, Pike, Pleasant and Springfield townships to prohibit the building of any large wind farm, large solar farm or an economically significant wind farm facility in their respective townships...“I’m not proposing to ban solar forever ... I think we need to listen to the township trustees, which means I feel like we need to take some action tonight based on 10 of 10 townships following our process that we passed,” Patterson said.

Large wind and solar farms are now restricted from being built in the unincorporated areas of all of Clark County’s 10 townships for at least two years. Clark County commissioners approved Wednesday by a 2-1 vote to restrict “all large wind farms, large solar farms or economically significant wind farm facility developments as described in substitute Senate Bill 52 ... excluding all brownfield, landfill, barrel fill and contiguous land proposed within the restricted areas” for two years expiring on Dec. 31, 2027. This resolution will go into effect in 30 days...Commissioners previously received resolutions from the boards of trustees of Bethel, German, Green, Harmony, Mad River, Madison, Moorefield, Pike, Pleasant and Springfield townships to prohibit the building of any large wind farm, large solar farm or an economically significant wind farm facility in their respective townships...“I’m not proposing to ban solar forever ... I think we need to listen to the township trustees, which means I feel like we need to take some action tonight based on 10 of 10 townships following our process that we passed,” Patterson said.

Plans for a contentious Midlands wind farm project have been rejected. Seskin Renewable Energy Limited applied to erect eight wind turbines with a ground to blade tip height of 175m and a blade length of 75m. Both Laois and Kilkenny County Councils rejected the plans due to the "size and scale" of the proposed development. Issues around Seskin's approach to their grid connection requirements, and the "significant" works required in Durrow town centre were also cited in their decisions. The project has been the subject of sustained community opposition with public meetings and roadside protests taking place in Durrow and Ballinaslee last month.

Bethel Township’s zoning hearing board on Tuesday denied a proposed 5,000 solar panel farm situated in Bethel and Swatara townships. It’s unknown if the project, proposed by German multinational energy conglomerate RWE, will still move forward on the portion of land in Swatara Township. The proposed conditional-use variance for the project lost by a 2-1 vote at a Sept. 2 zoning hearing board meeting. Board chairman Gary Lentz and member Wesley Harding Jr. voted against the project and Richard Rabuck voted in favor...“I have a personal conviction that these solar farms should not be on agricultural (zoned ground),” Lentz said. “I think it should be on commercial zoned lands.”...The conditional-use variance was sought by the German-based company because solar farms are only permitted in Bethel Township on lands zoned as C-1 (retail business), C-2 (highway commercial), and M (manufacturing), a policy that was adopted by township officials in 2023, according to Hollenbach. The proposed facility would have been built at 80 Fortna Road on part of a 122-acre farm owned by the Fortna family. An RWE official said during the hearing that the panels would be situated on about 30 of the 68 acres needed for the project.

A plan for a battery electricity storage site on Rossendale green belt land, east of the Scout Moor wind farm and said to be important for clean energy’s growth, has been refused by councillors. The refusal coincided with a government announcement this week, saying the battery site plan could potentially be called-in for scrutiny at a higher level. The plan by Cubico UK Development Ltd for a battery energy storage system on land at Rochdale Road and Bamford Road, near Turn village, has been refused by Rossendale Council’s development committee. In a vote, the majority of councillors rejected it. Their reasons including protecting the green belt, site access, road safety and the potential impact on a nearby school for children with special needs. They believed better sites elsewhere could be found.