Planning permission for a new wind farm in Co Wicklow has been refused because of the danger it would pose to military aircraft involved in training and operational flights near the Glen of Imaal.

An Bord Pleanála has rejected an appeal by renewable energy firm, ABO Wind Ireland, against the decision of Wicklow County Council to refuse it planning permission for a wind farm consisting of five turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 165 metres across a 60-hectare site on Kilranelagh Hill in south Wicklow near Baltinglass.

Wicklow County Council had only refused the project planning permission because of concerns about its environmental and archaeological impact.

However, the board said the proposed development would be located in an area that had been identified by the Department of Defence as being of critical importance for the operational requirements of the Irish Air Corps.

It noted the location was used as a safe holding area for military aircraft before entering a live firing round area in the Glen of Imaal.

The board observed that the Department of Defence had stated that the area was used by Air Corps helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that would be flying as low as 250 feet above the ground.

It concluded that the wind farm, if allowed, would adversely affect the ability of the Air Corps to operate in the vicinity of Coolmoney Camp which is less than five kilometres from the proposed site of the windfarm development.

“It is considered that the proposed development would endanger or interfere with the safety of aircraft,” the board ruled.

It also refused planning permission for the wind farm on the basis of its location in an area of archaeological remains and monuments of national, regional and local importance, which is particularly known for its hillforts.

The board said the project would result in significant physical and visual impacts on the heritage and archaeology of the area and its landscape.

ABO Wind Ireland had argued that the project was justified on the basis that it would help Ireland to meet its climate change targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by removing almost 64,500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per annum.

It pointed out that it had already reduced the planned number of wind turbines from nine to five and any visual effect of the wind farm would be “low impact”.

“The wind farm will not cause a serious injury to the cultural or educational value of monuments listed on the Record of Monuments and Places,” it stated.

The company also proposed that tours of the archaeological sites would be organised which would be supported by the development of a heritage trail which it had proposed as part of its planning application.

ABO Wind Ireland said it was also willing to provide annual funding towards local initiatives in terms of archaeology and cultural heritage studies and a community benefit fund which could be worth up to €130,000 per annum.

The company also maintained the windfarm would comply with all statutory aviation requirements as well as with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority guidelines on wind turbines.

It argued the development would not conflict with the nearby military firing range and there was no need for the restrictions proposed by the Department of Defence.

Plans for the wind farm had also been opposed by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media because of its impact on the archaeology of the area, while An Taisce claimed it would represent “a significant and inappropriate intrusion” on the landscape.

The Department of Defence had stated that the Air Corps believed that no wind turbines should be located within 5 kilometres of military installations.

Over 230 submissions were made to the council about the wind farm, including one with a petition containing over 1,100 signatures.

Fianna Fáil Cllr John Mullen observed that the development of a wind farm could “turn an unspoilt rural upland landscape into an industrial landscape in a manner that can only be described as environmentally devastating”, according to RTÉ.

Celtic spiritual community ‘Temple of Éiriú’, which describes itself as practicing “indigenous ways of the Earth”, called the Kilranelagh area a “sacred place” where any development would impact on their religious practices.

As wind energy initiatives proceed to blow into northern Carbon County, varied entities have sought to find out the impacts it has or may have on wildlife.

In 2021, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) had thought-about a moratorium on any energy initiatives within the Shirley Basin space. The dialogue of this moratorium got here following a presentation from the Wyoming Recreation and Fish Division relating to a research of wind energy challenge impacts on the Medication Bow Pronghorn Herd Unit. That moratorium finally failed on a 2-3 vote.

On Could 3, one other presentation was made earlier than the county commissioners. This one was made by Mike Lockhart—a former worker of the US Fish and Wildlife Service—relating to impacts on golden eagles. Lockhart, who labored for 33 years for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, mentioned he was conducting the research on behalf of his former employer and the US Geological Service.

“Wind energy in Carbon and Albany counties is already very in depth … and it’s already inflicting substantial hurt to golden eagles and different wildlife that’s largely missed. Personally, I’m against any new energy improvement in these areas,” mentioned Lockhart. “I feel there’s sufficient and there are greater than ample locations in different elements of the US that may help wind enlargement with out threatening excessive wildlife values.”

The golden eagle is essentially the most broadly distributed species of eagle, starting from the northernmost a part of Alaska down into Mexico. In accordance with Lockhart, the Shirley Basin and Laramie Basin are a very powerful areas in North America for the raptor.

“One of many issues we’ve decided, completely, is that Shirley Basin and Laramie Basin are maybe the 2 most vital focal areas for Golden Eagles within the nation. They’re massively vital they usually help a resident breeding inhabitants, a non-breeding resident inhabitants,” Lockhart mentioned. “Additionally they function a migration hall and help over-wintering birds by way of the winter.”

A big raptor, an grownup golden eagle ranges in measurement from 26 to 40 inches in size and has a wingspan between 5 ft, 11 inches and seven ft, 8 inches. In accordance with Lockhart, roughly 113 golden eagles had been captured and collared with both a PowerTrain Know-how (PTT) collar or a International System for Cellular Communication (GSM) collar. The previous is the standard radio collar which tracks actions whereas the latter can present extra information, however solely uploads that information when in proximity of a mobile tower. Of the raptors which had been collared, 80 of them had been related to wind energy initiatives, mentioned Lockhart.

The knowledge gathered to this point has proven the three largest mortality components for golden eagles have been car collisions, windmill strikes and electrocution. In accordance with Lockhart, it was nonetheless unclear as to why windmill strikes had been occurring with golden eagles. One speculation he introduced up, nevertheless, referenced actions within the southwest through which folks had been in a position to fly planes subsequent to or close to golden eagles and shoot the raptors. Lockhart mentioned he believed as a result of the golden eagle had advanced to be the “hardest issues within the air” they weren’t afraid of anything within the air.

Lockhart was not shy about his criticism of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service throughout his presentation. A number of occasions he mentioned the entity was fiercely protecting of golden eagles when he labored for them however had appeared to grow to be much less involved of their survival with reference to wind energy initiatives. The questions he had relating to the entity’s involvement with wind energy initiatives included:

• How are they addressing golden eagle mortalities with wind energy?

• How are they serving to to website wind energy farms away from excessive worth habitats for eagles?

• How are they wanting on the impact of clustered wind farms on Golden Eagles?

“It’s an fascinating query and, sadly, it’s one which I feel they’re doing a particularly poor job on and have punted on the entire problem of eagles and wind energy,” mentioned Lockhart. “Their administration relies completely retroactively.”

In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—beneath the Obama Administration—up to date federal tips to permit for wind energy corporations to function excessive pace generators for as much as 30 years. Whereas wind and different energy corporations might kill as much as 4,200 bald eagles annually with out penalty, golden eagles might solely be killed if companites took steps to reduce losses based on a Could 4, 2016 Related Press article.

In accordance with Lockhart, continued development of wind energy improvement within the Shirley and Laramie basins could be additional detrimental to the golden eagle populations which both lived round or used these areas. He instructed the commissioners most golden eagle nests usually had one egg, because the golden eagle doesn’t usually lay a number of eggs.

Data from the Audubon Society states golden eagles will usually lay between one and three eggs, however by no means 4 or extra eggs. Lockhart additionally mentioned the golden eagle ages slower than most different birds. The primary time younger golden eagles take their first flight, based on the Audubon Society, is when they’re about 60 to 70 days previous. Golden eagles are among the many longest residing raptors on the planet, with some having lived so long as 31 years in North America.

As a result of restricted variety of eggs golden eagles lay and the longevity of the species, Lockhart instructed the BOCCC he believed the general affect of wind energy initiatives within the basins could be detrimental. Including he believed the federal authorities didn’t wish to tackle this problem, he mentioned he believed the commissioners had been one of many decision-making our bodies which might take this info under consideration.

Whereas sympathizing with Lockhart, the commissioners said a bigger consideration of their position was that of personal property rights. Different issues, particularly on the state degree, included encroachment of wind energy initiatives on core sage grouse areas, based on Commissioner John Espy.

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners may have met on Could 17.

The following assembly of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners might be at 9 a.m. on June 7 on the Carbon Constructing – Courthouse Annex in Rawlins.

Ted Rogers stands close to his entrance porch and gazes previous the lengthy gravel driveway that stretches out to State Route A. The Buchanan County farmer says, to nobody specifically, “it’s coming.”

Nothing that occurred on this yr’s legislative session modifications his premonition concerning the Grain Belt Categorical and its affect on the home that his mother and father moved into in 1955. He’s lived there since 1984.

“It’s going to run proper previous the home,” Rogers mentioned. “Let’s simply say we’re apprehensive.”

Grain Belt Categorical is a high-voltage, direct-current transmission line that can ship wind energy from western Kansas to inhabitants facilities east of the Mississippi River. Its 780-mile route cuts by eight counties in north Missouri, together with a few of the 230 acres that Rogers farms close to Faucett. Landowners like Rogers have fought the undertaking for greater than a decade at county fee conferences, with state utility regulators and within the Missouri Common Meeting. They have been notably incensed that Invenergy Transmission, a non-public firm in Chicago, might use eminent area to construct Grain Belt.

This spring, the legislature handed a invoice that clamps down on the usage of eminent area for transmission strains. The laws, now headed to the governor’s desk, requires an organization or an investor-owned utility to pay 150% of market worth for an easement on agricultural property. It additionally requires a undertaking to ship a proportional quantity of energy to Missouri in order that it doesn’t simply use rural counties as an energy superhighway on the way in which to greater cities.

However Home Invoice 2005 contained the next phrases: “These provisions won’t apply to functions filed previous to Aug. 28, 2022.”

Meaning Grain Belt, granted regulatory approval in 2019, is grandfathered in.

“We thank our many supporters for his or her tireless efforts in making certain that this laws acknowledged the authorized rights of Grain Belt Categorical as a beforehand authorized undertaking that can proceed ahead towards full building,” mentioned Nicole Luckey, senior vice chairman of regulatory affairs for Invenergy, in an announcement. “Missouri lawmakers introduced stakeholders collectively round this vital legislative compromise, which is able to profit Missouri households, farmers, staff and companies for many years to return.”

That’s not how Rogers sees it.

“I’ve a tough time with the Legislature proper now,” he mentioned.

Bittersweet victory

Missouri Farm Bureau helped lead the push for modifications to Missouri’s eminent area legal guidelines. Garrett Hawkins, the president of Missouri Farm Bureau, mentioned the invoice’s passage represents a bittersweet victory as a result of it marks a step ahead for safeguarding landowners and making certain extra of a public profit, particularly with multi-state transmission tasks involving for-profit corporations.

Nevertheless it has little affect on the one undertaking that began the controversy.

“What we are able to say with certainty is that the combat that was led by these landowners, coupled with our group and others, has put Missouri in a stronger place as we glance to the way forward for energy transmission,” he mentioned. “When future tasks come, we all know that Missouri should obtain a profit for a undertaking to ensure that eminent area authority to be granted.”

Grain Belt will affect 570 landowners in Missouri. It has additionally began to take reluctant landowners to court docket, submitting condemnation petitions to achieve involuntary easements to their property. In April, a Buchanan County choose granted Grain Belt’s petition of condemnation in opposition to Bradley Horn of Gower. Horn couldn’t be reached and his legal professional didn’t return a name for remark.

Invenergy mentioned it has reached voluntary agreements on 74% of the route in Kansas and Missouri and has made court docket filings “as a final resort” on 14 thus far.

One of many largest factors of rivalry about Grain Belt is whether or not the transmission line gives sufficient public profit to justify the usage of eminent area to take non-public property. The undertaking will transfer 4,000-megawatts of electrical energy from Kansas to the Indiana border. It’s a direct-current line, so the ability can’t be transferred to the native grid with no converter station.

Hawkins mentioned he doesn’t assume Grain Belt would have been capable of meet the proportional profit necessities outlined in HB 2005. These new guidelines, for instance, would require 25% of the ability to be supplied to Missouri if 25% of the strains undergo the state.

“We must always not simply be a pass-through hall for a undertaking,” Hawkins mentioned.

The Grain Belt undertaking first proposed 500 megawatts of the transmission line’s capability for Missouri. Invenergy now says a mixed 2,500 megawatts will go to Kansas and Missouri.

“Grain Belt Categorical will present no less than $12 million in annual energy financial savings to Missourians throughout the state whereas strengthening America’s energy independence by connecting hundreds of thousands of shoppers to domestically produced, inexpensive and dependable energy,” the corporate mentioned.

A glance forward

One factor either side agree on is that the eminent area invoice may have a much bigger impact on future tasks.

Hawkins mentioned rural communities aren’t against green energy. This received’t be the primary time some firm desires to generate wind energy within the Nice Plains and promote it out east. These caught in between deserve some safety, he mentioned.

“This grid that we take pleasure in has been constructed on the backs of farmers and landowners for many years,” he mentioned. “As the way forward for energy transmission unfolds earlier than us and as extra tasks come down the road, we’re not going to face in the way in which of energy safety. We must always count on and are owed a extra stage taking part in subject in negotiations.”

Hawkins mentioned he is aware of grid operators are extra high-voltage transmission tasks in Missouri.

Rogers isn’t wanting on the massive image. He’s simply looking to the horizon, the place 150-foot poles could possibly be erected on his property. He wonders what the long run holds for his farm, his property and his life.

“Farming, it’s in my blood. All the time has been,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing else that mattered. I don’t assume we might reside on the town.”