A newly passed law restricts and regulates future wind energy projects inside the town of Richland, a move lauded by officials and activists as one of the strongest policies in New York. The Richland Town Board in November approved the measure, which places restrictions on wind turbine farms in the town based on factors including setback from properties, noise production, property value guarantees, environmental tests and decommissioning terms. ..The height cannot exceed more than 500 feet and noise cannot exceed 35 A-weighted decibels for more than five minutes at a time.

In a stunning move, the Burleigh County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-3 Wednesday night to deny PNE Wind's permit request to build a wind farm in southern Burleigh County.

Federal regulators have knocked the wind out of another renewable energy project planned for the desert west of Searchlight. The Bureau of Land Management has decided to reject a Sweden-based energy company’s application to build more than 200 turbines, each the height of a skyscraper, along a 22-mile stretch of the Nevada-California border.

EDF Renewables representatives said the new DeKalb County wind energy ordinance is “unworkable” by design and the company is pulling its plans to develop wind projects under these circumstances.

Jasper County, Indiana adopted a new wind ordinance governing siting of wind turbines in the county. Key standards in the ordinance include a setback distance of 1-mile to non-participating landowners, turbine noise cannot exceed 35 dba at non-participating property lines, and shadow flicker is not permitted on non-participating properties.

As many as half of Henry County’s incorporated communities have passed resolutions establishing a four-mile buffer zone around their towns. The list where actual ordinances have been signed now includes Blountsville, Kennard, Lewisville, Springport, Straughn, Sulphur Springs and Greensboro.

Thomas County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to put a moratorium on solar energy facilities. Commissioner Ken Hickey's moratorium motion says solar energy facilities will not be allowed "indefinitely." Commissioner Moses Gross asked what will happen to solar facilities now in operation in Thomas County.

"Saying that the town’s current laws do not adequately address the threat posed by the development of wind energy, the North Smithfield Town Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance that places a moratorium on the creation of turbines Monday night." The ordinance is good for 180 days.

New ordinance limits wind turbines to maximum of 500 feet, sets strict noise limit of 45 db.

The Iowa Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a wind energy company previously told to remove three turbines near Fairbank. The order handed down Tuesday is another victory for the surrounding property owners and the city, which sued the company and Fayette County claiming the turbines just east of city limits violated county zoning laws. It leaves in place District Court Judge John Bauercamper’s ruling that Mason Wind and Optimum Renewables must take down the three 445-foot turbines they built in 2016 for an estimated $11 million.