The federal government rejected a Victorian proposal to expand the Port of Hastings, paving the way for a wind farm, as it would harm wetlands and marine wildlife. Advocates say federal environment laws could be overhauled to allow consideration of the potential for projects to mitigate climate change.

Throughout 2024, An Bord Pleanála rejected planning applications for 12 wind farms, representing a total estimated combined capacity of 677MW. Around 30 projects - totalling 1,598MW - were still awaiting a decision at the end of 2024.

Plans for a solar farm and battery storage system in a Nottinghamshire village have been rejected. The application for the 65-acre site on land in Main Road, Kelham, near Newark, was decided at a Newark and Sherwood District Council meeting on Thursday. Councillors objected to the plans because of a loss of agricultural land, an increased risk of flooding on nearby roads and the fact there are already two other solar farms approved nearby.

Villagers say they are “delighted” after winning a planning battle to stop a 10-acre energy storage plant being built on farmland. Energy firm EcoDev was seeking permission to erect a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility off Foxhounds Lane, in Southfleet, which would have been in operation for around 40 years.It wanted to build the scheme, which included 140 battery units, 140 inverters, 70 transformers and a substation, on farmland between the village, Betsham and the A2. According to the planning documents, it would have had a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) powering more than 124,000 homes and acting as a “vital balancing service” to the National Grid. However, the scheme was rejected by Dartford council planning officers as there were no special circumstances to justify the development on the green belt. In their report, they stated it would be an “inappropriate development” and “significantly” harm the openness of the green belt due to amount of industrial equipment required. They added the extent of the scheme would conflict with the fundamental aim of national policy to protect the countryside from encroachment.

B.C. Hydro is expanding renewable energy but has rejected a proposed wind farm near Houston. The 5,000-hectare KLO site, southeast of the Bulkley Valley, was not granted a purchase agreement in last December’s call for power proposals. The project, still in the investigative stage, was one of 11 wind submissions denied.

Plans to build a solar farm close to the mound remains of a 12th Century castle have been rejected by a council on heritage grounds. The project would have seen five rows of solar panels installed in a field at Wormegay near King's Lynn, Norfolk, which would have generated about 691,000 kWh of energy a year and helped power a food processing plant. But the remains of Wormegay Castle have been classified as a "scheduled monument", with strict protection measures in place. The Planning Inspectorate said the castle was of "national importance" with the remains of a tower and buildings within the bailey, or courtyard, hidden underground.

The OPSB denied the application of Richwood Solar to construct a 250 MW solar-powered electric generating facility in Leesburg, Claibourne, and Taylor townships in Union County. The OPSB found that, based on the consistent opposition to the project from each of the local government entities and their constituents who are impacted, the proposed project would fail to serve the “public interest, convenience, and necessity” as required under Ohio law. The OPSB noted that each of the local governments with physical contact to the project – Union County and Taylor, Leesburg, and Claiborne townships – acted to oppose its approval, and that the public comments and testimony received in the case reinforced the local government opposition. The project as proposed would have consisted of large arrays of solar panels and a 50 MW battery energy storage system occupying 1,217 acres within a 1,435-acre project area.

In separate business, the OPSB denied the application for rehearing filed by Circleville Solar, LLC regarding its 70 MW Circleville Solar project in Pickaway County.

The Theewaterskloof Municipality (TWK) continues to fail its residents. So states a letter the Hermanus Times received from a concerned resident after TWK rejected a groundbreaking, off-grid, solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Caledon. Venter stated that the primary justifications for rejection were based on legislation such as the Rural and Spatial Guidelines and SPLUMA, drafted long before EVs and off-grid renewable solutions were viable considerations.

In Galicia, legal actions from locals and environmental groups have paralyzed wind energy development despite the region’s significant wind potential. Opposition, along with licensing issues, has halted 72 wind projects approved by the regional government, leading to a complete paralysis of new wind capacity installations from 2020 to 2023...Back to Galicia, 243 lawsuits have targeted 90 of the 137 planned projects with permits, including the 72 stalled so far.