Orleans has committee to study wind's impact

LAFARGEVILLE — The Orleans Town Council has created a new wind committee to study the economic impact of wind development in the town and make a recommendation to council by May.

Town Supervisor Donna J. Chatterton said the Wind Economics Committee's recommendations will help the town update its zoning law for wind power development.

This will be the second wind committee for the town. The first, charged with coming up with technical recommendations for the town's proposed zoning amendments, finished its work last fall.

The first Wind Economics Committee meeting will be held in a week or two, she said. The committee will hold four meetings at the town office over a period of six weeks, with a goal to submit its final recommendation to the town board by May.

Currently, the committee has only three members — Councilman Thomas A. Johnston; Leslie T. Henry, a local real estate broker, and Wendell Walldroff, a businessman — and the town is seeking three or four more community members to serve on it.

"There are a number of topics we need to look into," said Charles E. Ebbing, a retired acoustic engineer and the committee's facilitator.

Some of the issues the committee will study:

■ The economic impact of wind farms on the town's tax base, property values of participating and nonparticipating residents, jobs and industries in the town of Orleans.

■ Expected revenue through payments in lieu of taxes for the town.

■ Whether wind farms produce enough energy to justify the cost.

■ Whether nonparticipating residents should be permitted to waive their health and safety protection for monetary compensation and whether wind developers should have money set aside for possible turbine removals.

■ The economic feasibility of reducing the spin speed of turbines during sleeping hours and fines and penalties for noncompliance.

Mr. Ebbing said the committee needs more members from the public, such as farmers, to research other issues and ultimately help the town board determine whether the economic benefits of wind development outweigh the potential health and safety risks.

The committee meetings will be open to the public, Mr. Ebbing said.

Town residents interested in serving on the committee should call the town office at 658-9950.