Friday, January 07, 2011

Hammond Discusses Life After Windfarms

HAMMOND - While the Hammond Wind Committee spent its 25th meeting since April discussing economics, tourism and environmental issues - with no formal action - it did revisit a wind energy issue Tuesday that committee members find extremely important: the decommissioning process.

With Iberdrola Renewables, Inc.'s proposal to erect a large-scale industrial wind farm in Hammond over the next few years, paying to make such a project disappear at the end of its service life or if the unit is out of commission is something that must seriously be considered and ensured, according to committee member Allen P. Newell.

Mr. Newell has been involved in the wind energy discussion in Hammond for several years. Also a member of the town's original wind committee that had finished its work in mid-2008, he has advocated educating the public and was the original vice-president of Concerned Residents of Hammond.

On Tuesday, Mr. Newell provided committee members with documentation from several wind committees in New York towns in regards to the decommissioning issue, specifically, from the towns of Bethany, Rensselaerville, Hartsville and Litchfield. He additionally distributed a West Virginia-based article by Tom Hewson, principal of Energy Ventures Analysis, Va., on the lessons learned from wind decommissioning costs.

Read the entire article

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