Harpswell voters gave a strong endorsement for the construction of a $2 million boat launch at George J. Mitchell Field, rejected a proposal to allow a solar farm on the same property, and backed Democratic candidates for federal, state and county offices on Election Day...The vote to deny the Harpswell Select Board authorization to lease up to 5 acres of Mitchell Field to a solar developer for up to 25 years was 2,344 to 1,393. The Select Board had recommended that residents vote down the proposal, citing low revenue potential and an apparent lack of community support...In the presidential election, Harpswell voters cast 2,351 ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris to 1,458 for former President Donald Trump, with 29 votes for Green Independent candidate Jill Stein.

Recent energy storage fires in San Diego led to one of the region’s cities imposing a ban on new energy storage projects – such steps emphasize the need for the storage sector to do everything possible to mitigate fire risk. Earlier this year, it emerged that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is to tighten battery energy storage safety regulations due to heightened community concern after a number of major battery fires in the region.

Plans to store energy in batteries on greenbelt land near Eaglesham have been thrown out over fears about the potential fire risk. Over 250 objections to the scheme were sent to East Renfrewshire Council, but planners had recommended it could go ahead. Councillors voted to reject the project, though, raising concerns over the risk of fire from lithium-ion batteries. They also questioned the site’s appropriateness and said the energy is “not necessarily from renewable sources.” Cheshire-based GPC 1137 Ltd wanted to build and run a 40MW battery energy storage facility on greenbelt, agricultural land at the east side of Glasgow Road, Eaglesham.

A regulator has denied the Westlock Solar Project, a proposed 24-megawatt installation on prime farmland in central Alberta, ruling that its negative economic and social impacts outweigh its environmental benefits. The decision is in line with Alberta’s cautious stance toward clean energy, highlighted by its recent moratorium on new renewable projects across the province until early 2024 and the continuing regulatory confusion since. Proposed by Acestes Power UCL, the solar project would have been built on Class 2 land—a highly productive category suitable for irrigated crops, second only to Class 1 [pdf]. Acestes estimated the project would generate enough renewable energy to power 7,000 homes and create 100 jobs, though it would have required changing the land’s crop production to a sheep grazing operation to accommodate the solar panels. In its decision, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) cited a February letter [pdf] from Alberta’s Minister of Affordability and Utilities, Nathan Neudorf, conveying the province’s “agriculture first approach” to renewable projects.

"Sweden has rejected plans to build 13 offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea, citing security concerns.The farms were intended to be located off the Åland Islands in the north along the entire east coast down to Öresund. The government believes that building the projects in question in the Baltic Sea area would have unacceptable consequences for Sweden's defence. Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said at a press conference that the wind farms would make it harder to detect and shoot down missiles using Sweden's Patriot batteries in case of a conflict."

Dozens of onshore wind projects planned for the La Guajira peninsula have been canceled or long-delayed because Indigenous groups have not approved construction. "If Colombia doesn't really make an effort to facilitate the dialogues between the communities and the developers, mainly in La Guajira, then Colombia will be at least 33% less competitive than the rest of Latin America," said Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) lead energy specialist, Christiaan Gischler.

After previously having imposed six-month moratorium on the review and approval of applications and permits for battery energy storage systems (BESS), the Carmel Town Board has now passed a local law that bans large-scale BESS installations while allowing the installation of smaller battery packages used at residences and businesses.

Residents who spoke during a three-hour public forum last week oppose commercial wind turbines coming to Jackson County and asked elected officials to include tough restrictions in an ordinance that is under consideration. Some of the restrictions under consideration by the commission include site cleanup, at least a 1,500-foot setback from neighboring property lines, regular bird fatality studies, and more. Garnering much applause from the audience, the commission on a 5-2 vote also approved 5-mile setbacks on either side of roads that are part of state-designated scenic drives in Jackson County. This includes the Grant Wood Scenic Byway, the 68-mile route from the Mississippi River to Highway 64 through the county. The setback also includes the county’s portion of the Iowa Great River Road, which parallels the Mississippi River. About 150 people attended the meeting of the Jackson County Zoning Commission at Ohnward Fine Arts Center on Oct. 22. Seventeen shared their concerns about such things as setbacks, appropriate noise decibel levels, turbine decommissioning and waste storage, possible watershed damage, and more.

As of mid-September, nearly 5,000 megawatts (MW) of battery systems are in place in the Lone Star State, putting it second nationwide behind California. By 2026, Texas is projected to leap ahead of the Golden State in battery storage, thanks to ambitious new projects aimed at boosting the state's energy resources...But batteries aren't welcome in every situation. Earlier this month, the Katy City Council unanimously rejected a proposal from Vesper Energy that would put another 500 MW into the state.

Citing safety concerns, city leaders have imposed a temporary ban on new battery energy storage system facilities, commonly known as BESS, as they move to update zoning regulations. On Oct. 9, the City Council unanimously approved an interim ordinance prohibiting any new commercial BESS sites within city limits. The moratorium, initially set for 45 days, could be extended up to 10 months and 15 days as officials draft new regulations...Concerns about BESS facilities largely focus on public safety and economic development. Managed remotely with minimal onsite staff, these facilities create static land use, posing potential risks like fires, explosions, and “thermal runaway” events that are challenging to control. The urgency behind the moratorium followed a recent fire at a San Diego Gas & Electric BESS facility on Enterprise Street in Escondido, which prompted evacuations of nearby businesses and schools. The fire burned out within 12 hours, but the event heightened concerns, especially in light of a separate BESS facility fire in Otay Mesa earlier this year that lasted 17 days. A week prior to the Escondido BESS fire, the City Council passed a resolution opposing large-scale BESS projects near Escondido.