09-03-10%20Maine%20%28Nissenbaum%29%20NMMC_Medical_Staff_Statement.pdf
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
For Immediate Release:
At its monthly meeting held Tuesday, March 3, 2009, the Medical Staff of Northern Maine Medical Center unanimously approved the release of the following statement:
Health Concerns and the Need for Careful Siting of Wind Turbines
Members of Northern Maine Medical Center’s medical staff endorse the use of alternative energies.
We echo the concerns of the Medical Staff of Rumford Community Hospital as regards an increasing body of literature and reports from Canada, the USA, and particularly from Europe suggesting that the deployment of industrial wind facilities in close proximity to places where people live, work or attend schools results in negative health effects, including and especially sleep deprivation and stress.
We know, as physicians, that sleep deprivation and chronic stress can result in many consequential negative health effects, some of them serious, over the long term.
These effects arise not only from audible noise frequencies but also from persistent inaudible low frequency noise waves of a cyclical nature which are felt, but not heard. There are a growing number of scientific observations and studies suggesting that people living up to 2 miles away from these industrial wind farms may be affected.
Many European nations with more than two decades of experience with industrial wind factories have now implemented regulations stipulating setbacks of 1-1.5 miles.
In light of these growing, serious medical concerns, we propose a moratorium on the building of any such "wind farms" until more research is done on the health impact that such facilities will have on the communities surrounding such technology. These communities and the Maine DEP and Health Services must be allowed time to study and learn from the European and Canadian experiences, as well as from the many affected families in Mars Hill, Maine, and put into place appropriate regulations and ordinances, prior to expanding the wind industry in the State of Maine.
The State of Maine has a vast, unpopulated hinterland. There is little need to site industrial wind developments in proximity to residential communities if there is a risk of negative health effects. Quality of life, quality of place, and a healthful environment should be the right of all residents of Maine, including those of the rural north.
We also encourage the residents of Fort Kent, Maine, to exercise their rights and vote ‘YES’ at the next annual Town Meeting on March 23rd to a proposal to establish a moratorium in Fort Kent on the permitting of industrial wind development until such time as an ordinance to govern their siting is in place.
Signed,
Medical Staff, Northern Maine Medical Center
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Residents shocked by wind-turbine collapse
ALTONA — Many residents were shocked that a massive wind turbine could come tumbling down and officials say it could take months to learn why one collapsed Friday.
Mike Fellion flew over the wreckage Saturday morning and was amazed to see that pieces of the structure appeared to have been thrown "about a quarter-mile away."
"I was surprised," said Fellion, who flew above the wreckage with his father, Victor, a volunteer pilot who runs the Wings of Life program, which provides emergency medical flights for ailing residents.
"I'm just hoping that this was an isolated incident."
Neighbors around the Altona wind park reported hearing loud explosions before the turbine apparently snapped in half around 10 a.m. and then caught fire.
Helen Morales, who lives near the fallen Fisher Way turbine, didn't hear anything, but earlier saw the blades on one turbine "spinning at a high rate of speed" and noted that the air appeared "cloudy" around it.
She doesn't know if the faster-moving blades were attached to the affected turbine, but wonders if her observations were connected to Friday's collapse, which was the first major incident at the Norther Tier wind parks.
Though the push for wind energy has received strong support from many local residents, others, like members of the West Beekmantown Neighborhood Association, feel they pose a danger to public safety and health and have resisted the efforts.
There are zoning regulations in place that restrict how close turbines can be erected near homes, but some wondered Saturday if similar collapses could happen and whether flying debris could extend beyond the protected perimeter.
As word of the collapse spread Friday, Adirondack Council spokesman John Sheehan expressed concern about the risks turbines could pose on elevated and sloped locations if a collapse could happen in flatland parks.
The Altona wind park will remain closed as the investigation continues.
In their latest update, Noble Environmental Power officials said it could take several months to finalize their investigation, which is being conducted jointly with General Electric.
Noble CEO Walt Howard toured the site after the collapse and spoke with employees there.
In a news release, he said: "I am pleased with the quick response of the Noble team. They secured the site and accounted for all Noble employees in a manner that is consistent with our stringent safety policy. I am also grateful to the fire department for its swift response."
Officials said the wind park utilizes General Electric 1.5 megawatt turbines. There are currently more than 12,000 of those turbines across the world and they are the most widely deployed turbines, Noble said.
Altona Town Supervisor Larry Ross was also surprised by the collapse and said he will be updated on the investigation as it progresses.
"They're going to keep me in the loop so I know what's going on," he said from his home Saturday.
"The main thing was that no one was hurt "¦ and now it's a matter of finding out what happened and putting it back together."
E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com
Mike Fellion flew over the wreckage Saturday morning and was amazed to see that pieces of the structure appeared to have been thrown "about a quarter-mile away."
"I was surprised," said Fellion, who flew above the wreckage with his father, Victor, a volunteer pilot who runs the Wings of Life program, which provides emergency medical flights for ailing residents.
"I'm just hoping that this was an isolated incident."
Neighbors around the Altona wind park reported hearing loud explosions before the turbine apparently snapped in half around 10 a.m. and then caught fire.
Helen Morales, who lives near the fallen Fisher Way turbine, didn't hear anything, but earlier saw the blades on one turbine "spinning at a high rate of speed" and noted that the air appeared "cloudy" around it.
She doesn't know if the faster-moving blades were attached to the affected turbine, but wonders if her observations were connected to Friday's collapse, which was the first major incident at the Norther Tier wind parks.
Though the push for wind energy has received strong support from many local residents, others, like members of the West Beekmantown Neighborhood Association, feel they pose a danger to public safety and health and have resisted the efforts.
There are zoning regulations in place that restrict how close turbines can be erected near homes, but some wondered Saturday if similar collapses could happen and whether flying debris could extend beyond the protected perimeter.
As word of the collapse spread Friday, Adirondack Council spokesman John Sheehan expressed concern about the risks turbines could pose on elevated and sloped locations if a collapse could happen in flatland parks.
The Altona wind park will remain closed as the investigation continues.
In their latest update, Noble Environmental Power officials said it could take several months to finalize their investigation, which is being conducted jointly with General Electric.
Noble CEO Walt Howard toured the site after the collapse and spoke with employees there.
In a news release, he said: "I am pleased with the quick response of the Noble team. They secured the site and accounted for all Noble employees in a manner that is consistent with our stringent safety policy. I am also grateful to the fire department for its swift response."
Officials said the wind park utilizes General Electric 1.5 megawatt turbines. There are currently more than 12,000 of those turbines across the world and they are the most widely deployed turbines, Noble said.
Altona Town Supervisor Larry Ross was also surprised by the collapse and said he will be updated on the investigation as it progresses.
"They're going to keep me in the loop so I know what's going on," he said from his home Saturday.
"The main thing was that no one was hurt "¦ and now it's a matter of finding out what happened and putting it back together."
E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Wind vs. Nuclear Power: Which Is Safer?
Nuclear power is portrayed by the major media and by environmental activists as dangerous and perhaps even sinister. Wind power, on the other hand, is considered benign. But the track records of nuclear power and wind power present a different picture.
Nuclear power has been been used to produce electricity for more than four decades, beginning with the Shippingport nuclear power plant in 1957. Today there are 104 nuclear power plants in the United States generating some 60 billion kilowatt hours per year of electricity. There have been no deaths from radiation in more than 40 years of American nuclear plant operations. Even considering the "catastrophe" at Three Mile Island, there has not been a single case of injury to any member of the public. (There were fatalities at the Russian Chernobyl plant, but that plant was radically different from an American nuclear power plant. It did not even have a containment structured around the nuclear reactor.)
How about wind power? How does it fare compared to the perfect record of the American nuclear power industry? Believe it or not, there is an organization, the Caithness Windfarm Information Forum, that keeps data on wind power-elated accidents and/or design problems. Caithness is based in Great Britain, where homeowners have already grown tired of the noise and other wind turbine generated problems. Their "Summary of Wind Turbine Accident Data to 31 December 2008" reports 41 worker fatalities. Most, not unexpectedly, were from falling as they are typically working on turbines some thirty stories above the ground. In addition, Caithness attributed the deaths of 16 members of the public to wind-turbine accidents.
A summary of accidents includes:
• 139 incidents of blade failure. Failed blades have been known to travel over a quarter mile, and that is from turbines much smaller than those being manufactured today. This type of accident has caused some European countries to require a minimum distance of about one mile (2 km) between occupied housing and wind turbines.
•110 incidents of fire. When a wind turbine fire occurs, the local fire departments (without 30-story ladder trucks) can do little but watch. This isn't a problem unless the wind is blowing sufficiently to scatter the debris into dry fields or woodlands — or maybe onto your roof.
• 60 incidents of structural failure. This includes turbine failure and tower collapse failures. While not now a problem for the public — except having to gaze upon at a bent-over wind turbine — it may well become one as governments, under pressure from environmental activists, encourage marginal- and hastily-sited wind projects in urban areas where such an accident could kill and maim.
• 24 incidents of "ice throw" with human injury. These data may be a small fraction of actual incidences, with 880 icing events reported in a 13-year period for Germany alone.
(Click to read entire article)
Nuclear power has been been used to produce electricity for more than four decades, beginning with the Shippingport nuclear power plant in 1957. Today there are 104 nuclear power plants in the United States generating some 60 billion kilowatt hours per year of electricity. There have been no deaths from radiation in more than 40 years of American nuclear plant operations. Even considering the "catastrophe" at Three Mile Island, there has not been a single case of injury to any member of the public. (There were fatalities at the Russian Chernobyl plant, but that plant was radically different from an American nuclear power plant. It did not even have a containment structured around the nuclear reactor.)
How about wind power? How does it fare compared to the perfect record of the American nuclear power industry? Believe it or not, there is an organization, the Caithness Windfarm Information Forum, that keeps data on wind power-elated accidents and/or design problems. Caithness is based in Great Britain, where homeowners have already grown tired of the noise and other wind turbine generated problems. Their "Summary of Wind Turbine Accident Data to 31 December 2008" reports 41 worker fatalities. Most, not unexpectedly, were from falling as they are typically working on turbines some thirty stories above the ground. In addition, Caithness attributed the deaths of 16 members of the public to wind-turbine accidents.
A summary of accidents includes:
• 139 incidents of blade failure. Failed blades have been known to travel over a quarter mile, and that is from turbines much smaller than those being manufactured today. This type of accident has caused some European countries to require a minimum distance of about one mile (2 km) between occupied housing and wind turbines.
•110 incidents of fire. When a wind turbine fire occurs, the local fire departments (without 30-story ladder trucks) can do little but watch. This isn't a problem unless the wind is blowing sufficiently to scatter the debris into dry fields or woodlands — or maybe onto your roof.
• 60 incidents of structural failure. This includes turbine failure and tower collapse failures. While not now a problem for the public — except having to gaze upon at a bent-over wind turbine — it may well become one as governments, under pressure from environmental activists, encourage marginal- and hastily-sited wind projects in urban areas where such an accident could kill and maim.
• 24 incidents of "ice throw" with human injury. These data may be a small fraction of actual incidences, with 880 icing events reported in a 13-year period for Germany alone.
(Click to read entire article)
Dream Home Taken Away by Industrial Wind Turbines
Dear Editor,
My name is Jessica. I am 27 years old and live in Sheldon, NY. I am writing because the American public needs to understand the harsh impacts industrial wind turbines are having on residents living near these immense machines. As residents in the Town of Sheldon, we are now stuck living with at least ten 420-foot tall spinning industrial wind turbines within 1.5 miles of our home.
My husband and I bought our dream home and horse farm in the summer of 2006. We were married on the property. The home was perfect for us, and we looked forward to raising a family here.
My career as a health care professional is high stress and constant chaos. Although I love my career, I really looked forward to returning to the peace and quiet our country home provided every day. Tragically, our solitude has been shattered, and tranquil days and nights are no longer a reality here.
My husband and I first learned of wind turbines only months after purchasing our home. We didn't worry much about it at the time because wind turbine talk seemed to be only rumors, and we believed no solid plan was in place. We were wrong.
Summer of 2008 was the initial construction phase. The increased traffic began with heavy equipment, and endless stone and cement trucks. Next was the parade of large tractor trailers carrying the bases, blades, and motors, with their accompanying entourage of several flag vehicles each. The construction traffic began in the early morning and continued through dusk every day for months. The continuous daytime noise on the road and in the nearby once-quiet fields became exhausting.
The road noise has quieted, and the workers are gone - just the spinning machines remain. The increased traffic over the summer was an annoyance, but now the ugly sticks on the hill are ruining my life. The turbines began spinning a few weeks back. Since then the light pollution in our night skies is horrible, and the noise is driving me crazy!
The noise is so loud and annoying it is no longer enjoyable to spend time outside. I do not even enjoy riding my horses for any length of time anymore. The loud noise creates anxiety and stress which is resulting in tension headaches, nausea and dizziness.
The negative effects of the noise created by the wind turbines varies depending on the time of day and the speed of the wind. During the day, if the wind is low, a "swishing" noise is heard from three turbines located within 1.5 miles to the west. If the wind is stronger, the "swishing" becomes louder and is accompanied by a jet engine type "roar". The noise can be heard in the house when the windows are closed. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when we want to open our windows this summer!
The night view of the many blinking red lights which now obscure our once serene, star-lit skies is like looking at blinking Christmas tree lights. The lights often catch my attention even when I'm focused on other tasks.
As if the noise and flashing lights wasn't bad enough, the newest addition is the presence of shadow flicker. As the sun gets lower in the sky every evening, a "flicker" is created in our bedroom, the computer room, the living room, and the family room. I am unable to rest, read, or even watch television during this time. The shadow flicker creates headaches and eye pain. I am unable to remain in those rooms (the majority of the house) during shadow flicker hours.
People often will pull over in front of our house and stick their heads out of their car windows. I am sure they do not hear the full effect. I invite anyone to come to our house during a strong wind period and just sit in the yard. Only then will anyone truly feel the full effect. And even then, you can leave. You won't have to try and sleep there at night.
Our dream home has been taken away from us, and we had no power to say no. A feeling of hopelessness continues to consume me. I now pay a mortgage on a "damaged" house. We do not have the option of turning the noise off when it becomes a nuisance, or when we want to go to sleep at night. Our neighbors have taken different sides, and the entire town is divided. Trust in our small town has been destroyed by greed and inconsideration for one's neighbors.
Please listen to my plea! Please don't do what my town has done! Research industrial wind turbines. Talk to others. Remember - wind turbine companies are in it to make a huge profit. The ones getting paid by Big Wind LLC's are the ones saying wind farms are wonderful. Listen to the stories of uncompensated residents, like us, who are now stuck living next to turbines, and whose lives have been ruined by these things.
Sadly submitted by Jessica, Sheldon, NY
My name is Jessica. I am 27 years old and live in Sheldon, NY. I am writing because the American public needs to understand the harsh impacts industrial wind turbines are having on residents living near these immense machines. As residents in the Town of Sheldon, we are now stuck living with at least ten 420-foot tall spinning industrial wind turbines within 1.5 miles of our home.
My husband and I bought our dream home and horse farm in the summer of 2006. We were married on the property. The home was perfect for us, and we looked forward to raising a family here.
My career as a health care professional is high stress and constant chaos. Although I love my career, I really looked forward to returning to the peace and quiet our country home provided every day. Tragically, our solitude has been shattered, and tranquil days and nights are no longer a reality here.
My husband and I first learned of wind turbines only months after purchasing our home. We didn't worry much about it at the time because wind turbine talk seemed to be only rumors, and we believed no solid plan was in place. We were wrong.
Summer of 2008 was the initial construction phase. The increased traffic began with heavy equipment, and endless stone and cement trucks. Next was the parade of large tractor trailers carrying the bases, blades, and motors, with their accompanying entourage of several flag vehicles each. The construction traffic began in the early morning and continued through dusk every day for months. The continuous daytime noise on the road and in the nearby once-quiet fields became exhausting.
The road noise has quieted, and the workers are gone - just the spinning machines remain. The increased traffic over the summer was an annoyance, but now the ugly sticks on the hill are ruining my life. The turbines began spinning a few weeks back. Since then the light pollution in our night skies is horrible, and the noise is driving me crazy!
The noise is so loud and annoying it is no longer enjoyable to spend time outside. I do not even enjoy riding my horses for any length of time anymore. The loud noise creates anxiety and stress which is resulting in tension headaches, nausea and dizziness.
The negative effects of the noise created by the wind turbines varies depending on the time of day and the speed of the wind. During the day, if the wind is low, a "swishing" noise is heard from three turbines located within 1.5 miles to the west. If the wind is stronger, the "swishing" becomes louder and is accompanied by a jet engine type "roar". The noise can be heard in the house when the windows are closed. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when we want to open our windows this summer!
The night view of the many blinking red lights which now obscure our once serene, star-lit skies is like looking at blinking Christmas tree lights. The lights often catch my attention even when I'm focused on other tasks.
As if the noise and flashing lights wasn't bad enough, the newest addition is the presence of shadow flicker. As the sun gets lower in the sky every evening, a "flicker" is created in our bedroom, the computer room, the living room, and the family room. I am unable to rest, read, or even watch television during this time. The shadow flicker creates headaches and eye pain. I am unable to remain in those rooms (the majority of the house) during shadow flicker hours.
People often will pull over in front of our house and stick their heads out of their car windows. I am sure they do not hear the full effect. I invite anyone to come to our house during a strong wind period and just sit in the yard. Only then will anyone truly feel the full effect. And even then, you can leave. You won't have to try and sleep there at night.
Our dream home has been taken away from us, and we had no power to say no. A feeling of hopelessness continues to consume me. I now pay a mortgage on a "damaged" house. We do not have the option of turning the noise off when it becomes a nuisance, or when we want to go to sleep at night. Our neighbors have taken different sides, and the entire town is divided. Trust in our small town has been destroyed by greed and inconsideration for one's neighbors.
Please listen to my plea! Please don't do what my town has done! Research industrial wind turbines. Talk to others. Remember - wind turbine companies are in it to make a huge profit. The ones getting paid by Big Wind LLC's are the ones saying wind farms are wonderful. Listen to the stories of uncompensated residents, like us, who are now stuck living next to turbines, and whose lives have been ruined by these things.
Sadly submitted by Jessica, Sheldon, NY
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Noble Environmental Power Confirms Altona Turbine Collapse
ALTONA, N.Y. -- Noble Environmental Power has confirmed that a turbine collapsed at its Altona, N.Y., wind park Friday morning, but said no one was injured in the collapse and ensuing fire.
In a statement released by the company Friday, company spokeswoman Maggy Wisniewski confirmed one turbine had collapsed and that a small fire resulted, but she refused to speak on the record with a NewsChannel 5 reporter.
Local fire departments were notified and are at the scene, according to the statement. The site has been completely secured and all Noble employees have been accounted for, the statement says.
The statement also says the entire Noble wind park has been shut down pending further investigation and there is no danger to the public due to the collapse.
"Noble values the safety of its employees and neighbors above all else. Noble has committed its full resources to understanding the cause of this incident. We will keep you informed as we learn more information," Noble CEO Walt Howard is quoted as saying in the statement.
Residents reported large explosions from the scene at about 9:30 a.m. NewsChannel 5 went to the scene off Purdy Road, which leads to the wind farm, and found Noble trucks blocking the roadway. Noble officials at the scene would not provide access to the area and offered no information about the situation at that time.
Residents in the area told Newschannel 5 they heard what sounded like a large explosion and said the loud noises lasted for several minutes. Others equated the sound to an earthquake and speculated one of the company's large windmills may have thrown a blade. Another local resident told NewsChannel 5 she could see flames coming from Noble.
High winds have been reported throughout the North Country Friday.
NewsChannel 5 will provide more detail on this story as it comes available. Check back here at WPTZ.com for the latest on this story.
In a statement released by the company Friday, company spokeswoman Maggy Wisniewski confirmed one turbine had collapsed and that a small fire resulted, but she refused to speak on the record with a NewsChannel 5 reporter.
Local fire departments were notified and are at the scene, according to the statement. The site has been completely secured and all Noble employees have been accounted for, the statement says.
The statement also says the entire Noble wind park has been shut down pending further investigation and there is no danger to the public due to the collapse.
"Noble values the safety of its employees and neighbors above all else. Noble has committed its full resources to understanding the cause of this incident. We will keep you informed as we learn more information," Noble CEO Walt Howard is quoted as saying in the statement.
Residents reported large explosions from the scene at about 9:30 a.m. NewsChannel 5 went to the scene off Purdy Road, which leads to the wind farm, and found Noble trucks blocking the roadway. Noble officials at the scene would not provide access to the area and offered no information about the situation at that time.
Residents in the area told Newschannel 5 they heard what sounded like a large explosion and said the loud noises lasted for several minutes. Others equated the sound to an earthquake and speculated one of the company's large windmills may have thrown a blade. Another local resident told NewsChannel 5 she could see flames coming from Noble.
High winds have been reported throughout the North Country Friday.
NewsChannel 5 will provide more detail on this story as it comes available. Check back here at WPTZ.com for the latest on this story.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Wind farm permit on hold
Prattsburgh, N.Y.
Prattsburgh Town Board members refused Tuesday to grant wind farm developer EcoGen a building permit or to waive the requirement for a permit.
The board originally met in special session to consider revisions to the town’s draft building permit law and to attach fees to the permit.
However, recent reports of near-deafening noise created by turbines operating in nearby Cohocton have spurred the Prattsburgh board to seek more information before it will decide on revisions to the permit law.
Cohocton residents told board members last week the turbines sound like jet engines, rattle windows, disturb sleep and upset animals.
Prattsburgh board members have visited the noisy turbine sites.
“There was enough noise to make me realize it’s a problem,” said Councilwoman Sharon Quigley, a wind farm supporter.
Councilman Chuck Schick said there are now three sound studies of the Cohocton projects under way, including one by developer First Wind.
Schick suggested the board enact a moratorium to allow them enough time to look at any new information needed for a decision on the revised law.
His suggestion was followed by a reminder from John Leyden, Prattsburgh’s town attorney, that EcoGen had notified town officials it had to have a permit or a permit waiver immediately following Tuesday’s board meeting.
“They said ‘we want it now or we’re suing,’” he said.
The lawsuit would be based on the company’s claim that the town board has no legal right to delay the project.
Leyden said EcoGen has already submitted an application to the board, and maintains a permit is not really required for the project. The company says the project’s financing depends on a swift decision by the board, according to Leyden.
However, EcoGen’s application was turned down by the Prattsburgh board in December, followed by a resolution early this year saying they would not issue a permit until the law was in place, according to Councilman Steve Kula.
Leyden said the lawsuit from the developer would be difficult to defend, but added the town did have arguments in its favor.
“I’m for whatever you want to do,” he said. “I just want you to know what you’re facing.”
While the board agreed not to take any action on the revised law yet, the moratorium was defeated after Leyden said it could take as long as two months to enact, and would not have an effect on EcoGen.
Schick and Kula voted for the moratorium, saying it represented a public stand on the project.
“We can’t let these guys bully us into making the wrong decision,” Schick said. “A lot of info is available today that wasn’t a year ago, two years ago, or even seven years ago.”
The discussion on the board’s reaction to EcoGen’s ultimatum lasted nearly 2.5 hours, with board members agreeing to seek outside counsel on the matter.
“It just doesn’t make sense to let them run roughshod over us,” Kula said.
Prattsburgh Town Board members refused Tuesday to grant wind farm developer EcoGen a building permit or to waive the requirement for a permit.
The board originally met in special session to consider revisions to the town’s draft building permit law and to attach fees to the permit.
However, recent reports of near-deafening noise created by turbines operating in nearby Cohocton have spurred the Prattsburgh board to seek more information before it will decide on revisions to the permit law.
Cohocton residents told board members last week the turbines sound like jet engines, rattle windows, disturb sleep and upset animals.
Prattsburgh board members have visited the noisy turbine sites.
“There was enough noise to make me realize it’s a problem,” said Councilwoman Sharon Quigley, a wind farm supporter.
Councilman Chuck Schick said there are now three sound studies of the Cohocton projects under way, including one by developer First Wind.
Schick suggested the board enact a moratorium to allow them enough time to look at any new information needed for a decision on the revised law.
His suggestion was followed by a reminder from John Leyden, Prattsburgh’s town attorney, that EcoGen had notified town officials it had to have a permit or a permit waiver immediately following Tuesday’s board meeting.
“They said ‘we want it now or we’re suing,’” he said.
The lawsuit would be based on the company’s claim that the town board has no legal right to delay the project.
Leyden said EcoGen has already submitted an application to the board, and maintains a permit is not really required for the project. The company says the project’s financing depends on a swift decision by the board, according to Leyden.
However, EcoGen’s application was turned down by the Prattsburgh board in December, followed by a resolution early this year saying they would not issue a permit until the law was in place, according to Councilman Steve Kula.
Leyden said the lawsuit from the developer would be difficult to defend, but added the town did have arguments in its favor.
“I’m for whatever you want to do,” he said. “I just want you to know what you’re facing.”
While the board agreed not to take any action on the revised law yet, the moratorium was defeated after Leyden said it could take as long as two months to enact, and would not have an effect on EcoGen.
Schick and Kula voted for the moratorium, saying it represented a public stand on the project.
“We can’t let these guys bully us into making the wrong decision,” Schick said. “A lot of info is available today that wasn’t a year ago, two years ago, or even seven years ago.”
The discussion on the board’s reaction to EcoGen’s ultimatum lasted nearly 2.5 hours, with board members agreeing to seek outside counsel on the matter.
“It just doesn’t make sense to let them run roughshod over us,” Kula said.
Monday, March 02, 2009
In N.Y., local officials shouldn't be handcuffed by restriction
Developing wind power in New York state is the compellingly correct thing to do.
Wayne R. Hunt, member of the Cohocton Town Board idea of ethics and conflict of interest. Seems that Mr. Hunt wants legal protection for corrupt town officials.
If we continue to develop wind power in the United States at the present rate, by 2030 our wind-powered output of electricity will equal our present-day production from nuclear energy.
We probably would not be able to get one new nuclear plant approved, built and commissioned by 2030 let alone enough new plants to double present nuclear production. A worthy goal would be for New York to develop enough wind farms to equal New York's nuclear production by 2030.
I believe the state was wise to put the responsibility for siting and developing wind farms in the hands of town governments. Those governments are directly responsible to their residents.
Typically, wind farms are being proposed and sited in towns with 2,000 residents or less. Typically, every town official attends church, belongs to Rotary or Lions clubs, goes to fire department fundraisers, coaches youth sports, buys magazines from local high school students and so on. We interact with each other on a daily basis.
Typically, from one to four of those small-town board members are the farmers who make up the majority of the business operators in rural New York. These are the very people who have the greatest interest in the welfare of their towns, yet they are immediately disqualified from fulfilling their representative role in their town government if a wind power proposition comes along.
The dilemma is this: Towns have the responsibility to site wind farms while their boards can be compromised or rendered unable to deal with this vital issue because of imposed ethical regulations.
The latest development in this ongoing saga is the Code of Ethics for Wind Farms that was established by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office last fall. It requires that no wind developer may spend more than $10 per year on any town official. Additionally, the regulation requires that no wind developer or operator may hire any town official or any of their relatives before, during or after a wind farm is built.
If we applied those same standards to all other commercial development, we'd be requiring that all potential employees must be imported from far enough away that there could be no connection to our town officials.
I can't believe that this is the intention of state government or the attorney general's office. If we truly want New York state to return to its rightful place as the Empire State, we must find ways to work together to make it happen, not pile more millstone regulations around our necks and make the job nearly impossible.
I'm calling on Gov. David Paterson to appoint a task force to investigate the seven operating wind farms in New York state.
The task force should visit every town that was involved in siting the farms. Every town official who had anything to do with the entire process should be interviewed. At least one, well- publicized, public hearing should be held in every town so all aspects of those developments can be scrutinized.
After this is completed, recommendations should be made to clarify the process. It should be made clear that towns may continue with the responsibility by a means that is above suspicion and able to be forwarded without delays, innuendo or questions about the character of officials.
Wayne R. Hunt, member of the Cohocton Town Board idea of ethics and conflict of interest. Seems that Mr. Hunt wants legal protection for corrupt town officials.
If we continue to develop wind power in the United States at the present rate, by 2030 our wind-powered output of electricity will equal our present-day production from nuclear energy.
We probably would not be able to get one new nuclear plant approved, built and commissioned by 2030 let alone enough new plants to double present nuclear production. A worthy goal would be for New York to develop enough wind farms to equal New York's nuclear production by 2030.
I believe the state was wise to put the responsibility for siting and developing wind farms in the hands of town governments. Those governments are directly responsible to their residents.
Typically, wind farms are being proposed and sited in towns with 2,000 residents or less. Typically, every town official attends church, belongs to Rotary or Lions clubs, goes to fire department fundraisers, coaches youth sports, buys magazines from local high school students and so on. We interact with each other on a daily basis.
Typically, from one to four of those small-town board members are the farmers who make up the majority of the business operators in rural New York. These are the very people who have the greatest interest in the welfare of their towns, yet they are immediately disqualified from fulfilling their representative role in their town government if a wind power proposition comes along.
The dilemma is this: Towns have the responsibility to site wind farms while their boards can be compromised or rendered unable to deal with this vital issue because of imposed ethical regulations.
The latest development in this ongoing saga is the Code of Ethics for Wind Farms that was established by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office last fall. It requires that no wind developer may spend more than $10 per year on any town official. Additionally, the regulation requires that no wind developer or operator may hire any town official or any of their relatives before, during or after a wind farm is built.
If we applied those same standards to all other commercial development, we'd be requiring that all potential employees must be imported from far enough away that there could be no connection to our town officials.
I can't believe that this is the intention of state government or the attorney general's office. If we truly want New York state to return to its rightful place as the Empire State, we must find ways to work together to make it happen, not pile more millstone regulations around our necks and make the job nearly impossible.
I'm calling on Gov. David Paterson to appoint a task force to investigate the seven operating wind farms in New York state.
The task force should visit every town that was involved in siting the farms. Every town official who had anything to do with the entire process should be interviewed. At least one, well- publicized, public hearing should be held in every town so all aspects of those developments can be scrutinized.
After this is completed, recommendations should be made to clarify the process. It should be made clear that towns may continue with the responsibility by a means that is above suspicion and able to be forwarded without delays, innuendo or questions about the character of officials.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Residents: Turbines too loud
Atlanta, N.Y.
Several Cohocton town residents want to know why they have to call wind developer First Wind to complain about noise from wind turbines instead of town officials.
Residents packed the town board meeting Monday night, hoping to hear how the complaints will be handled.
According to Joe Bob, one of the town’s code enforcement officers, the town’s wind law specifies exactly how much noise can be made at a certain range.
Bob said the town law states the noise cannot reach higher than 50 decibels at the closest non-participating property line. According to town law, no turbines are allowed within 1,500 feet of a property line without a variance.
The law also sets lower limits for some sounds. Any “pure tone” noise, as defined by the law, is limited to 45 decibels.
“It’s in-depth, very methodical, very thorough,” Bob said.
With several residents offering complaints to the town, First Wind and the media, Bob set out how the complaint system works.
First, the town needs to determine the sound levels put out by the turbines. Right now, the town’s wind noise monitoring firm, Massachusetts-based firm Tech Environmental, is trying to monitor 10 turbines around Cohocton for noise at peak operating time.
Bob said the town’s noise monitoring firm tests for noise several ways, including shutting off turbines to check background noise, sheltering the meters from the wind and repeating tests over a period of time.
“The problem is, they’re not done yet,” Bob said, adding until a baseline of how much noise is being created, it will be hard to determine what is above the legal noise limit and what is not.
Once that baseline is set, he said, residents can call a toll-free telephone number to lodge a complaint, which rings into the First Wind office in Cohocton. The town code enforcement office, a First Wind representative and monitoring firms hired by both the town and First Wind — but both paid for by First Wind — will set up at the complainant’s residence and monitor the noise. If the noise is over the limit, the turbine will be shut down at peak noise production.
Residents spoke out againts the process, saying the noise now is too great to wait for a long study to be undertaken.
“They’re making so much noise, I can’t sleep at night,” Graham said. “The thing is reading 82-110 decibels at some times.”
Graham said he thinks he was lied to when First Wind, then called UPC Wind, offered to place turbines on his property.
“They told us we wouldn’t hear anything at 900 feet,” he said. “The noise is so great that my windows are vibrating.”
Graham added he has hired an attorney to pursue the complaint process if needed.
“If you’re the code officer, you should be able to monitor these things and enforce this,” Graham said.
Zigenfus said there is little the town can do but follow the procedure it agreed to.
“We’re bound by what the law is,” he said. “If we violate their rights under a contract, we could end up in even more trouble.
Steve Trude, one of the heads of Cohocton Wind Watch and co-plaintiff in three lawsuits against the town over the development, said he feels the system should not go through First Wind.
“We don’t feel well calling Jane (Towner, a Cohocton-based First Wind official),” Trude said. “The protections need to be tweaked.”
Several Cohocton town residents want to know why they have to call wind developer First Wind to complain about noise from wind turbines instead of town officials.
Residents packed the town board meeting Monday night, hoping to hear how the complaints will be handled.
According to Joe Bob, one of the town’s code enforcement officers, the town’s wind law specifies exactly how much noise can be made at a certain range.
Bob said the town law states the noise cannot reach higher than 50 decibels at the closest non-participating property line. According to town law, no turbines are allowed within 1,500 feet of a property line without a variance.
The law also sets lower limits for some sounds. Any “pure tone” noise, as defined by the law, is limited to 45 decibels.
“It’s in-depth, very methodical, very thorough,” Bob said.
With several residents offering complaints to the town, First Wind and the media, Bob set out how the complaint system works.
First, the town needs to determine the sound levels put out by the turbines. Right now, the town’s wind noise monitoring firm, Massachusetts-based firm Tech Environmental, is trying to monitor 10 turbines around Cohocton for noise at peak operating time.
Bob said the town’s noise monitoring firm tests for noise several ways, including shutting off turbines to check background noise, sheltering the meters from the wind and repeating tests over a period of time.
“The problem is, they’re not done yet,” Bob said, adding until a baseline of how much noise is being created, it will be hard to determine what is above the legal noise limit and what is not.
Once that baseline is set, he said, residents can call a toll-free telephone number to lodge a complaint, which rings into the First Wind office in Cohocton. The town code enforcement office, a First Wind representative and monitoring firms hired by both the town and First Wind — but both paid for by First Wind — will set up at the complainant’s residence and monitor the noise. If the noise is over the limit, the turbine will be shut down at peak noise production.
Residents spoke out againts the process, saying the noise now is too great to wait for a long study to be undertaken.
“They’re making so much noise, I can’t sleep at night,” Graham said. “The thing is reading 82-110 decibels at some times.”
Graham said he thinks he was lied to when First Wind, then called UPC Wind, offered to place turbines on his property.
“They told us we wouldn’t hear anything at 900 feet,” he said. “The noise is so great that my windows are vibrating.”
Graham added he has hired an attorney to pursue the complaint process if needed.
“If you’re the code officer, you should be able to monitor these things and enforce this,” Graham said.
Zigenfus said there is little the town can do but follow the procedure it agreed to.
“We’re bound by what the law is,” he said. “If we violate their rights under a contract, we could end up in even more trouble.
Steve Trude, one of the heads of Cohocton Wind Watch and co-plaintiff in three lawsuits against the town over the development, said he feels the system should not go through First Wind.
“We don’t feel well calling Jane (Towner, a Cohocton-based First Wind official),” Trude said. “The protections need to be tweaked.”
Hartsville blocks wind
Hartsville, N.Y.
Could it be a long, long year for wind developers in Hartsville?
The town board in Hartsville, at a special meeting Wednesday, voted to place a moratorium on all industrial wind development project approvals.
According to town Supervisor Steve Dombert, there are three main areas the town board would like to review before any project is approved:
l A review of financial assistance the town will receive.
l A review of how noise from turbines could impact the local population and property values.
l A comprehensive plan on what the town will do with the money from the project.
The decision came in opposition to half of the town board and officials from Germany-based wind developer E.ON, which asked the board to either hold off on the moratorium or shorten its duration.
“You will see we’ve done a lot of work on the environmental impact,” E.ON representative John Reynolds said. “Noise, birds, bats, roads —all of those things are in that report.”
“We wouldn’t prepare a draft EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) if we weren’t serious on moving forward with development,” said E.ON attorney Jackie Murray said. “It (the moratorium) sends a message that ... the use will be prohibited.”
Murray said the DEIS covers most of the issues raised by Dombert for the moratorium as well.
Dombert said the DEIS will be discussed at a Steuben County Industrial Development Agency meeting at noon today.
David Pullen, the town’s attorney, said the legislation would not put a damper on the SCIDA process, but will allow the town to review its wind law and make changes if needed.
“”It’s not a reflection if the E.ON proposal is a good one or a bad proposal,” Pullen said, adding only the town needs to review its law to make sure the town keeps its legal standing.
Information on the project has not been forthcoming, Dombert said, and it was not until a moratorium was discussed that information began to flow.
“Lo and behold, it led to our face-to-face meeting,” he said.
Dombert said the impact of the moratorium will hopefully be negligible on the project.
“We’re not in favor of delaying this thing anymore than necessary,” he said, adding he would just like “to withhold that power in the town.”
Reynolds said the timing of the moratorium discussion could still be misconstrued.
“It seems ironic that we started ramping up ... about the time we’re doing that, there is a discussion of a moratorium,” he said.
Board member Ben Ray proposed a six-month moratorium on the project, which he said would allow time for review but not hold up construction as a year-long moratorium might.
The board approved the year-long moratorium as written at the meeting.
Could it be a long, long year for wind developers in Hartsville?
The town board in Hartsville, at a special meeting Wednesday, voted to place a moratorium on all industrial wind development project approvals.
According to town Supervisor Steve Dombert, there are three main areas the town board would like to review before any project is approved:
l A review of financial assistance the town will receive.
l A review of how noise from turbines could impact the local population and property values.
l A comprehensive plan on what the town will do with the money from the project.
The decision came in opposition to half of the town board and officials from Germany-based wind developer E.ON, which asked the board to either hold off on the moratorium or shorten its duration.
“You will see we’ve done a lot of work on the environmental impact,” E.ON representative John Reynolds said. “Noise, birds, bats, roads —all of those things are in that report.”
“We wouldn’t prepare a draft EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) if we weren’t serious on moving forward with development,” said E.ON attorney Jackie Murray said. “It (the moratorium) sends a message that ... the use will be prohibited.”
Murray said the DEIS covers most of the issues raised by Dombert for the moratorium as well.
Dombert said the DEIS will be discussed at a Steuben County Industrial Development Agency meeting at noon today.
David Pullen, the town’s attorney, said the legislation would not put a damper on the SCIDA process, but will allow the town to review its wind law and make changes if needed.
“”It’s not a reflection if the E.ON proposal is a good one or a bad proposal,” Pullen said, adding only the town needs to review its law to make sure the town keeps its legal standing.
Information on the project has not been forthcoming, Dombert said, and it was not until a moratorium was discussed that information began to flow.
“Lo and behold, it led to our face-to-face meeting,” he said.
Dombert said the impact of the moratorium will hopefully be negligible on the project.
“We’re not in favor of delaying this thing anymore than necessary,” he said, adding he would just like “to withhold that power in the town.”
Reynolds said the timing of the moratorium discussion could still be misconstrued.
“It seems ironic that we started ramping up ... about the time we’re doing that, there is a discussion of a moratorium,” he said.
Board member Ben Ray proposed a six-month moratorium on the project, which he said would allow time for review but not hold up construction as a year-long moratorium might.
The board approved the year-long moratorium as written at the meeting.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Prattsburgh residents get warning on wind turbines
PRATTSBURGH — Wind turbines will disturb your peace and quiet, neighboring town residents warned the Prattsburgh town board last week.
"It's like a jet engine landing right behind you," Hal Graham, of Cohocton, said. "It's constant noise."
Graham leased land to First Wind for its 50-turbine wind farm in the town of Cohocton. Tuesday, he spoke during the Prattsburgh board's public hearing on a wind energy facilities permit there. The permit will stipulate certain terms and charge a building permit fee for any wind facilities in the town.
The only wind project currently being considered in Prattsburgh is EcoGen, an East Aurora-based developer. In December, First Wind announced a year's hiatus in its plan
to put up a 36-turbine wind farm in Prattsburgh and recently closed its office.
However,FirstWind did complete its larger project in Cohocton, beginning operations there earlier this year.
Graham said he was a strong supporter of wind energy and studied any potential noise problems extensively by observing other wind farms in the state and asking questions.
Both he and a neighbor each have a turbine on their properties, he said.
"When I signed the contract, I was assured there was no noise," he said. "Well, people can't sleep at night, in the winter, with the windows closed. As the wind speed increases, the noise level rises. It rattles our windows ... It's like a jet engine going full blast."
The noise can be heard in neighboring hamlets of Ingleside, Atlanta and North Cohocton, according to Graham, and other Cohocton residents at the meeting. Other residents complained about a lack of sleep and disturbed animals.
Steve Trude, president of the project's opponents, Cohocton Wind Watch, said a turbine located within the established setback can be easily heard in his home.
"In the middle of the night, I can hear the blade wash," he said. "We've lost the gift we had, and it was the silence in the night."
Residents said they've been told the reason the turbines are louder than expected is they are larger than originally planned.
Contacted after the meeting, First Wind Corporate Communications Director John Lamontagne said the firm is aware of the noise problem and urged residents to call the hotline number already set up to log any complaints about the project.
"First Wind takes complaints about sound or other issues seriously," Lamontagne said. "First Wind senior managers have met one-on-one with many of the individual households involved to better understand their concerns.
We're also working closely with town officials to keep them apprised of the progress."
Lamontagne said the town has hired a sound consultant paid by First Wind to conduct sound monitoring. The monitoring could take several months, he said.
But one Cohocton resident warned the tests so far have been when the turbines were turning more slowly.
Cohocton residents said they spoke out in Prattsburgh because the EcoGen project also includes the larger turbines, reducing its original plan of 50 turbines to 16 in Prattsburgh and 18 in the town of Italy.
Other county residents attended the meeting, including Hartsville Town Supervisor Steven Dombertz. Hartsville is one of four towns in the county currently involved in wind negotiations. In addition to Cohocton and Prattsburgh, the town of Howard is also working with wind farm developers.
Prattsburgh Town Supervisor Harold McConnell told residents before the public hearing the board would delay a final vote on the permit due to changes requested by EcoGen and town attorney John Leyden.
The board has scheduled another meeting to dicuss the changes and will hold a second public hearing on the permit, he said.McConnell said he and other board members will visit the problem areas.
"Come when there's a wind," Graham said. "Don't let them buffalo you. You know, I wanted to do something for the ecology. And now I can't sleep at night."
"It's like a jet engine landing right behind you," Hal Graham, of Cohocton, said. "It's constant noise."
Graham leased land to First Wind for its 50-turbine wind farm in the town of Cohocton. Tuesday, he spoke during the Prattsburgh board's public hearing on a wind energy facilities permit there. The permit will stipulate certain terms and charge a building permit fee for any wind facilities in the town.
The only wind project currently being considered in Prattsburgh is EcoGen, an East Aurora-based developer. In December, First Wind announced a year's hiatus in its plan
to put up a 36-turbine wind farm in Prattsburgh and recently closed its office.
However,FirstWind did complete its larger project in Cohocton, beginning operations there earlier this year.
Graham said he was a strong supporter of wind energy and studied any potential noise problems extensively by observing other wind farms in the state and asking questions.
Both he and a neighbor each have a turbine on their properties, he said.
"When I signed the contract, I was assured there was no noise," he said. "Well, people can't sleep at night, in the winter, with the windows closed. As the wind speed increases, the noise level rises. It rattles our windows ... It's like a jet engine going full blast."
The noise can be heard in neighboring hamlets of Ingleside, Atlanta and North Cohocton, according to Graham, and other Cohocton residents at the meeting. Other residents complained about a lack of sleep and disturbed animals.
Steve Trude, president of the project's opponents, Cohocton Wind Watch, said a turbine located within the established setback can be easily heard in his home.
"In the middle of the night, I can hear the blade wash," he said. "We've lost the gift we had, and it was the silence in the night."
Residents said they've been told the reason the turbines are louder than expected is they are larger than originally planned.
Contacted after the meeting, First Wind Corporate Communications Director John Lamontagne said the firm is aware of the noise problem and urged residents to call the hotline number already set up to log any complaints about the project.
"First Wind takes complaints about sound or other issues seriously," Lamontagne said. "First Wind senior managers have met one-on-one with many of the individual households involved to better understand their concerns.
We're also working closely with town officials to keep them apprised of the progress."
Lamontagne said the town has hired a sound consultant paid by First Wind to conduct sound monitoring. The monitoring could take several months, he said.
But one Cohocton resident warned the tests so far have been when the turbines were turning more slowly.
Cohocton residents said they spoke out in Prattsburgh because the EcoGen project also includes the larger turbines, reducing its original plan of 50 turbines to 16 in Prattsburgh and 18 in the town of Italy.
Other county residents attended the meeting, including Hartsville Town Supervisor Steven Dombertz. Hartsville is one of four towns in the county currently involved in wind negotiations. In addition to Cohocton and Prattsburgh, the town of Howard is also working with wind farm developers.
Prattsburgh Town Supervisor Harold McConnell told residents before the public hearing the board would delay a final vote on the permit due to changes requested by EcoGen and town attorney John Leyden.
The board has scheduled another meeting to dicuss the changes and will hold a second public hearing on the permit, he said.McConnell said he and other board members will visit the problem areas.
"Come when there's a wind," Graham said. "Don't let them buffalo you. You know, I wanted to do something for the ecology. And now I can't sleep at night."
Power grid operator: no power so far to state grid from Cohocton
Cohocton, N.Y.
After years of development, construction, anxiety and lawsuits, the hills surrounding Cohocton have sprouted 50 commercial wind turbines.
Now that First Wind has wrapped up its construction in Cohocton and the turbines are now spinning in the breeze, is that energy being sold?
According to the grid operator, no. And that’s not expected to change anytime soon.
Richard Barlette, manager of government affairs for the New York Independent System Operator — the not-for-profit company that moderates the state’s power grid and gives all power projects the green light — said no power generated at the site has been sold for consumption.
“They’re currently under the connection process,” he said. “As far as ‘flipping the switch,’ a ball park figure is December 2010.”
That connection process contains several steps, Barlette said, which are long and complicated.
“It’s not just sticking a turbine in the ground one day and producing electricity,” he said. “Every plant you build goes through the process.”
The biggest test, he said, is seeing if the grid can handle the extra power — 125 megawatts, in Cohocton’s case.
“We need to know the impact and reliability on the grid. We need to make sure it doesn’t negatively affect the grid.”
NYISO’s word comes in contrast to what town officials have heard from First Wind in the past.
Jack Zigenfus, Cohocton town supervisor, was last told by First Wind that the project was ready to transmit power and he thought it was.
“I received a letter that it had met all the criteria from all the regulatory agencies,” Zigenfus said. “They have to be operating to be obligated to pay the town.”
Zigenfus said the town has received at least $1.81 million from the project so far. The first payment — of $725,000 — came to the town in 2007 from the project as part of the community host agreement, with an additional $937,500 entering the town’s coffers by the end of 2008. First Wind also transfered to the town $150,000 for historical remediation, which the town and village boards hope to put towards renovating the Larrowe House, which currently houses the town and village clerk offices.
He also said he heard from officials at the Wayland-Cohocton Central School District it received the first Payment in Lieu of Taxes check from First Wind.
Cohocton officials applauded First Wind for “throwing the switch” on the 50-turbine wind energy development in December, while according to John Lamontagne, director of corporate communications for First Wind, the project was believed to be up and running in 2008.
"The time frame was to be by the end of the year,” he said in a Dec. 16, 2008 phone interview.
According to company officials in 2007 — when the company was known as UPC Wind — the project was expected to be up and running about a year after construction began.
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.
First Wind officials did not immediately return messages for comment.
After years of development, construction, anxiety and lawsuits, the hills surrounding Cohocton have sprouted 50 commercial wind turbines.
Now that First Wind has wrapped up its construction in Cohocton and the turbines are now spinning in the breeze, is that energy being sold?
According to the grid operator, no. And that’s not expected to change anytime soon.
Richard Barlette, manager of government affairs for the New York Independent System Operator — the not-for-profit company that moderates the state’s power grid and gives all power projects the green light — said no power generated at the site has been sold for consumption.
“They’re currently under the connection process,” he said. “As far as ‘flipping the switch,’ a ball park figure is December 2010.”
That connection process contains several steps, Barlette said, which are long and complicated.
“It’s not just sticking a turbine in the ground one day and producing electricity,” he said. “Every plant you build goes through the process.”
The biggest test, he said, is seeing if the grid can handle the extra power — 125 megawatts, in Cohocton’s case.
“We need to know the impact and reliability on the grid. We need to make sure it doesn’t negatively affect the grid.”
NYISO’s word comes in contrast to what town officials have heard from First Wind in the past.
Jack Zigenfus, Cohocton town supervisor, was last told by First Wind that the project was ready to transmit power and he thought it was.
“I received a letter that it had met all the criteria from all the regulatory agencies,” Zigenfus said. “They have to be operating to be obligated to pay the town.”
Zigenfus said the town has received at least $1.81 million from the project so far. The first payment — of $725,000 — came to the town in 2007 from the project as part of the community host agreement, with an additional $937,500 entering the town’s coffers by the end of 2008. First Wind also transfered to the town $150,000 for historical remediation, which the town and village boards hope to put towards renovating the Larrowe House, which currently houses the town and village clerk offices.
He also said he heard from officials at the Wayland-Cohocton Central School District it received the first Payment in Lieu of Taxes check from First Wind.
Cohocton officials applauded First Wind for “throwing the switch” on the 50-turbine wind energy development in December, while according to John Lamontagne, director of corporate communications for First Wind, the project was believed to be up and running in 2008.
"The time frame was to be by the end of the year,” he said in a Dec. 16, 2008 phone interview.
According to company officials in 2007 — when the company was known as UPC Wind — the project was expected to be up and running about a year after construction began.
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.
First Wind officials did not immediately return messages for comment.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
WIND FARMER REGRETS HE GOT INVOLVED
Says he has trouble sleeping due to the noise.
A Town of Cohocton man tells us that he has a turbine on his property and that there is a wind turbine next door, and because of the turbines, he has trouble sleeping at night. He says he has asked the wind companies to turn the wind turbine off, and he says they won't.
That wind farmer now describes having a wind turbine as the biggest mistake of his life. His complaint about noise is not uncommon. All over the state where the giant turbines are installed, people complain of the noise as well as the fact that shadows often cause problems. The turbines also tend to ruin any beauty on the countryside.
http://www.canisteovalleynews.com/index.php/general/newsmaker/8825-Anonymous-wind-farmer.html
A Town of Cohocton man tells us that he has a turbine on his property and that there is a wind turbine next door, and because of the turbines, he has trouble sleeping at night. He says he has asked the wind companies to turn the wind turbine off, and he says they won't.
That wind farmer now describes having a wind turbine as the biggest mistake of his life. His complaint about noise is not uncommon. All over the state where the giant turbines are installed, people complain of the noise as well as the fact that shadows often cause problems. The turbines also tend to ruin any beauty on the countryside.
http://www.canisteovalleynews.com/index.php/general/newsmaker/8825-Anonymous-wind-farmer.html
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Blade breaks off wind turbine
PERKINS TOWNSHIP — Three wind turbines have stopped spinning because the blades on one of them broke apart on Saturday afternoon outside Perkins High School.
No one was hurt when parts of the fiberglass blades came off the turbine as it spun, winging the blades up to 40 yards away from the silver monopole tower, near the high school at 3714 Campbell St.
The remaining two will not spin until they are inspected and officials figure out exactly what caused the blades to break.
"We're still waiting for a complete investigation to try to determine what went wrong," said Perkins school Superintendent Jim Gunner.
"First and foremost, we've got to figure out what happened," he said. "Once we know what happened and we can safely put the two other turbines back on line, we'll do that."
Based on initial reports and photos, it sounded as though a wind gust may have caused one of the three spinning blades to flex and hit the monopole, said Joseph Ianni, chief executive officer of turbine maker ReDriven Power Inc., based in Iroquois, Ontario.
Hitting the pole could cause the blade, which is made of fiberglass with a foam core, to break and in just a few rotations throw off the balance of the three spinning blades, causing them also to hit the monopole, Ianni said. He cautioned all speculation was preliminary and no ReDriven workers had seen the blades, which were being stored at Wilkes & Co.
"We haven't seen this particular problem occur in the past at all," Ianni said. ReDriven has about 30 of the 20-kilowatt turbines in the field and a sales network of about 100 dealers in the United States, Canada and Europe.
Based on a preliminary examination, it did not appear the monopole or its foundation were damaged, Gunner said. The turbines are geared to start generating power with wind speed of about 4 mph.
Yesterday, Gunner convened Perkins Building and Ground Maintenance Supervisor Greg Linkenbach, Honeywell consultant Chris Hess, Wilkes & Co. Vice President David L. Rengel and John Fellhauer, of Fellhauer Mechanical Systems Inc.. to begin examining the blades, turbine and tower.
Rengel and Linkenbach said they were out at the turbines on Saturday and everything appeared in working order. A ReDriven worker also was at the site last week as the turbines were hooked up to the schools' power network, Ianni said.
The three turbines were installed Jan. 23 as part of major renovations designed to save on energy bills in Perkins Local Schools.
The turbines' electrical connections were hooked up and ready on Wednesday to begin generating power for the school, its field house and maintenance shop, and nearby Briar Middle School.
However, Saturday — with winds gusting out of the south — was the first day truly windy enough to test the machines.
The turbines became an attraction, with curiosity seekers driving into the high school parking lot to see the three, whose rotating 20-foot blades sometimes appeared to be synchronized, the officials said.
"It was kind of like a community event, people coming through," Rengel said. "Everybody was impressed. They said, 'Geez, these things are quiet. They look neat.'"
One 4-foot section of a blade was found in the high school student parking lot, where it hit about 20 yards away from the pole, then skidded another 20 yards, Gunner said. Another was almost directly beneath the turbine, while the third piece sailed about 25 to 30 yards into the end zone of Perkins' football stadium.
The other two can be shut down by creating an electric load within the generator, essentially locking the blades into place. The turbines also then turn to be off the direction of the wind, Rengel said.
No one was hurt when parts of the fiberglass blades came off the turbine as it spun, winging the blades up to 40 yards away from the silver monopole tower, near the high school at 3714 Campbell St.
The remaining two will not spin until they are inspected and officials figure out exactly what caused the blades to break.
"We're still waiting for a complete investigation to try to determine what went wrong," said Perkins school Superintendent Jim Gunner.
"First and foremost, we've got to figure out what happened," he said. "Once we know what happened and we can safely put the two other turbines back on line, we'll do that."
Based on initial reports and photos, it sounded as though a wind gust may have caused one of the three spinning blades to flex and hit the monopole, said Joseph Ianni, chief executive officer of turbine maker ReDriven Power Inc., based in Iroquois, Ontario.
Hitting the pole could cause the blade, which is made of fiberglass with a foam core, to break and in just a few rotations throw off the balance of the three spinning blades, causing them also to hit the monopole, Ianni said. He cautioned all speculation was preliminary and no ReDriven workers had seen the blades, which were being stored at Wilkes & Co.
"We haven't seen this particular problem occur in the past at all," Ianni said. ReDriven has about 30 of the 20-kilowatt turbines in the field and a sales network of about 100 dealers in the United States, Canada and Europe.
Based on a preliminary examination, it did not appear the monopole or its foundation were damaged, Gunner said. The turbines are geared to start generating power with wind speed of about 4 mph.
Yesterday, Gunner convened Perkins Building and Ground Maintenance Supervisor Greg Linkenbach, Honeywell consultant Chris Hess, Wilkes & Co. Vice President David L. Rengel and John Fellhauer, of Fellhauer Mechanical Systems Inc.. to begin examining the blades, turbine and tower.
Rengel and Linkenbach said they were out at the turbines on Saturday and everything appeared in working order. A ReDriven worker also was at the site last week as the turbines were hooked up to the schools' power network, Ianni said.
The three turbines were installed Jan. 23 as part of major renovations designed to save on energy bills in Perkins Local Schools.
The turbines' electrical connections were hooked up and ready on Wednesday to begin generating power for the school, its field house and maintenance shop, and nearby Briar Middle School.
However, Saturday — with winds gusting out of the south — was the first day truly windy enough to test the machines.
The turbines became an attraction, with curiosity seekers driving into the high school parking lot to see the three, whose rotating 20-foot blades sometimes appeared to be synchronized, the officials said.
"It was kind of like a community event, people coming through," Rengel said. "Everybody was impressed. They said, 'Geez, these things are quiet. They look neat.'"
One 4-foot section of a blade was found in the high school student parking lot, where it hit about 20 yards away from the pole, then skidded another 20 yards, Gunner said. Another was almost directly beneath the turbine, while the third piece sailed about 25 to 30 yards into the end zone of Perkins' football stadium.
The other two can be shut down by creating an electric load within the generator, essentially locking the blades into place. The turbines also then turn to be off the direction of the wind, Rengel said.
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