Local jobs. Increased tax revenues. Income for landowners. Clean, homegrown energy.
These are just a few of the many benefits wind energy projects offer the communities in which they are located.
But when it comes to deciding if a wind project is right for them, communities can find it challenging to weigh potential benefits against the time and cost it takes to approve, build, operate, and maintain the project.
To help local decision makers determine whether a wind project is right for their community, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) WINDExchange initiative released two information resources: a report titled “Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” and a web-based Land-Based Economic Development Guide.
Created by experts at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, these comprehensive, easy-to-read resources provide useful information to support a greater understanding of the siting considerations and economic opportunities associated with wind energy. These resources highlight the elements communities should consider when pursuing a wind energy project — from conception and construction of the project site to how the community coexists with the wind project once it’s operating.
Wind energy project development and operations are multistep processes that can span decades. Two new WINDExchange resources illuminate and clarify these processes, helping leaders determine whether a wind project is right for their community. Image courtesy of DOE.
Overcoming Siting-Related Concerns
The “Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” report focuses on land-based wind energy from the community perspective. It examines how communities address a host of issues through ordinances — from limitations on sound, to how safety lighting required by the Federal Aviation Administration might impact the nighttime skies, and more. This information can help communities define parameters that ensure their wind energy developments are tailored to address specific community needs and concerns.
For example, the construction of a new wind power plant might raise concerns among nearby landowners who worry that the project will impact their property values. The guide summarizes research that shows the minimal impact wind energy development has had on nearby property values.
Community members may express concern that a proposed wind energy project will impact farming, ranching, or recreational activities. “Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” provides helpful context to ease their concerns. Thanks to regulations that require adequate spacing between wind turbines and between turbines and landscape features, 95%–99% of the land can still be used for other purposes.
Because of regulations around wind turbine spacing and infrastructure depth, utility-scale wind energy projects are highly compatible with agricultural and recreational land uses. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL.
Understanding Economic Benefits
The Land-Based Economic Development Guide — a web-based tool — helps community decision makers and others better understand the economic benefits of a proposed wind energy project.
This online resource explores how wind energy projects can be important sources of revenue for the communities that host them. For example, workers at wind energy projects tend to spend their earnings in the communities where they live and work. Construction workers spend money at restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers, which can increase community sales tax revenue. Project developers rent housing for workers and buy construction materials at hardware stores. Once the project is up and running, operation and maintenance workers live in nearby communities and contribute to the local tax base.
The guide covers five main topics that are essential to understanding the potential economic benefits of wind energy:
Wind energy basics: Key information about wind energy technology and trends
Local government revenues: Taxes and revenue structures
Community development: How revenues are used within the community
Landowner and development considerations: Lease payments and rural impacts
Business and the local workforce: How to prepare for construction and operations.
“Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” and the Land-Based Economic Development Guide were funded by DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office.
Royal Enfield’s new electric motorcycle brand, Flying Flea, just pulled the wraps off its second model – the scrambler-inspired FF.S6 – at EICMA 2025, and it’s an agile, tech-packed machine that brings serious trail-ready vibes to city streets.
Inspired by the iconic 1940s Flying Flea motorcycle (which was literally parachuted into battle, hence the logo), the FF.S6 is a modern reimagining with off-road chops and futuristic tech. Royan Enfield assures us that this is a far cry from an average urban electric motorcycle. Instead, it’s a lightweight, connected, and capable machine that blends classic scrambler style with serious smart features.
Built on a lightweight frame with staggered 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, a USD front fork, and chain final drive, the FF.S6 is ready for both tight urban corners and loose gravel backroads. A high-torque electric motor paired with a magnesium finned battery case keeps weight low while enhancing cooling, and the long enduro-style seat offers comfort for longer rides.
Tech-wise, the FF.S6 goes way beyond what you’d expect from a typical commuter. A circular high-res touchscreen display nods to the original Flying Flea while delivering fully connected features, including lean-angle sensing ABS, traction control, off-road mode, and built-in navigation. Voice Assist lets riders launch music or maps hands-free through their phone, and OTA updates ensure the bike gets smarter over time.
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The system is powered by a Snapdragon QWM2290 processor, the same class of chip you’d find in advanced smartphones. Riders can use a smartwatch or phone app to manage everything from keyless start to charging status and diagnostics.
Production of the FF.S6 is expected to begin by the end of 2026.
Electrek’s Take
Sure, this is largely just an experiment in applying some mods to the same motorcycle prototype that Royal Enfield showed us last year, but it’s a cool-looking example of it! And while we’re still waiting to see what these bikes will cost (not to mention a few more hard and fast tech specs), I’m glad to see that Royal Enfield’s Flying Flea team is jumping in with bold design and bleeding-edge software. The FF.S6 looks like a scrambler but thinks like a smartphone and rides like an urban bike – likely. And for a new wave of connected urban riders, that might be the perfect combination.
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A turbine blade is lifted onto a rack near tower sections at the Revolution Wind project assembly site at State Pier in New London, Connecticut, US, on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Danish renewables giant Orsted on Wednesday reported a quarterly net loss as the beleaguered company continues to battle U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-wind policies.
The world’s biggest offshore wind farm group posted a net loss of 1.7 billion Danish kroner ($261.8 million) for the July-September period. The result, which was slightly better than analysts feared, was significantly down from profit of 5.17 billion Danish kroner in the same period last year.
The company, however, reiterated its full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) guidance of 24-27 billion Danish kroner, excluding earnings from new partnerships and cancellation fees.
It comes shortly after the company announced it had reached a deal to sell a 50% stake in its Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the U.K. to Apollo Global Management in a deal worth $6 billion.
“I’m satisfied with the good progress across our entire construction portfolio and our solid operational performance,” Orsted CEO Rasmus Errboe said in a statement.
“Our key focus is to continue delivering on our business plan, which will enable Ørsted to remain a global leader of offshore wind with a strong foothold in Europe,” he added.
Shares of Orsted were 1.2% higher on Wednesday morning. The stock price has fallen sharply this year amid concerted efforts from the White House to halt several ongoing developments and suspend new licensing.
The firm on Wednesday said that operating profit came in at 416 million euros ($477.8 million) for the July-September period, above expectations of 305 million euros estimated by analysts in a company-compiled consensus.
Shares of Vestas jumped more than 14% on the news, soaring to the top of the pan-European Stoxx 600 index, as investors welcomed signs of a successful turnaround following years of losses.
Asked about some of the headwinds facing the wind industry, notably from the Trump administration, Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen said the company has a “well-established” supply chain in the U.S.
“For us, we see the U.S., both customers and the buildout in the U.S., as some of our core responsibility to help the U.S. with,” Andersen told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Wednesday.
“Then sometimes maybe we have to get a bit of a slap that it is not everyone that likes the nature of a wind turbine. But I think, in general, … energy drives decision making and [the] cost of energy drives decision making,” he added.
Earlier this year, we covered the unveiling of the NIUMM, an electric microcar designed for urban residents (and especially those with a NIU scooter already, since it shares the same batteries). Now the company is actually bringing it to market.
The electric microcar was on display at EICMA 2025, the Milan Motorcycle Show, where NIU showed off how it shares the same drivetrain as its NQi-series scooters.
The small format L6e quadricycle uses a pair of NQi batteries – the same ones from NIU’s scooters – to power the little not-a-car up to around 70 km (43 miles) at speeds of up to 45 km/h (28 mph). That’s the maximum allowable speed for the L6e class.
For anyone who already owns the scooter, those two batteries may be sufficient. But the range can be nearly doubled by carrying a second pair of batteries in the convenient extra battery slots built into the vehicle.
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When the NIUMM was originally launched, it wasn’t yet clear if it was actually headed for production, or at least when that may be. But NIU’s Director of International, Sieghart Michielsen, explained that the vehicle is finishing homologation testing now, marking the last major obstacle to its commercial launch.
L6e quadricycles have carved out a unique and growing niche in European cities, where their compact size, low speed, and lightweight classification make them ideal for navigating dense urban environments. These light four-wheeled vehicles are limited to a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) and a maximum weight of 425 kg (excluding batteries), allowing them to be driven with a moped license in many countries.
That accessibility, combined with their affordability and electric drivetrains, has made L6e quadricycles especially popular among teenagers, city dwellers, and older adults looking for an easy-to-use alternative to cars.
One of the most iconic examples is the Citroen Ami, a no-frills, ultra-compact electric vehicle that has gained cult status in urban areas thanks to its minimalist design, €7,000 price tag, and availability through subscription or car-sharing services. My wife and I spent a week living with a Citroen Ami while on vacation in Greece, and it proved to be a fascinating way to navigate around.
Other standout L6e models like the Renault Twizy, the Microlino, and the Eli Zero, have helped demonstrate real demand for niche, small vehicles. These vehicles offer just enough comfort and protection from the elements for short city trips, while avoiding the cost, complexity, and parking headaches of full-size cars –making them an increasingly attractive option in Europe’s car-light future.
NIU could leverage the growing momentum for these types of vehicles if it can stick the landing with the NIUMM. While we still don’t have solid pricing or availability timelines yet, it looks like we’re looking at sooner rather than later.
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