Cohocton official wants to know why no notice for construction

Atlanta, N.Y.

First Wind officials hope to get their 125-megawatt wind power plant in Cohocton back up and running after less than five months in service, but town officials are not backing down over what they see as violations of the project’s special use permits.

Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus announced at the town board’s meeting Monday the construction work is restarting and town officials are looking to see what will become of the project.

“Clipper Windpower, the turbine manufacturer, is conducting reinforcement work to the blades,” said John Lamontagne, director of communications for First Wind. “Clipper has brought two cranes in to lower the blades and hub to the ground so that work can be conducted.”

This is the second project Clipper and First Wind have had to dismantle and rebuild. The eight-turbine Steel Winds project in Lackawanna was dismantled in 2007 following damage to gearboxes. That project was the first run of Clipper turbines, which are the same model as those used in Cohocton. Gearbox problems also have been reported by town officials, but Lamontagne did not mention any related issues.

The plant became operational in January, around the same time the damage was noticed.

“The need for blade reinforcements was first noticed this winter,” Lamontagne said. “To date, 19 turbine blades have some need for reinforcements. However, Clipper will conduct reinforcements on all of the blades as part of the warranty maintenance.”

The work means construction traffic will continue for Cohocton residents, as long as town officials grant clearance for the work, as posted weight limits approved Monday may hinder the fix.

“The reinforcements started earlier this month,” he added. “We expect work will continue on all the blades into the fall.”

Lamontagne said the town has been informed of the work schedule, and two First Wind officials met with the town two weeks ago.

Zigenfus, however, said town officials did not receive any official notice of the work until after it began.

“In there (the special use permits for the project), they have to notify the town if they’re going to bring back the heavy equipment. Unfortunately, they had some of these cranes in here before we even knew about it,” he said, adding the town first learned about the work when town Highway Superintendent Tom Simons saw heavy trucks moving the cranes along the hillsides. "That’s what created this whole thing.”

Zigenfus said the weight limit restrictions follow the same tactic used by Steuben County shortly after construction work on the project began in the fall of 2007.

So far, Zigenfus said this morning, no word has come from First Wind over the weight limits or the discussion of legal action.

Dirt first started moving on the project Sept. 18, 2007, with tower construction commencing in November. Work on the first two towers, complete with turbine blades, was finished Jan. 3. Of the 50 towers, 47 are spread across Lent, Pine and Dutch hills, dominating much of the view around Cohocton, North Cohocton and Atlanta. The three remaining turbines are on Brown Hill to the south of the village, where the project connects to the regional energy grid.