Judge Upholds Denial of Wind Farm in Western Maryland

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) — A state court judge has upheld Allegany County's denial of a 17-turbine wind farm in western Maryland.

Online court records show that Circuit Judge Timothy Finan's order was entered Friday against Dan's MountainWind Force LLC.

The developer had appealed the local zoning board's rejection of its request for a special exception to land-use rules so it could build the project on Dan's Mountain, southwest of Cumberland.

On another front, the company is trying to circumvent the zoning board by asking the state Public Service Commission to certify the project as a public necessity. The Cumberland Times-News reported Monday that the Allegany County Commissioners have asked the commission to dismiss that request, partly because they fear the turbines will interfere with signals from public safety communication radio towers.