Wind Turbines

Offshore wind turbines at Barrow Offshore Wind off Walney Island in the Irish Sea

Offshore Wind Energy Faces Challenges on West Coast

Unique geography and high costs have stymied offshore wind energy production in California, but new incentives and innovations could soon make it more accessible.

October 11, 2022 - OC Register

Floating offshore wind turbines

Proposed Offshore Wind Project Could Be the West Coast’s Largest

If approved, the plan to build a 2,000-megawatt facility off the coast of Washington State would be a milestone for floating offshore wind production in the United States.

April 12, 2022 - Energy Wire

View from the summit of Hazard Peak in Montana de Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County, California

Chumash Tribe Opposes Offshore Wind in Proposed Marine Sanctuary

Environmentalists decry the proposed wind farm as harmful to the fragile ecosystem of the Central California coast.

March 24, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Offshore wind turbines at Barrow Offshore Wind off Walney Island in the Irish Sea

Northern California Port Seeks Offshore Wind Lease

The Port of Humboldt has proposed a plan to modernize its facilities to accommodate offshore wind energy production, hoping to stimulate the local economy and create sustainable jobs.

January 11, 2022 - Inside Climate News

Offshore Wind Turbine

Offshore Wind Zone Proposed for the East Coast

A "priority offshore wind zone" between Long Island and New Jersey could accelerate permits and help the industry gain a foothold in the United States.

April 1, 2021 - The New York Times

Palm Trees

A Wind Turbine Acting Like a Palm Tree Delivers Five Times the Electricity

It's still a longshot for full-scale production, but a unique research partnership has produced a unique example of biomimicry: a wind turbine that borrows from palm trees to achieve new levels of energy production.

February 4, 2016 - ASME

Leasing to Spur Growth in Small and Medium-Sized Wind Turbines

Can wind power gain the popularity of rooftop solar? A Brooklyn start-up is betting it can with the leasing of turbines, particularly to farmers and rural residents.

December 22, 2015 - The New York Times - Energy & Environment

Wind Turbines Likely Banned From Unincorporated Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors acted against the recommendations of county planners in moving toward banning utility-scale wind energy production from unincorporated parts of the county.

July 17, 2015 - Los Angeles Daily News

Burlington Vermont

Running on 100 Percent Renewables, Burlington Shows the Way Forward

The city of Burlington, largest in the Green Mountain State, is the only city in the U.S. to provide electricity from entirely renewable sources, notwithstanding criticism from some environmentalists. PBS Newshour Weekend investigates.

February 1, 2015 - PBS NewsHour

Can Maine Follow Denmark to Energy Independence?

Visitors from small islands off the coast of Maine traveled to Samsø, a larger island off the coast of Denmark, to learn how to emulate its transformation into a model of renewable energy.

January 20, 2015 - The New York Times

Wind Turbines Gaining Traction in New York City

With two new wind turbine installations at the tops of buildings in New York and dozens more in the pipeline, will turbines be as ubiquitous as water towers on the New York skyline?

May 28, 2014 - New York Times

Wind Power Projects Lift Off in NYC

After not partaking heavily in wind power, New York is advancing plans to generate wind power on several fronts, reports Mireya Navarro.

March 4, 2012 - The New York Times

Windfarm Concept Inspired by Schools of Fish

Current wind farm technology requires a lot of space between blades. A new report proposes that "counter-rotating vertical-axis wind turbines" would draw power more efficiently on less land.

August 15, 2011 - BBC News

Transmission is Key for Wind Energy From the Sea

Building wind farms in the ocean is an ideal way to generate electricity, but it's not so easy to get that energy back to shore efficiently. This article looks as a transmission project that could address that issue.

May 5, 2011 - Popular Science

Will Safety Concerns Curb the Spread of Wind Power?

Speigel Online reports that wind turbines are proving to be prone to breakdowns and accidents. In Europe, the wind business is booming, but growing concern about safety could put a crimp in the growing industry.

March 25, 2011 - Climate Adaptation

Reno's Wind Turbine Derby

The city of Reno, Nevada has installed nine different wind turbines around town to test out their varying designs in an effort to find out which is the most efficient turbine to consider for large-scale installation.

March 4, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

China Enters U.S. Wind Market, Drawing Criticism

Chinese wind-turbine manufacturers are making a push into the U.S. market. Some say the move will create green jobs and foster growth, while others worry it threatens America's still-developing industry.

December 16, 2010 - The New York Times

Wind Power at Sea

The competition is fierce and blustery in the business of off-shore wind energy generation, as companies vie to launch bigger and better wind turbines off the coast of the United Kingdom.

September 15, 2010 - Metropolis Magazine

Military's Newest Enemy: Wind Turbines

The U.S. Defense Department has become one of the largest hurdles for wind power projects, arguing that large wind turbines can cause interference with the military's communications technology.

August 27, 2010 - The New York Times

Scotland to Build Floating Wind Farm Offshore

Officials in Scotland have announced plans to build a farm of floating wind turbines offshore.

August 18, 2010 - The Guardian

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.