The Clinton County Board of Supervisors on Monday again extended a moratorium that wind energy proponents say has effectively frozen development. Despite saying they want the year-long zoning ordinance revision process to end as soon as possible, Supervisors Erin George and Jim Irwin voted to add three more months to the moratorium on zoning change requests for utility-scale wind energy installations, with the option for three more. “I am committed to getting this done prior to that,” George said. “Absolutely,” said Irwin. Supervisor Dan Srp abstained, due to conflict of interest. Last June, the supervisors put in place the initial three-month moratorium to allow for review of the wind energy ordinance language that has been in place since 2008. The supervisors have extended the moratorium multiple times since then.

The Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission in May unanimously agreed to reject a utility-scale solar project on 960 acres of predominantly agricultural land, leaving the project by Boulder-based Juwi Inc. in limbo, “TBD.”...Roughly 120 people attended the public hearing for the project, which wrapped up after about three hours, at 8:52 p.m. Some residents supported the project, saying the county needed the money and the application went “above and beyond” what’s typically turned in. “The benefits outweigh the short-term impacts,” said another. Most community members who spoke opposed the project. “This will directly take 960 acres out of ag,” one person said. Another called the project “an insult to the land.” “There’s a potential to turn it into a wasteland,” they said, expressing fear that regeneration efforts would be in vain. “This land is for farming and ranching. That’s what this place does,” a speaker said. “Nobody lives in Montezuma County because they want to be rich.” A struggling farmer said, “You’re killing us.” Residents from Pleasant View shared their perspective as neighbors to a large-scale solar array under construction in Dolores County. “I urge you guys to drive out there and take in the magnitude of 800 acres of solar panels,” they said, adding that no one would like to live near that. A certified appraiser said the project stands to negatively impact property values, and Planning and Zoning board member Mike Doyla asked Kimmet whether landowners who would lease their property spoke that evening. Kimmet said no, and that many of the landowners don’t live locally.

A planning application for a massive 49.9 MW Perthshire solar farm - the size of around 140 football pitches - has been unanimously refused by Perth and Kinross councillors. Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) Planning and Placemaking Committee met to consider the application - submitted by Solar 2 Ltd - on Wednesday, June 11. Elected members upheld the reasons recommended for refusal by council planners that it would result in a "significant" loss of prime agricultural land and its "excessive" scale had not been fully justified.

The Wagoner County Board of Commissioners voted to deny a solar project that would have taken up hundreds of acres for solar panels between Porter and the Arkansas River. FOX23 has brought you coverage over the last few months on the Perisca Solar project, brought from the company NextEra. FOX23 told you last week when dozens of people filled the Wagoner County Commissioners chambers to speak out against the Persica Solar Farm project, set to be built on land between Porter and the Arkansas River....After more than three hours of open community discussion and debate, commissioners voted to deny the project in a 2:1 vote. Tim Kelley was the only commissioner to vote for the project, citing land owners should get to decide what they do with their own land. James Hanning and Randy Stamps voted to deny the project. Hanning was the only commissioner to speak with FOX23 after the meeting. "It was just a gut wrenching consideration and I feel for both sides,” Hanning said. “There was a lot of emotion and a lot of passion and good points on both sides and it was our job and our duty to listen to all sides and I think that's what we did, I think it went very fair."

Recommended for denial amid public fear of lithium battery fires and vocal local opposition. Officials expressed skepticism about adding batteries, citing past incidents and bias against renewable projects.

A northeast Nebraska county has decided to prohibit two kinds of commercial renewable energy projects. The seven-member Knox County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved banning all future commercial wind and solar energy developments in the county, voting 6-1 on each of the county planning commission’s two recommendations. District 5 Supervisor Kevin Mackeprang of Bloomfield, Nebraska, who has been supportive of renewable energy projects, was the lone dissenting vote each time.

A northeast Nebraska county has decided to prohibit two kinds of commercial renewable energy projects. The seven-member Knox County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved banning all future commercial wind and solar energy developments in the county, voting 6-1 on each of the county planning commission’s two recommendations. District 5 Supervisor Kevin Mackeprang of Bloomfield, Nebraska, who has been supportive of renewable energy projects, was the lone dissenting vote each time.

THE HIGH COURT has ordered that three wind turbines in Co Wexford be totally shut down due to noise nuisance. It’s understood to be the first time that a court in Ireland has ordered the total shutdown of a wind turbine. Raymond Byrne and Lorna Moorhead live around a kilometre from the nearest turbine of the six-turbine Gibbet Hill Wind Farm near Bunclody in Co Wexford. Four of the turbines are near the summit of Gibbet Hill, with two located at the sub-peak.

A special exception application for a 20-megawatt utility scale solar energy facility in Deltaville failed to get approval of the Middlesex Board of Supervisors. On Tuesday, June 3, following a four-hour public hearing, the board was split, 2-2, on the motion to approve the special exception. A tied vote means the motion failed. The unusual tied vote was due to the fact Pinetop District supervisor Randy Crittenden, who represents Deltaville and the eastern end of the county, recused himself from participating or voting on the special exception request, which is in his district.

Narrabri Shire Council has agreed to reject a voluntary planning agreement offer for the development of a solar farm 25-kilometres from Narrabri. The proponent, Whitehaven Coal, offered a one-off payment of $50,000 as part of its plan to develop a solar facility adjacent to its Narrabri underground mine.