LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Judge keeps Montana wind farm contract in place 

Credit:  Written by The Associated Press | Mar. 5, 2014 | www.greatfallstribune.com ~~

A Montana judge on Tuesday kept a temporary injunction in place against a California utility as it attempts to cancel a contract with a wind farm south of the Canadian border because it could threaten a nearby cluster of golden eagles, according to San Diego Gas & Electric.

SDG&E wants Montana District Judge Brenda Gilbert to dismiss the case and allow it to cancel the contract with the Rim Rock wind farm near Cut Bank. But the judge declined to act after a daylong court hearing in Livingston.

Representatives of the two sides said they are to submit proposed findings by March 21.

The 126-turbine project was built by a U.S. subsidiary of Spanish wind power company NaturEner. It’s near seven golden eagle nests and dozens of other raptors, including Montana’s densest concentration of ferruginous hawks.

NaturEner has put measures in place to protect the birds from harm. That includes the use of radar and on-the-ground spotters to identify approaching birds so the turbines’ massive blades can be halted before the birds are killed.

But SDG&E has said in court documents that the project could still kill, displace or disturb eagles. The utility says NaturEner concealed that possibility until last December, when it turned over documents revealing the birds were at risk.

The utility also has sought to withdraw its pledge to invest $285 million in the $400 million wind farm.

To secure the loan for Rim Rock, NaturEner put up as collateral almost all of its assets – including its two other Montana wind farms, the company says. If SDG&E has its way, NaturEner representatives said they would be unable to repay the loan, and the three wind farms could be foreclosed upon.

Source:  Written by The Associated Press | Mar. 5, 2014 | www.greatfallstribune.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon