Banning wind...are you in favor?

Eco RI News had a good story this week on Newport RI's recent ban on turbines (Ironically, we filmed some great shows there last week, studying tourism there and in RI, ocean management and the city's efforts to keep the local economy throttled up while implementing changes that they hope will take the burden off their water, air and infrastructure.  Those shows will start to air in Jan).  Local ordinances, like this one, are getting more common and more restrictive.  Wind can be a very efficient source of clean energy but, soon, there will be no where left to place turbines.

We believe strongly in preservation.  Newport has done a very good job of building much of their economy around its great history, architecture, historic neighborhoods and sites.  However, we don't think preservation should come at the expense of embracing new technology and moving the city, its businesses and citizens into alternative energy and reduced emissions.  We think their action here is short sighted and politically driven.

Here's the link:   http://www.ecori.org/front-page-journal/2012/12/14/newport-severely-restricts-turbine-placement.html

Part of the story:

Newport Severely Restricts Turbine Placement

By KYLE HENCE/ecoRI News contributor

NEWPORT — The City Council has voted to ban wind turbines from most of the city. With the recent approval of the wind turbine ordinance, out of 7,872 city lots, commercial-scale wind turbines — between 10 and 100 kilowatts and a maximum of 80 feet high — are permitted on 52 lots, and residential-scale turbines — less than 10 kilowatts and a maximum of 50 feet high — are permitted on 627.

In total there are 679 plots where the ordinance would allow a wind turbine to be installed to produce electricity. However, the ordinance prohibits turbines of any kind or size on 91 percent of city lots, regardless of plot size or energy generating potential. A 100 percent moratorium was in place up until the Dec. 12 passage of the city’s new wind ordinance.

As delineated in the language of the ordinance, property owners are prohibited from erecting small wind turbines anywhere in the city’s historic sections, including the entire southern portion of Newport defined by Ocean Drive.

In an April 9 letter to the City Council, James Dring, the Planning Board chairman, wrote, “The Planning Board regards the local Historic District as an inappropriate location for wind turbines unless the subject property has greater than 40,000 square feet of land areas.” The council, however, ultimately elected to impose a more restrictive ordinance than thatoriginally drafted by the Planning Board.

“It’s extremely restrictive,” said Newport Energy & Environment Commission member Doug Sabetti prior to this week’s vote. “It should be allowed in the historic districts with special use permits.”

During the discussion period opened by Mayor Henry Winthrop, council member Justin McLaughlin defined his guiding philosophy of governance as one in which he endeavored to legislate “for the people” rather than “to the people."

“This just seems overly restrictive to me,” he said, explaining his feeling that people should be free to do what they want with their own property as long as safety and related concerns are addressed...

What if a developer or a neighborhood wanted to do microgrid?