USFW Speaks on Eagle Conservation and Wind Turbines

"The truth is, thousands of eagles die every year for a variety of reasons — most from natural causes. The vast majority of human-caused deaths result from intentional poisoning and shooting — federal crimes that we aggressively investigate and prosecute. Most other eagle deaths are caused by collisions - with cars, buildings, power lines and other structures. Wind energy facilities represent a fraction of these deaths, and the media’s singular focus on wind turbines is a gross distortion of the truth." - Dan Ashe, Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Read more here.

Court Rules on Climate Change in Favor of Today's Children

In the first lawsuit to involve a planet, Judge Thomas Coffin of the United States Federal District Court in Eugene, Oregon, ruled on Friday in favor of twenty-one plaintiffs, ages 8 to 19, on behalf of future generations of Americans in a landmark constitutional climate change case brought against the Federal Government and the Fossil Fuel Industry. The lawsuit alleges that the Federal Government is violating the Plaintiffs’ constitutional and public trust rights by promoting the use of fossil fuels. Read more here.

Clean Air Ball

Downeast Wind was happy to sponsor the recent "Clean AIR Ball" basketball tournament at Narraguagas High School on March 18-19, 2016.  Fourteen boys and girls teams representing over 150 young people took the basketball courts for a fun-filled weekend. 

AWEA: How does wind help the family farm stay in the family?

We know that wind power is a powerful, renewable energy source. Did you know that wind farms also help landowners keep their farms in the family by providing revenue and royalties from the power provided? Each year, American landowners receive $222 million in lease payments alone. Wind is a drought-resistant crop that is reliable and not subject to fluctuating crop prices.  Greg Alvarez of the American Wind Energy Association went on a tour through Colorado looking for the community impacts of wind power. During his trip, he met Jason Wilson of Calhan, Colorado, whose family almost had to give up its 76-year-old farm because it wasn't financially profitable anymore. Wilson said, "The wind farm allowed us to be able to keep our family farm. The wind farm balanced the financial viability with the sentimental value, allowing the family farm to be passed on to the next generation." Click through to read more Continue reading

U.S. Wind Farms Invested $128 Billion into U.S. Economy Over Past 10 Years

That's right, $128 billion! Not to mention an average of $13 billion per year for the past five years alone. The American Wind Energy Assocation (AWEA) released the data last week. Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA, said, "Over this time, wind has rapidly scaled up. There's now enough wind power installed to reliably produce electricity for over 19 million American homes." There were more records broken last year by wind energy, including capacity installed. Click through to read more Continue reading

See Turbine Construction from Beginning to End

MidAmerican Energy posted this informative and cool video that shows a turbine being constructed from beginning to end. The video includes interesting facts about the individual parts of the turbine (such as the nacelle being the size of a school bus!) and how long it takes to assemble.Check out the video below! MidAmerican Turbine Construction

How Wind Turbines Work

Have you ever wondered how a wind turbine works? Save On Energy posted an animated graphic that shows every step of how a turbine works. Check out the cool picture below!  Continue reading

Department of Energy Releases New Wind Vision

You can find the full report here. The DOE’s new Wind Vision Report explores our nation’s potential to increase its energy production from wind power.    According to the report, America’s wind power capacity has tripled since the 2008 release of the Energy Department’s 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report, making it more clear than ever that it will be possible for the U.S. to generate a significant portion of its power from land-based, offshore and distributed wind facilities by 2030. The report outlines numerous benefits the U.S. will receive from increasing our domestic production of wind energy, including reduced pollution, increased domestic employment, consumer cost savings, water conservation, nationwide availability, and increased community revenues. Continue reading

New study shows wind industry benefits in Maine

A new study analyzing the environmental impacts of Maine’s wind turbines has been released by Massachusetts-based Sustainable Energy Advantage (SEA). The study finds that Maine’s wind energy facilities have a strong positive impact on the health and environment in the state, by reducing emissions from energy generation.  You can find the full study here.  Continue reading

New Health Canada Study shows wind turbines do not adversely impact human health

Health Canada just completed the most comprehensive and largest study on wind energy and health to date.  They collected data for two years, and they have released their summary report today.  The good news is – the results support what previous studies have concluded: wind turbines are not related to adverse health. Read the complete summary from Health Canada, here.  Key findings are: Continue reading