Posted with the permission of The Naples Record, originally published Wednesday April 22, 2009
Property owners say company promised noise no louder than a refrigerator
In an effort to make the Naples Town Board aware of the possible impact of Prattsburgh's wind turbines, two local residents were invited to present information about the Cohocton and Prattsburgh wind farms to the board during its April 13 meeting. The reports from Hal Graham and John Servo raised perennial questions about the hazards of wind turbines and the abrogation of property rights.
Graham, whose Cohocton property has a wind turbine on it, reported that noise from the turbines was beyond anything turbine leaseholders had been expecting. Told the 400-foot towers would produce only a sound equivalent to the hum of a refrigerator, property owners instead call the noise "unbelievable."
"It sounds like a jet engine trying to take off in the back yard," Graham said.
Regulations allow turbines to produce up to 50 decibels; Graham estimates the noise in his back yard at 80 to 110 db. More than 20 property owners in the surrounding area are experiencing the same noise difficulties, he added, with all reporting difficulty in sleeping.
"The sound goes completely through the house," he said.
At a meeting between First Wind and leaseholders, the wind developer was told the noise level was unacceptable and needed to be fixed. Graham says the company's response has been to stall and evade.
"At first we were told they didn't hear anything unusual," he said. "Now they say they're looking into it, but no one has contacted us. They feel they're in compliance."
In addition to the noise, which Graham says is the major problem, other concerns include the red lights, which owners were told would not be installed, and a phenomenon called shadow flickers, which Graham describes as an effect like that of a strobe light going on and off for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.
"I'm not trying to influence the town board, Fm just telling you what to expect with these windmills," he explained. They have a drastic effect on their neighbors."
Graham cited studies that identified deleterious effects to residents within a six- to ten-mile radius of wind turbines.
John Servo's wife's property on the Naples/Prattsburgh bor-der has interested wind developers for years. He presented the board with a map dated October 2008 of the EcoGen project area in Prattsburgh, highlighting the areas on the Steuben and Ontario County lines. The map indicates that the project pushes 1,300 feet into Ontario County, absorbing approximately 270 acres into the Prattsburgh wind project area.
"They have declared that they own you and have the right to say what happens in your town," Servo told the board.
The abrogation of property rights for Naples residents has concerned the town board for many months. Naples residents whose property borders Cohocton wind turbine properties are not, for safety setback reasons, allowed to build on their property between their houses and their property lines, and they are receiving no compensation from First Wind for that loss.
In New York State, a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), or environmental impact assessment, is required by most projects or activities proposed by a state agency or unit of local government, such as the Cohocton wind farm. A SEQR requires the sponsoring or approving governmental body to identify and mitigate the significant environmental impacts of the activity it is proposing or permitting.
"Naples was not involved in the SEQR process at all, and this does have a negative impact on Naples property owners," said Duserick.
The issue has been brought to the attention of Rep. Eric Massa, who delivered a letter from the town board to State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Duserick said both Massa and Cuomo understood and empathized with the issue but that it had yet to get picked up as a hot button issue by the AG.
The board agreed to follow up with the Public Service Commission and with Ontario County, which will receive a copy of the EcoGen project area map.
"This impacts Ontario County, and we hope they get involved in helping us," said Duserick.
Representatives from First Wind have not yet responded to an invitation to address the board; Duserick said the board wants to give equal opportunity to both sides to speak their positions.
"It sounds like a jet engine trying
to take off in the backyard. The sound goes
completely through the house."
Hal Graham, who has a wind turbine on his land
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Hot Air on Wind Energy
Don't expect wind power to replace coal as the nation's main source of electric power, whatever Obama's interior secretary said.
We calculate that converting wind to enough electricity to replace all U.S. coal-fired plants would require building 3,540 offshore wind farms as big as the world's largest, which is off the coast of Denmark. So far the U.S. has built exactly zero offshore wind farms.
Another government study last year concluded that to supply just 20 percent of U.S. electricity with wind turbines would require land-based equipment taking up an area "slightly less than the area of Rhode Island," plus scores of offshore wind farms.
(Click to read entire item)
We calculate that converting wind to enough electricity to replace all U.S. coal-fired plants would require building 3,540 offshore wind farms as big as the world's largest, which is off the coast of Denmark. So far the U.S. has built exactly zero offshore wind farms.
Another government study last year concluded that to supply just 20 percent of U.S. electricity with wind turbines would require land-based equipment taking up an area "slightly less than the area of Rhode Island," plus scores of offshore wind farms.
(Click to read entire item)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
There ought to be a law
BATH - The Bath town board will begin a review of possible land use regulations that would govern the future location of wind turbines in the town.
Councilwoman Robin LattimerMonday told boardmembers improved wind energy technology may make the municipality a candidate for wind farm developments. Lattimer also cited the municipality's newly approved comprehensive plan, which notes potential sites for wind farms exist in the town.
The idea, Lattimer said, is to draft land use regulations before any wind farm development company takes steps to erect wind turbines in the town.
At a minimum, board members will consider setback requirements to govern the distance between wind turbines and private residences.
"Obviously noise concerns have been raised," Lattimer said. "There are a lot of issues to deal with."
Drafting local regulations affecting wind turbine locations would give the municipality an advantage over future development that has not been available to other municipalities in which development companies have pursued wind turbine developments.
The Town of Prattsburgh, for example, has been warned it could face litigation if it tries to restrict developers' plans to build wind turbines within the municipality. At the same time, Prattsburgh officials have been advised by residents of Cohocton that recently erected wind turbines are creating significant noise problems in that municipality.
"The noise issue is a definite concern," Bath town resident Hal Bailey told town board members. Bailey served as chairman of the committee that drafted the town's comprehensive plan.
Lattimer asked board members to consider possible land use issues in time for next month's regular board meeting. "We want to get the barn door closed before the horse gets out," she said.
Councilwoman Robin LattimerMonday told boardmembers improved wind energy technology may make the municipality a candidate for wind farm developments. Lattimer also cited the municipality's newly approved comprehensive plan, which notes potential sites for wind farms exist in the town.
The idea, Lattimer said, is to draft land use regulations before any wind farm development company takes steps to erect wind turbines in the town.
At a minimum, board members will consider setback requirements to govern the distance between wind turbines and private residences.
"Obviously noise concerns have been raised," Lattimer said. "There are a lot of issues to deal with."
Drafting local regulations affecting wind turbine locations would give the municipality an advantage over future development that has not been available to other municipalities in which development companies have pursued wind turbine developments.
The Town of Prattsburgh, for example, has been warned it could face litigation if it tries to restrict developers' plans to build wind turbines within the municipality. At the same time, Prattsburgh officials have been advised by residents of Cohocton that recently erected wind turbines are creating significant noise problems in that municipality.
"The noise issue is a definite concern," Bath town resident Hal Bailey told town board members. Bailey served as chairman of the committee that drafted the town's comprehensive plan.
Lattimer asked board members to consider possible land use issues in time for next month's regular board meeting. "We want to get the barn door closed before the horse gets out," she said.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Wind Power Ethics Group posts Web petition for governor
The Wind Power Ethics Group is taking its case to the Web.
Members of the Cape Vincent-based citizens organization's legal committee wrote and posted a petition online for Gov. David A. Paterson, which had more than 390 signatures as of Thursday evening. The group opposes large-scale wind power development.
Group member Arthur D. Pundt cited the governor's Jan. 11 visit to Watertown, when he told local residents that siting along the St. Lawrence River and other culturally sensitive areas should be done carefully.
The petition asks the governor "to take immediate action that will preserve these special places, and forever protect them from the rampant Klondike-like wind rush that is overtaking our state, and is poisoned with unethical behavior."
The petition lays out concerns about industrial wind development and conflicts of interest.
Then it asks for:
■ Enacting an immediate two-year moratorium on wind development.
■ Turning the attorney general's voluntary code of conduct for wind developers into a mandatory code.
■ Beginning an investigation into the conflicts of interest in Cape Vincent.
■ Banning industrial wind development near New York's "treasured places."
■ A meeting with the governor to discuss and clarify threats to communities and the environment from wind development.
John L. Byrne suggested using the online petition Web site to see if the group could get a wider response. The group posted the petition Monday.
"It's been phenomenal," Mr. Byrne said. "Nobody in Cape Vincent ever thought it would get this response."
The signatures have flooded in from Cape Vincent, Lyme, Watertown, Hammond and beyond. At least half have signed their names and hometowns publicly. For those who sign anonymously, Mr. Byrne has access to their Internet service protocol addresses and e-mails.
"If they're not legitimate, they can be deleted," he said.
He didn't want to say how long the petition will be available, but he will collect the data and send them to the governor and possibly other state officials.
"By doing it this way, a lot of people are joining on this bandwagon," Mr. Byrne said. "I have friends that would never consider joining WPEG, but they've signed the petition and I was surprised."
ON THE NET
Wind Power Ethics Group online petition:
www.gopetition.com/petitions/moratorium-on-wind-energy-development.html
Members of the Cape Vincent-based citizens organization's legal committee wrote and posted a petition online for Gov. David A. Paterson, which had more than 390 signatures as of Thursday evening. The group opposes large-scale wind power development.
Group member Arthur D. Pundt cited the governor's Jan. 11 visit to Watertown, when he told local residents that siting along the St. Lawrence River and other culturally sensitive areas should be done carefully.
The petition asks the governor "to take immediate action that will preserve these special places, and forever protect them from the rampant Klondike-like wind rush that is overtaking our state, and is poisoned with unethical behavior."
The petition lays out concerns about industrial wind development and conflicts of interest.
Then it asks for:
■ Enacting an immediate two-year moratorium on wind development.
■ Turning the attorney general's voluntary code of conduct for wind developers into a mandatory code.
■ Beginning an investigation into the conflicts of interest in Cape Vincent.
■ Banning industrial wind development near New York's "treasured places."
■ A meeting with the governor to discuss and clarify threats to communities and the environment from wind development.
John L. Byrne suggested using the online petition Web site to see if the group could get a wider response. The group posted the petition Monday.
"It's been phenomenal," Mr. Byrne said. "Nobody in Cape Vincent ever thought it would get this response."
The signatures have flooded in from Cape Vincent, Lyme, Watertown, Hammond and beyond. At least half have signed their names and hometowns publicly. For those who sign anonymously, Mr. Byrne has access to their Internet service protocol addresses and e-mails.
"If they're not legitimate, they can be deleted," he said.
He didn't want to say how long the petition will be available, but he will collect the data and send them to the governor and possibly other state officials.
"By doing it this way, a lot of people are joining on this bandwagon," Mr. Byrne said. "I have friends that would never consider joining WPEG, but they've signed the petition and I was surprised."
ON THE NET
Wind Power Ethics Group online petition:
www.gopetition.com/petitions/moratorium-on-wind-energy-development.html
Friday, April 10, 2009
State Launches Investigation Into Turbine Collapse
ALTONA, N.Y. -- The New York Public Service Commission has launched an investigation into the Noble Wind Farm accident in Altona and will make its own determination on the cause of the collapse.
Public Service Commission spokeswoman Anne Dalton said the agency requested information from Noble on turbine equipment and operations before the collapse, debris scatter and whether the company had proper emergency response and maintenance procedures, as well as whether they were followed. New Wind Turbine Investigation
She said the company has cooperated with the investigation, and a review of the information is under way.
Dalton said it is unclear how long the investigation will take, but added it is the first time the commission has investigated a turbine collapse.
Noble Environmental Power issued a statement in late March blaming the March 6 turbine collapse on a "wiring anomaly" that was exacerbated by a power outage at the wind farm.
Still wind farm neighbors seem unwavering in their support.
"It shouldn't discourage them at all," said Marie Gennett. "They should repair this or put a new one up. We thoroughly need this for our future."
"I don't think it's too big of a deal right now, said Steve Stanley. "They should look at it, and if they find nothing leave it alone. But if it happens again they've got to do something about it."
View Images Of Wind Turbine Collapse |Noble Confims Turbine Collapsed
Read Entire Statement From Noble
ALTONA, N.Y. -- On the morning of March 6, 2009, the Noble Altona Windpark experienced a loss of power; in response, sixty three (63) of the sixty five (65) Noble Altona Windpark turbines shut down as expected. Turbine 42 and Turbine 59 of the Noble Altona Windpark did not respond to the power outage by shutting down immediately.
Company Explains Cause Of Turbine Collapse
GE wind turbines are equipped with a pitch control system that shuts down the turbine when a loss of power occurs. Without this pitch control system, the wind turbine will spin faster than its design allows.
GE's inspection of the pitch control system in Turbine 59 revealed a wiring anomaly that resulted in the pitch control system not responding correctly, thus impacting the turbine's ability to shut down as designed. Turbine 59 was damaged, but did not collapse. Data from Turbine 42 indicates that it experienced the same wiring anomaly which resulted in Turbine 42 failing to shut down properly and ultimately led to its collapse.
Noble believes that the combination of power loss and the wiring anomaly were to blame for last week's incident, in which nobody was injured.
Noble CEO Walt Howard visited the site the day of the incident, noting, "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."
Immediately following the incident, Noble Environmental Power secured the site and shut down the entire Noble Altona Windpark. That day, Noble also teamed up with General Electric (GE), the manufacturer of the 1.5 megawatt turbines. Engineers from GE's global service, operations, manufacturing and engineering organizations are working to find and examine the root cause of the incident and are methodically testing other turbines in Noble's fleet. Upon GE's notification of the successful completion of the tests, the previously shut down turbines are being returned to service.
Noble has determined that the farthest piece of debris from collapsed Turbine 42, which has been identified as a piece of fiberglass, landed 345 feet from its base. This distance is well within the 1,200 foot setback from the nearest off-site residence, as required per the Town of Altona's Wind Law. This law also states that wind energy facilities must be located 500 feet from the nearest public road; the debris landed within this setback.
Images Surface In Turbine Collapse
Howard said, "Although this incident is extraordinarily rare, it is reassuring to see that the setbacks worked as intended. We want our neighbors to feel confident that our wind parks are designed and constructed with the public's safety in mind."
Local Couple Reacts To Altona Turbine Collapse
On Friday, March 13, 2009, at Noble's invitation, the Town of Altona Supervisor, Larry Ross, as well as a representative of CRA, the Town's engineering firm, walked the site of Turbine 42.
Currently, efforts to remediate the site of the incident are under way. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Public Service Commission spokeswoman Anne Dalton said the agency requested information from Noble on turbine equipment and operations before the collapse, debris scatter and whether the company had proper emergency response and maintenance procedures, as well as whether they were followed. New Wind Turbine Investigation
She said the company has cooperated with the investigation, and a review of the information is under way.
Dalton said it is unclear how long the investigation will take, but added it is the first time the commission has investigated a turbine collapse.
Noble Environmental Power issued a statement in late March blaming the March 6 turbine collapse on a "wiring anomaly" that was exacerbated by a power outage at the wind farm.
Still wind farm neighbors seem unwavering in their support.
"It shouldn't discourage them at all," said Marie Gennett. "They should repair this or put a new one up. We thoroughly need this for our future."
"I don't think it's too big of a deal right now, said Steve Stanley. "They should look at it, and if they find nothing leave it alone. But if it happens again they've got to do something about it."
View Images Of Wind Turbine Collapse |Noble Confims Turbine Collapsed
Read Entire Statement From Noble
ALTONA, N.Y. -- On the morning of March 6, 2009, the Noble Altona Windpark experienced a loss of power; in response, sixty three (63) of the sixty five (65) Noble Altona Windpark turbines shut down as expected. Turbine 42 and Turbine 59 of the Noble Altona Windpark did not respond to the power outage by shutting down immediately.
Company Explains Cause Of Turbine Collapse
GE wind turbines are equipped with a pitch control system that shuts down the turbine when a loss of power occurs. Without this pitch control system, the wind turbine will spin faster than its design allows.
GE's inspection of the pitch control system in Turbine 59 revealed a wiring anomaly that resulted in the pitch control system not responding correctly, thus impacting the turbine's ability to shut down as designed. Turbine 59 was damaged, but did not collapse. Data from Turbine 42 indicates that it experienced the same wiring anomaly which resulted in Turbine 42 failing to shut down properly and ultimately led to its collapse.
Noble believes that the combination of power loss and the wiring anomaly were to blame for last week's incident, in which nobody was injured.
Noble CEO Walt Howard visited the site the day of the incident, noting, "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."
Immediately following the incident, Noble Environmental Power secured the site and shut down the entire Noble Altona Windpark. That day, Noble also teamed up with General Electric (GE), the manufacturer of the 1.5 megawatt turbines. Engineers from GE's global service, operations, manufacturing and engineering organizations are working to find and examine the root cause of the incident and are methodically testing other turbines in Noble's fleet. Upon GE's notification of the successful completion of the tests, the previously shut down turbines are being returned to service.
Noble has determined that the farthest piece of debris from collapsed Turbine 42, which has been identified as a piece of fiberglass, landed 345 feet from its base. This distance is well within the 1,200 foot setback from the nearest off-site residence, as required per the Town of Altona's Wind Law. This law also states that wind energy facilities must be located 500 feet from the nearest public road; the debris landed within this setback.
Images Surface In Turbine Collapse
Howard said, "Although this incident is extraordinarily rare, it is reassuring to see that the setbacks worked as intended. We want our neighbors to feel confident that our wind parks are designed and constructed with the public's safety in mind."
Local Couple Reacts To Altona Turbine Collapse
On Friday, March 13, 2009, at Noble's invitation, the Town of Altona Supervisor, Larry Ross, as well as a representative of CRA, the Town's engineering firm, walked the site of Turbine 42.
Currently, efforts to remediate the site of the incident are under way. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Supervisor Town of Cohocton April 1, 2009 letter to First Wind
01/16/2807 18:11 5853849531 . TOWNOFCOHOCTN PAGE 01/02
Town of Cohocton
P.O. Box 327
15 South Main St. Cohocton, NY 14826
April 1, 2009
Paul Gaynor, C.E.O.
First Wind
85 Wells Avenue
Newton, Massachusetts 02459
Re: Cohocton and Dutch Hill Wind Projects
Dear Mr. Gaynor:
As you should be aware, noise from First Wind's installation and operation of the Clipper Windpower 2.5MW Wind Turbines in the Town of Cohocton has been and continues to be the subject of extensive scrutiny by the Town, including the Town's Code Enforcement Office and its technical consultants, and extensive complaint by the Town's residents. As the Town's Supervisor, and as a non-participating resident of the Town, I can tell you that many of the complaints received prior and subsequent to commercial operation of the projects in January 2009, were merited.
I have discussed this matter at length with the Town's Code Enforcement Officers and technical consultants, and the Town Planning Board. I have also met with various personnel of First Wind, and spoken with other members of the Town Board and Town personnel who have had conversations with the Clipper Windpower personnel who were recently in Town apparently at the direction of First Wind to investigate noise related issues. It is my understanding, based upon these conversation, that while the Cohocton and Dutch Hill wind projects may be producing noise levels of 50 decibels or less at the non-participating property lines being monitored, actual noise levels at and near non-participating residences and other property lines may be exceeding the levels which were modeled by First Wind's consultants during the Planning Board's review and consideration of the project applications.
Although the Town was willing to stand patiently beside First Wind during construction, anticipating that operation of the projects would eliminate certain noises from the Clipper 2.5MW Wind Turbines, the Town will not stand idle during operation of the projects if the projects are not in total compliance with all of the Town's local laws, the conditions of the special use permits issued to First Wind's subsidiaries, or the terms of the agreements between First Wind's subsidiaries and the Town. Accordingly, First Wind should immediately contact the Town and its consultants to explain why noise from operation the projects is exceeding the levels modeled during review of the projects, and whether, when and how First Wind and/or Clipper Windpower,anticipate remedying the situation.
The current state of affairs in Cohocton, insofar as the wind projects are concerned, is unfortunate for Cohocton, and should be unacceptable to First Wind and Clipper Windpower. Thank you.
Jack Zigenfus
Supervisor, Town of Cohocton
Cohocton Town Board
Cohocton Town Clerk
Cohocton Office of Code Enforcement
Cohocton Planning Board
Peter Gouldberg, Tech Environmental
Richard T. VenVejrtloh, LaBella Associates, P.C
Doug Hastings, LaBella Associates, P-C.
Todd M. Mathes, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP
Cathy Hill, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP
Douglas Perte, C.E.O, Clipper Windpower
Patrick Caramante., First Wind
Town of Cohocton
P.O. Box 327
15 South Main St. Cohocton, NY 14826
April 1, 2009
Paul Gaynor, C.E.O.
First Wind
85 Wells Avenue
Newton, Massachusetts 02459
Re: Cohocton and Dutch Hill Wind Projects
Dear Mr. Gaynor:
As you should be aware, noise from First Wind's installation and operation of the Clipper Windpower 2.5MW Wind Turbines in the Town of Cohocton has been and continues to be the subject of extensive scrutiny by the Town, including the Town's Code Enforcement Office and its technical consultants, and extensive complaint by the Town's residents. As the Town's Supervisor, and as a non-participating resident of the Town, I can tell you that many of the complaints received prior and subsequent to commercial operation of the projects in January 2009, were merited.
I have discussed this matter at length with the Town's Code Enforcement Officers and technical consultants, and the Town Planning Board. I have also met with various personnel of First Wind, and spoken with other members of the Town Board and Town personnel who have had conversations with the Clipper Windpower personnel who were recently in Town apparently at the direction of First Wind to investigate noise related issues. It is my understanding, based upon these conversation, that while the Cohocton and Dutch Hill wind projects may be producing noise levels of 50 decibels or less at the non-participating property lines being monitored, actual noise levels at and near non-participating residences and other property lines may be exceeding the levels which were modeled by First Wind's consultants during the Planning Board's review and consideration of the project applications.
Although the Town was willing to stand patiently beside First Wind during construction, anticipating that operation of the projects would eliminate certain noises from the Clipper 2.5MW Wind Turbines, the Town will not stand idle during operation of the projects if the projects are not in total compliance with all of the Town's local laws, the conditions of the special use permits issued to First Wind's subsidiaries, or the terms of the agreements between First Wind's subsidiaries and the Town. Accordingly, First Wind should immediately contact the Town and its consultants to explain why noise from operation the projects is exceeding the levels modeled during review of the projects, and whether, when and how First Wind and/or Clipper Windpower,anticipate remedying the situation.
The current state of affairs in Cohocton, insofar as the wind projects are concerned, is unfortunate for Cohocton, and should be unacceptable to First Wind and Clipper Windpower. Thank you.
Jack Zigenfus
Supervisor, Town of Cohocton
Cohocton Town Board
Cohocton Town Clerk
Cohocton Office of Code Enforcement
Cohocton Planning Board
Peter Gouldberg, Tech Environmental
Richard T. VenVejrtloh, LaBella Associates, P.C
Doug Hastings, LaBella Associates, P-C.
Todd M. Mathes, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP
Cathy Hill, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP
Douglas Perte, C.E.O, Clipper Windpower
Patrick Caramante., First Wind
Steve Dombert, Town of Hartsville Supervisor
Click to listen to the WLEA report on lower real estate values from industrial wind projects.
Wind power is a complete disaster
There is no evidence that industrial wind power is likely to have a significant impact on carbon emissions. The European experience is instructive. Denmark, the world’s most wind-intensive nation, with more than 6,000 turbines generating 19% of its electricity, has yet to close a single fossil-fuel plant. It requires 50% more coal-generated electricity to cover wind power’s unpredictability, and pollution and carbon dioxide emissions have risen (by 36% in 2006 alone).
Flemming Nissen, the head of development at West Danish generating company ELSAM (one of Denmark’s largest energy utilities) tells us that “wind turbines do not reduce carbon dioxide emissions.” The German experience is no different. Der Spiegel reports that “Germany’s CO2 emissions haven’t been reduced by even a single gram,” and additional coal- and gas-fired plants have been constructed to ensure reliable delivery.
Indeed, recent academic research shows that wind power may actually increase greenhouse gas emissions in some cases, depending on the carbon-intensity of back-up generation required because of its intermittent character. On the negative side of the environmental ledger are adverse impacts of industrial wind turbines on birdlife and other forms of wildlife, farm animals, wetlands and viewsheds.
Industrial wind power is not a viable economic alternative to other energy conservation options. Again, the Danish experience is instructive. Its electricity generation costs are the highest in Europe (15¢/kwh compared to Ontario’s current rate of about 6¢). Niels Gram of the Danish Federation of Industries says, “windmills are a mistake and economically make no sense.” Aase Madsen , the Chair of Energy Policy in the Danish Parliament, calls it “a terribly expensive disaster.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in 2008, on a dollar per MWh basis, the U.S. government subsidizes wind at $23.34 — compared to reliable energy sources: natural gas at 25¢; coal at 44¢; hydro at 67¢; and nuclear at $1.59, leading to what some U.S. commentators call “a huge corporate welfare feeding frenzy.” The Wall Street Journal advises that “wind generation is the prime example of what can go wrong when the government decides to pick winners.”
The Economist magazine notes in a recent editorial, “Wasting Money on Climate Change,” that each tonne of emissions avoided due to subsidies to renewable energy such as wind power would cost somewhere between $69 and $137, whereas under a cap-and-trade scheme the price would be less than $15.
Either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system creates incentives for consumers and producers on a myriad of margins to reduce energy use and emissions that, as these numbers show, completely overwhelm subsidies to renewables in terms of cost effectiveness.
The Ontario Power Authority advises that wind producers will be paid 13.5¢/kwh (more than twice what consumers are currently paying), even without accounting for the additional costs of interconnection, transmission and back-up generation. As the European experience confirms, this will inevitably lead to a dramatic increase in electricity costs with consequent detrimental effects on business and employment. From this perspective, the government’s promise of 55,000 new jobs is a cruel delusion.
A recent detailed analysis (focusing mainly on Spain) finds that for every job created by state-funded support of renewables, particularly wind energy, 2.2 jobs are lost. Each wind industry job created cost almost $2-million in subsidies. Why will the Ontario experience be different?
In debates over climate change, and in particular subsidies to renewable energy, there are two kinds of green. First there are some environmental greens who view the problem as so urgent that all measures that may have some impact on greenhouse gas emissions, whatever their cost or their impact on the economy and employment, should be undertaken immediately.
Then there are the fiscal greens, who, being cool to carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems that make polluters pay, favour massive public subsidies to themselves for renewable energy projects, whatever their relative impact on greenhouse gas emissions. These two groups are motivated by different kinds of green. The only point of convergence between them is their support for massive subsidies to renewable energy (such as wind turbines).
This unholy alliance of these two kinds of greens (doomsdayers and rent seekers) makes for very effective, if opportunistic, politics (as reflected in the Ontario government’s Green Energy Act), just as it makes for lousy public policy: Politicians attempt to pick winners at our expense in a fast-moving technological landscape, instead of creating a socially efficient set of incentives to which we can all respond.
Flemming Nissen, the head of development at West Danish generating company ELSAM (one of Denmark’s largest energy utilities) tells us that “wind turbines do not reduce carbon dioxide emissions.” The German experience is no different. Der Spiegel reports that “Germany’s CO2 emissions haven’t been reduced by even a single gram,” and additional coal- and gas-fired plants have been constructed to ensure reliable delivery.
Indeed, recent academic research shows that wind power may actually increase greenhouse gas emissions in some cases, depending on the carbon-intensity of back-up generation required because of its intermittent character. On the negative side of the environmental ledger are adverse impacts of industrial wind turbines on birdlife and other forms of wildlife, farm animals, wetlands and viewsheds.
Industrial wind power is not a viable economic alternative to other energy conservation options. Again, the Danish experience is instructive. Its electricity generation costs are the highest in Europe (15¢/kwh compared to Ontario’s current rate of about 6¢). Niels Gram of the Danish Federation of Industries says, “windmills are a mistake and economically make no sense.” Aase Madsen , the Chair of Energy Policy in the Danish Parliament, calls it “a terribly expensive disaster.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in 2008, on a dollar per MWh basis, the U.S. government subsidizes wind at $23.34 — compared to reliable energy sources: natural gas at 25¢; coal at 44¢; hydro at 67¢; and nuclear at $1.59, leading to what some U.S. commentators call “a huge corporate welfare feeding frenzy.” The Wall Street Journal advises that “wind generation is the prime example of what can go wrong when the government decides to pick winners.”
The Economist magazine notes in a recent editorial, “Wasting Money on Climate Change,” that each tonne of emissions avoided due to subsidies to renewable energy such as wind power would cost somewhere between $69 and $137, whereas under a cap-and-trade scheme the price would be less than $15.
Either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system creates incentives for consumers and producers on a myriad of margins to reduce energy use and emissions that, as these numbers show, completely overwhelm subsidies to renewables in terms of cost effectiveness.
The Ontario Power Authority advises that wind producers will be paid 13.5¢/kwh (more than twice what consumers are currently paying), even without accounting for the additional costs of interconnection, transmission and back-up generation. As the European experience confirms, this will inevitably lead to a dramatic increase in electricity costs with consequent detrimental effects on business and employment. From this perspective, the government’s promise of 55,000 new jobs is a cruel delusion.
A recent detailed analysis (focusing mainly on Spain) finds that for every job created by state-funded support of renewables, particularly wind energy, 2.2 jobs are lost. Each wind industry job created cost almost $2-million in subsidies. Why will the Ontario experience be different?
In debates over climate change, and in particular subsidies to renewable energy, there are two kinds of green. First there are some environmental greens who view the problem as so urgent that all measures that may have some impact on greenhouse gas emissions, whatever their cost or their impact on the economy and employment, should be undertaken immediately.
Then there are the fiscal greens, who, being cool to carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems that make polluters pay, favour massive public subsidies to themselves for renewable energy projects, whatever their relative impact on greenhouse gas emissions. These two groups are motivated by different kinds of green. The only point of convergence between them is their support for massive subsidies to renewable energy (such as wind turbines).
This unholy alliance of these two kinds of greens (doomsdayers and rent seekers) makes for very effective, if opportunistic, politics (as reflected in the Ontario government’s Green Energy Act), just as it makes for lousy public policy: Politicians attempt to pick winners at our expense in a fast-moving technological landscape, instead of creating a socially efficient set of incentives to which we can all respond.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Moratorium on Wind Energy Development in Northern NY
Click to sign the following petition.
Dear Governor Paterson,
During a visit to Watertown, NY a few months ago you expressed concerns that we must be very careful when it involves the placement of industrial wind complexes near New York State’s environmental treasures. Myself and the people included on this letter share your concerns and are asking you to take immediate action that will preserve these special places, and forever protect them from the rampant Klondike like wind rush that is overtaking our state, and is poisoned with unethical behavior.
It would be terribly unfortunate if the legacy that followed you was one of allowing the uncontrolled industrialization of our most treasure places. Consider this quote from a Draft Environmental Impact Study done by British Petroleum in Cape Vincent at the 1000 Islands.
“The cumulative effect of the adjacent St. Lawrence and Cape Vincent Projects would be very much the same as if either project were essentially doubled in size. On a regional level, the effect of the four wind projects will be to create a continuous swath approximately 25-30 miles east to west, from Evans Mill all the way onto mainland Canada, where wind turbines will be ubiquitous.”
This is the future BP sees for an area that has traditionally been one of NY’s prime environmental and recreational resources. Is this the future you envision for the 1000 Island region or the rest of NY? This amounts to an unacceptable sudden and uncontrolled environmental transformation of an entire region of New York State driven by corporate greed and questionable ethics.
Your idea is for wind energy to play and important role in NY’s energy future. However, it will be increasingly difficult to site wind energy projects when town’s and expanding anti-wind groups see these actions as the prime example of wind company behavior, and the perception becomes that state officials have the inability to control it.
Sadly the decisions being made in Cape Vincent by town officials, who should be the stewards of these sensitive resources, is poisoned with conflicts of interest with two wind developers. Neither developer at this writing has signed onto Attorney General Cuomo’s Wind Energy Ethics Code. Six out of ten officers hold wind energy leases in violation of their own town ethics code. The very people who should be protecting this area have deep financial incentives to do otherwise. There exists a clear blatant trend of actions that show their financial incentives have precluded them from carrying out their sacred oath to protect both citizens and the environment. Cape Vincent is the worst example, but other local town’s suffer from similar symptoms as well.
The entire atmosphere that surrounds wind energy development in Northern NY has become unacceptable and intolerable by any reasonable standard, unless you are a wind developer or a wind lease holder. Your office or the Attorney General can no longer ignore this situation for political expediency.
Petition:
We, the undersigned,
• Request that an immediate moratorium be placed on wind energy development for two years to sort out all the evolving and constantly changing issues surrounding this new technology which carries so many potential negative impacts.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to modify his wind ethics code to mandatory from the current voluntary participation, and be unyielding in its enforcement.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to immediately investigate the Cape Vincent ethics situation to ensure that this beautiful and precious area gets the protection it deserves, and that these officers are held accountable for their actions.
• Request that you be aggressive in the protection of New York’s treasured places by banning this questionable high impact use from such areas and those areas immediate adjacent so they receive the protections they deserve for future generations.
• Many of N.NY citizens have been intimately involved on these issues in their respective towns for some time. We are requesting a meeting with you and your staff with a representative group to discuss these matters and bring clarity to the threats that face our communities and environment.
Thank you for your consideration of this extremely urgent matter.
Dear Governor Paterson,
During a visit to Watertown, NY a few months ago you expressed concerns that we must be very careful when it involves the placement of industrial wind complexes near New York State’s environmental treasures. Myself and the people included on this letter share your concerns and are asking you to take immediate action that will preserve these special places, and forever protect them from the rampant Klondike like wind rush that is overtaking our state, and is poisoned with unethical behavior.
It would be terribly unfortunate if the legacy that followed you was one of allowing the uncontrolled industrialization of our most treasure places. Consider this quote from a Draft Environmental Impact Study done by British Petroleum in Cape Vincent at the 1000 Islands.
“The cumulative effect of the adjacent St. Lawrence and Cape Vincent Projects would be very much the same as if either project were essentially doubled in size. On a regional level, the effect of the four wind projects will be to create a continuous swath approximately 25-30 miles east to west, from Evans Mill all the way onto mainland Canada, where wind turbines will be ubiquitous.”
This is the future BP sees for an area that has traditionally been one of NY’s prime environmental and recreational resources. Is this the future you envision for the 1000 Island region or the rest of NY? This amounts to an unacceptable sudden and uncontrolled environmental transformation of an entire region of New York State driven by corporate greed and questionable ethics.
Your idea is for wind energy to play and important role in NY’s energy future. However, it will be increasingly difficult to site wind energy projects when town’s and expanding anti-wind groups see these actions as the prime example of wind company behavior, and the perception becomes that state officials have the inability to control it.
Sadly the decisions being made in Cape Vincent by town officials, who should be the stewards of these sensitive resources, is poisoned with conflicts of interest with two wind developers. Neither developer at this writing has signed onto Attorney General Cuomo’s Wind Energy Ethics Code. Six out of ten officers hold wind energy leases in violation of their own town ethics code. The very people who should be protecting this area have deep financial incentives to do otherwise. There exists a clear blatant trend of actions that show their financial incentives have precluded them from carrying out their sacred oath to protect both citizens and the environment. Cape Vincent is the worst example, but other local town’s suffer from similar symptoms as well.
The entire atmosphere that surrounds wind energy development in Northern NY has become unacceptable and intolerable by any reasonable standard, unless you are a wind developer or a wind lease holder. Your office or the Attorney General can no longer ignore this situation for political expediency.
Petition:
We, the undersigned,
• Request that an immediate moratorium be placed on wind energy development for two years to sort out all the evolving and constantly changing issues surrounding this new technology which carries so many potential negative impacts.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to modify his wind ethics code to mandatory from the current voluntary participation, and be unyielding in its enforcement.
• Request that you direct the Attorney General to immediately investigate the Cape Vincent ethics situation to ensure that this beautiful and precious area gets the protection it deserves, and that these officers are held accountable for their actions.
• Request that you be aggressive in the protection of New York’s treasured places by banning this questionable high impact use from such areas and those areas immediate adjacent so they receive the protections they deserve for future generations.
• Many of N.NY citizens have been intimately involved on these issues in their respective towns for some time. We are requesting a meeting with you and your staff with a representative group to discuss these matters and bring clarity to the threats that face our communities and environment.
Thank you for your consideration of this extremely urgent matter.
Wind Development: Studies try to determine if an ill wind blows
Bath, N.Y.
Attention over the sound made by wind turbines recently erected in Cohocton has alerted those in nearby towns considering wind projects to the potential effects of noise.
But questions remain about what action – if any – towns affected by the turbines should take to protect their citizens. One wind farm has been completed in Cohocton while projects are being considered in the towns of Prattsburgh, Hartsville and Howard.
Sound experts say noise falls into two general categories – what is heard, and what cannot be heard, but is felt.
While some Cohocton residents have complained the turbine noise is highly disturbing, other residents and visitors say they are not bothered or don’t hear the same sounds.
Background – or ambient – sound plays an important role in noise, as do weather conditions and the time of day, according to Richard James, an acoustical engineer.
James said there can be dramatic changes at night even when the atmosphere is defined as “stable.” Wind velocities at the turbine hubs can be two to four times greater than the speed recorded at 30 feet while the air is calm at the ground level, he said.
“The result is the wind turbines can be operating at or close to full capacity while it is very quiet outside the nearby dwellings,” James said.
Studies by Dr. Nina Pierpont, a resident of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, raise concerns about the effect of the noise that can be heard, including sleep deprivation, dizziness, nausea and tinnitus.
But sounds absorbed by the body could have a dramatic impact years later, with suspected damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys and trachea, Pierpont said in a recent report.
Those studies have gained an ear from other medical professionals, including Rumford Hospital in Maine, which recently requested the state enact a year-long moratorium on wind farm construction because of the potential long-term health effects.
The World Health Organization has also warned about the effect of noise on childrens’ nervous systems, which are more sensitive to noise.
What appears to be the simplest solution is changing the distances wind turbines have to be away from homes. The current minimum setback, set by the Steuben Count Industrial Development Agency, is 1,200 feet and 1,375 feet depending on the background noise of the turbine site.
Across the country, setbacks vary widely. In Port Alma, Ont., Canada, setbacks keep wind turbines roughly 2,300 feet from residences along the Lake Erie shoreline.
The Medical Academy of Medicine in France recommends setbacks of 0.9 miles due to health concerns. Pierpont recommends 1-mile setbacks.
But siting turbines is a science, with each location determined by a number of factors, including wind and the proximity of other turbines, according to John Cogan of the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency.
The financial stakes are high for Cohocton and Prattsburgh, both of which have limited tax bases.
The First Wind energy company is paying Cohocton nearly $11.5 million over the next 20 years for the 50 turbines it built along the hill tops there.
Prattsburgh would receive $3 million over the next 20 years from EcoGen if that company is allowed to build 17 wind turbines in town.
Both towns will also receive annual payments for tax breaks the developers will receive.
In Cohocton, town officials say they are working with First Wind to find solutions to noise complaints.
In Prattsburgh, town board members are negotiating with developer EcoGen, while considering a moratorium on construction.
Town supervisors in Howard and Hartsville are divided on the impact the turbines could have on their communities.
Howard Town Supervisor Don Evia said the town won’t totally ignore the concerns, but added there is a process to resolve noise issues.
“I don’t believe you go back and say you restudy the thing,” he said.
The town has confidence in its wind company EverPower and wind consultant LaBella. LaBella is also the primary consultant for the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency.
But in Hartsville, which declared a moratorium stopping construction so more study can be done, town Supervisor Steve Dombert said noise is an important issue.
“Obviously, they have problem in Cohocton and they’re trying to determine the extent of it,” Dombert said. “It seems it’s very annoying and even intolerable. And there may be no remedy.”
The energy industry itself is showing signs of trying to address the problem of noise.
At a recent meeting of the American Wind Energy Association, Mark Bastasch, of the engineering firm CH2M Hill, said the industry must “provide clarity once and for all” on the sound question.
Bastasch recommended assembling an advisory panel to determine whether more research is needed.
“Turbines can be heard,” he said.
Attention over the sound made by wind turbines recently erected in Cohocton has alerted those in nearby towns considering wind projects to the potential effects of noise.
But questions remain about what action – if any – towns affected by the turbines should take to protect their citizens. One wind farm has been completed in Cohocton while projects are being considered in the towns of Prattsburgh, Hartsville and Howard.
Sound experts say noise falls into two general categories – what is heard, and what cannot be heard, but is felt.
While some Cohocton residents have complained the turbine noise is highly disturbing, other residents and visitors say they are not bothered or don’t hear the same sounds.
Background – or ambient – sound plays an important role in noise, as do weather conditions and the time of day, according to Richard James, an acoustical engineer.
James said there can be dramatic changes at night even when the atmosphere is defined as “stable.” Wind velocities at the turbine hubs can be two to four times greater than the speed recorded at 30 feet while the air is calm at the ground level, he said.
“The result is the wind turbines can be operating at or close to full capacity while it is very quiet outside the nearby dwellings,” James said.
Studies by Dr. Nina Pierpont, a resident of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, raise concerns about the effect of the noise that can be heard, including sleep deprivation, dizziness, nausea and tinnitus.
But sounds absorbed by the body could have a dramatic impact years later, with suspected damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys and trachea, Pierpont said in a recent report.
Those studies have gained an ear from other medical professionals, including Rumford Hospital in Maine, which recently requested the state enact a year-long moratorium on wind farm construction because of the potential long-term health effects.
The World Health Organization has also warned about the effect of noise on childrens’ nervous systems, which are more sensitive to noise.
What appears to be the simplest solution is changing the distances wind turbines have to be away from homes. The current minimum setback, set by the Steuben Count Industrial Development Agency, is 1,200 feet and 1,375 feet depending on the background noise of the turbine site.
Across the country, setbacks vary widely. In Port Alma, Ont., Canada, setbacks keep wind turbines roughly 2,300 feet from residences along the Lake Erie shoreline.
The Medical Academy of Medicine in France recommends setbacks of 0.9 miles due to health concerns. Pierpont recommends 1-mile setbacks.
But siting turbines is a science, with each location determined by a number of factors, including wind and the proximity of other turbines, according to John Cogan of the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency.
The financial stakes are high for Cohocton and Prattsburgh, both of which have limited tax bases.
The First Wind energy company is paying Cohocton nearly $11.5 million over the next 20 years for the 50 turbines it built along the hill tops there.
Prattsburgh would receive $3 million over the next 20 years from EcoGen if that company is allowed to build 17 wind turbines in town.
Both towns will also receive annual payments for tax breaks the developers will receive.
In Cohocton, town officials say they are working with First Wind to find solutions to noise complaints.
In Prattsburgh, town board members are negotiating with developer EcoGen, while considering a moratorium on construction.
Town supervisors in Howard and Hartsville are divided on the impact the turbines could have on their communities.
Howard Town Supervisor Don Evia said the town won’t totally ignore the concerns, but added there is a process to resolve noise issues.
“I don’t believe you go back and say you restudy the thing,” he said.
The town has confidence in its wind company EverPower and wind consultant LaBella. LaBella is also the primary consultant for the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency.
But in Hartsville, which declared a moratorium stopping construction so more study can be done, town Supervisor Steve Dombert said noise is an important issue.
“Obviously, they have problem in Cohocton and they’re trying to determine the extent of it,” Dombert said. “It seems it’s very annoying and even intolerable. And there may be no remedy.”
The energy industry itself is showing signs of trying to address the problem of noise.
At a recent meeting of the American Wind Energy Association, Mark Bastasch, of the engineering firm CH2M Hill, said the industry must “provide clarity once and for all” on the sound question.
Bastasch recommended assembling an advisory panel to determine whether more research is needed.
“Turbines can be heard,” he said.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Windmills a sound investment?
Bath, N.Y.
Editor’s note | This is the first part of a two-part look at developing concerns over wind farms in parts of Steuben County.
In early January, the blades in the 53-turbine First Wind project in the town of Cohocton began to spin. It was the first project in Steuben County to generate renewable energy and one of five under consideration in the county.
Within weeks, dozens of Cohocton residents went to the town board in neighboring Prattsburgh to warn that the machines were proving to be noisy and harmful.
“Don’t let (the developers) buffalo you,” Cohocton resident Hal Graham told the Prattsburgh Town Board in late February. “You know, I wanted to do something for the environment. And now I can’t sleep at night.”
Graham initially supported wind farm development.
Prattsburgh is the site of two wind farms planned by developers First Wind and EcoGen. Other projects have been proposed in the towns of Hartsville and Howard.
Since wind farms in Steuben County were first proposed in 2002, developers have admitted it’s hard to miss seeing the 400-foot-high turbines, but insisted they sound no louder than a refrigerator’s hum.
The projects have been promoted throughout the largely rural county as a quiet, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way to provide renewable energy.
Environmental studies for Cohocton and Steuben County led to restrictions of the turbines’ sound to a maximum comfort level of 50 decibels. Setbacks were established to assure both noise and other potential dangers such as shadow flicker and flying debris were lessened.
Yet the promised “refrigerator hum” of the turbines was a falsity as residents began to compare the sound to the roar of a jet engine, according to Graham.
The Cohocton residents are among a growing number of people across the nation complaining the noise made by wind turbines is intrusive and disturbing. Medical professionals have compiled studies showing the noise can pose health hazards.
And the wind industry is beginning to take notice.
In Maine, where the state welcomed renewable energy, the Mars Hill project has been widely criticized for being noisy.
According to a March 26, 2008 report by the Daily News in Bangor, Maine, UPC Wind president and CEO Paul Gaynor said the company would do a better job in the future about letting local residents know what to expect from wind farms.
“I know there was an expectation (in Mars Hill) about what these were going to sound like,” Gaynor told the Daily News. “These are big structures and they do make sound.”
Shortly after Gaynor spoke to the Maine newspaper, the firm changed its name to First Wind. It was formerly known as Global Winds Harvest/UPC.
Local officials said they have relied on the best information available and worked to ensure the safety of residents.
Steuben County Industrial Development Agency Exec-utive Director James Sherron said the agency has regulatory standards based on data from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and state Energy Research Development Agency.
The Steuben County IDA has established minimum distances that wind turbines can be to a residence, called a setback. There are also limits on decibel levels.
But Sherron said he has heard reports of 110 decibels in Cohocton -- twice the accepted limit – and added any violations would go through a process of sound studies to decide the best way to solve the issue.
“We have a responsibility with the developers, they have to meet the criteria,” Sherron said. “They could be asked to slow down the turbines, find alternatives. It could mean the unit would be removed.”
Sherron said another factor in the noise may be the model of machine used in Cohocton.
While SCIDA initially reviewed 1.5 megawatt turbines, the five wind farm developers looking to do business in the county indicated they would be installing 2.3 megawatt turbines. The larger turbines were approved because SCIDA’s consultants said there was no significant difference in their impact, Sherron said.
But all models under consideration are capable of exceeding 100 decibels at a maximum speed of 30 feet per second, according to a report to SCIDA by developer EverPower.
Typically, the blade rotation is reduced to lower speeds.
Yet some sound experts charge the current “acceptable” range of 45-50 decibels is excessive, and twice as loud as some background rural noise recorded at 20-25 decibels.
Acoustical engineer Richard James warned the noise is not only nerve-wracking, but poses health risks now being studied in the U.S. and in Europe, where wind farms have operated for nearly 20 years.
James likened the potential long-term effect of wind farms to the now-notorious region near Buffalo, where officials paved over the toxic waste which later poisoned residents.
“This is like Love Canal,” he said.
Editor’s note | This is the first part of a two-part look at developing concerns over wind farms in parts of Steuben County.
In early January, the blades in the 53-turbine First Wind project in the town of Cohocton began to spin. It was the first project in Steuben County to generate renewable energy and one of five under consideration in the county.
Within weeks, dozens of Cohocton residents went to the town board in neighboring Prattsburgh to warn that the machines were proving to be noisy and harmful.
“Don’t let (the developers) buffalo you,” Cohocton resident Hal Graham told the Prattsburgh Town Board in late February. “You know, I wanted to do something for the environment. And now I can’t sleep at night.”
Graham initially supported wind farm development.
Prattsburgh is the site of two wind farms planned by developers First Wind and EcoGen. Other projects have been proposed in the towns of Hartsville and Howard.
Since wind farms in Steuben County were first proposed in 2002, developers have admitted it’s hard to miss seeing the 400-foot-high turbines, but insisted they sound no louder than a refrigerator’s hum.
The projects have been promoted throughout the largely rural county as a quiet, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way to provide renewable energy.
Environmental studies for Cohocton and Steuben County led to restrictions of the turbines’ sound to a maximum comfort level of 50 decibels. Setbacks were established to assure both noise and other potential dangers such as shadow flicker and flying debris were lessened.
Yet the promised “refrigerator hum” of the turbines was a falsity as residents began to compare the sound to the roar of a jet engine, according to Graham.
The Cohocton residents are among a growing number of people across the nation complaining the noise made by wind turbines is intrusive and disturbing. Medical professionals have compiled studies showing the noise can pose health hazards.
And the wind industry is beginning to take notice.
In Maine, where the state welcomed renewable energy, the Mars Hill project has been widely criticized for being noisy.
According to a March 26, 2008 report by the Daily News in Bangor, Maine, UPC Wind president and CEO Paul Gaynor said the company would do a better job in the future about letting local residents know what to expect from wind farms.
“I know there was an expectation (in Mars Hill) about what these were going to sound like,” Gaynor told the Daily News. “These are big structures and they do make sound.”
Shortly after Gaynor spoke to the Maine newspaper, the firm changed its name to First Wind. It was formerly known as Global Winds Harvest/UPC.
Local officials said they have relied on the best information available and worked to ensure the safety of residents.
Steuben County Industrial Development Agency Exec-utive Director James Sherron said the agency has regulatory standards based on data from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and state Energy Research Development Agency.
The Steuben County IDA has established minimum distances that wind turbines can be to a residence, called a setback. There are also limits on decibel levels.
But Sherron said he has heard reports of 110 decibels in Cohocton -- twice the accepted limit – and added any violations would go through a process of sound studies to decide the best way to solve the issue.
“We have a responsibility with the developers, they have to meet the criteria,” Sherron said. “They could be asked to slow down the turbines, find alternatives. It could mean the unit would be removed.”
Sherron said another factor in the noise may be the model of machine used in Cohocton.
While SCIDA initially reviewed 1.5 megawatt turbines, the five wind farm developers looking to do business in the county indicated they would be installing 2.3 megawatt turbines. The larger turbines were approved because SCIDA’s consultants said there was no significant difference in their impact, Sherron said.
But all models under consideration are capable of exceeding 100 decibels at a maximum speed of 30 feet per second, according to a report to SCIDA by developer EverPower.
Typically, the blade rotation is reduced to lower speeds.
Yet some sound experts charge the current “acceptable” range of 45-50 decibels is excessive, and twice as loud as some background rural noise recorded at 20-25 decibels.
Acoustical engineer Richard James warned the noise is not only nerve-wracking, but poses health risks now being studied in the U.S. and in Europe, where wind farms have operated for nearly 20 years.
James likened the potential long-term effect of wind farms to the now-notorious region near Buffalo, where officials paved over the toxic waste which later poisoned residents.
“This is like Love Canal,” he said.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Cohocton not dealing with leaseholder noise complaints
Cohocton, N.Y.
The Town of Cohocton announced Monday it will no longer be dealing with any noise complaints generated by residents who lease property with wind energy developer First Wind.
The town board sent an open letter to the media Monday afternoon outlining its intentions on monitoring noise generated by the 50 wind turbines erected in the town in 2008 following complaints by residents and leaseholders involved with the project.
“Over the past few weeks, a resident of the Town of Cohocton, Hal Graham, has been lodging complaints with First Wind, the owner of the Town of Cohocton’s two wind farms, members of the Town Board, other State and local elected officials, and the Town’s Code Enforcement Officer concerning noise levels at his home,” the letter states.
Under the town’s wind law, the letter states, there is a distinction between participating landowners — like Graham, who has a lease with First Wind for a turbine placed on his property — and non-participating landowners.
“The town wanted to allow those persons in the town signing leases or setback waivers to make their own decisions about the use of their land, without constraining any particular landowners’ ability to negotiate with First Wind,” the letter states. “Participating landowners are viewed under the Town’s local laws as, in essence, First Wind’s co-applicants.”
The board heard complaints on noise generated from the 50 turbines on top of Pine, Lent, Dutch and Brown hills around Cohocton at its Feb. 23 meeting. At the meeting, Graham — a Lent Hill resident — addressed the board and asked if there was anything the town could do about the turbines on his property.
“They (First Wind) told us we wouldn’t hear anything at 900 feet,” he said at the meeting. “The noise is so great that my windows are vibrating.”
The letter Monday said it will not be dealing with Graham’s problems.
“While we are hopeful that First Wind will be responsive to Hal’s concerns and the concerns of any other ‘participating’ landowners, the Town will not compromise its ability to address legitimate complaints received from the owners of ‘non-participating’ parcels by taking on a ‘participating’ parcel owner’s problems,” the letter states, continuing to explain that the town’s laws on wind noise do not apply to participating landowners and they must file their complaints with First Wind.
Non-participating residents’ complaints will receive the town’s attention, though.
The current procedure for complaints is to call a toll-free number belonging to First Wind, which rings into the office located on Main Street in Cohocton. From there, First Wind officials will schedule a time for the town’s and the company’s wind turbine noise consultants to test the property and determine if there are violations of the wind law.
“If First Wind does not adequately respond to your complaint, then follow up with the Town’s Code Enforcement Officer,” the letter states.
Calls to Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus, who sent the letter to The Evening Tribune, and Graham were not immediately returned.
The Town of Cohocton announced Monday it will no longer be dealing with any noise complaints generated by residents who lease property with wind energy developer First Wind.
The town board sent an open letter to the media Monday afternoon outlining its intentions on monitoring noise generated by the 50 wind turbines erected in the town in 2008 following complaints by residents and leaseholders involved with the project.
“Over the past few weeks, a resident of the Town of Cohocton, Hal Graham, has been lodging complaints with First Wind, the owner of the Town of Cohocton’s two wind farms, members of the Town Board, other State and local elected officials, and the Town’s Code Enforcement Officer concerning noise levels at his home,” the letter states.
Under the town’s wind law, the letter states, there is a distinction between participating landowners — like Graham, who has a lease with First Wind for a turbine placed on his property — and non-participating landowners.
“The town wanted to allow those persons in the town signing leases or setback waivers to make their own decisions about the use of their land, without constraining any particular landowners’ ability to negotiate with First Wind,” the letter states. “Participating landowners are viewed under the Town’s local laws as, in essence, First Wind’s co-applicants.”
The board heard complaints on noise generated from the 50 turbines on top of Pine, Lent, Dutch and Brown hills around Cohocton at its Feb. 23 meeting. At the meeting, Graham — a Lent Hill resident — addressed the board and asked if there was anything the town could do about the turbines on his property.
“They (First Wind) told us we wouldn’t hear anything at 900 feet,” he said at the meeting. “The noise is so great that my windows are vibrating.”
The letter Monday said it will not be dealing with Graham’s problems.
“While we are hopeful that First Wind will be responsive to Hal’s concerns and the concerns of any other ‘participating’ landowners, the Town will not compromise its ability to address legitimate complaints received from the owners of ‘non-participating’ parcels by taking on a ‘participating’ parcel owner’s problems,” the letter states, continuing to explain that the town’s laws on wind noise do not apply to participating landowners and they must file their complaints with First Wind.
Non-participating residents’ complaints will receive the town’s attention, though.
The current procedure for complaints is to call a toll-free number belonging to First Wind, which rings into the office located on Main Street in Cohocton. From there, First Wind officials will schedule a time for the town’s and the company’s wind turbine noise consultants to test the property and determine if there are violations of the wind law.
“If First Wind does not adequately respond to your complaint, then follow up with the Town’s Code Enforcement Officer,” the letter states.
Calls to Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus, who sent the letter to The Evening Tribune, and Graham were not immediately returned.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Not all Town of Eagle residents are happy with wind farms
Although there is no doubt that the Noble Environmental Power wind farm projects have been an economic boom to the townships of Eagle and Wethersfield, some Eagle residents are not altogether happy with the turbines.
Complaints by some regarding noise issues with the turbines have been brought to the town board's attention, most recently at the board's March 20 meeting.
At least one resident reports that the noise is interrupting his sleep, which in turn is affecting his health.
Paul Zawadski of Wing Street says the noise is worse from 10:00 p.m. to midnight and prevents him from sleeping a full night. Although Noble conducted a sound test as per its licensing agreement with the town, Zawadski believes it was not done properly.
He says he is also unhappy with the town board's response to his concerns. "I spoke with [Councilmen] Butch Keem and Will Herrick," he says. "Will [Herrick] tried, and met with [Project Manager Brett] Hastings at the Eagle office, but Noble would not do anything."
Zawadski said that Councilman Herrick suggested he have his own independent sound test done. "I'm holding off until spring," Zawadski said. "May is the worst time for the noise."
Several other residents of Wing Street have also voiced complaints about noise.
ANOTHER CONCERN some residents living near the turbines had was interrupted television reception.
A Route 362 resident, Glen O'Connor, lives within a mile of 27 of the turbines. "I have no television right now," he told the board. "Noble agrees there is a problem with TV reception."
He also cited noise and "shadow flicker" problems.
O'Connor, who attended the March meeting along with a neighbor, said that the company that did the study, Hessler Associates, is closely connected with Noble. "I had it reviewed by another guy," he said. O'Connor told the board that he videotapes the turbines and uses a sound meter to back up his claims. "My metering is honest and legitimate," he said, reporting that the sound level reaches over 50 decibels at times.
Adding his attorney fees were already very costly, O'Connor asked the board, "Will you help me with this. Pay my attorneys? What do you want me to do?"
O'Connor told the board that Noble's attorneys wanted him to sign a confidentially agreement, a stipulation he objects to.
When Supervisor Joseph Kushner asked Hastings why the confidentiality, he replied that the clause is in the town's agreement.
WHEN ZAWADSKI asked what could be done if his noise study found Noble was in violation, Kushner said," I'll talk to the attorney and see what we can do, legally. If we breach the contract we will be sued, and lose. We may have grounds, we may not."
He said that because of the host agreement with Noble, "We are limited as to what we can do." He explained the town chose the 50-decibel level for noise because it is the limit that other towns use.
Kushner agreed to look into the television reception matter and said, "I want the television thing settled tomorrow." He later explained that just five residents had reported television reception interference. Of these problems, three had been solved with new antennas. He said the two homes left were located in a valley.
"They [Noble] were not prepared for the change to digital TV," Kushner said, "but they know they have to fix it. They'll have to work it out contractually with the individuals."
Hastings told the board and the residents, "I'll be glad to go to Noble with whatever you plan to do."
"Noble will be doing another noise study north of Route 39 [the Wethersfield project]," Kushner later told the Herald, "and we'll see how that one goes."
"As far as O'Connor asking us to have Noble 'shut them down' we have a contract we have to abide by. The project is here to stay," Kushner said.
Complaints by some regarding noise issues with the turbines have been brought to the town board's attention, most recently at the board's March 20 meeting.
At least one resident reports that the noise is interrupting his sleep, which in turn is affecting his health.
Paul Zawadski of Wing Street says the noise is worse from 10:00 p.m. to midnight and prevents him from sleeping a full night. Although Noble conducted a sound test as per its licensing agreement with the town, Zawadski believes it was not done properly.
He says he is also unhappy with the town board's response to his concerns. "I spoke with [Councilmen] Butch Keem and Will Herrick," he says. "Will [Herrick] tried, and met with [Project Manager Brett] Hastings at the Eagle office, but Noble would not do anything."
Zawadski said that Councilman Herrick suggested he have his own independent sound test done. "I'm holding off until spring," Zawadski said. "May is the worst time for the noise."
Several other residents of Wing Street have also voiced complaints about noise.
ANOTHER CONCERN some residents living near the turbines had was interrupted television reception.
A Route 362 resident, Glen O'Connor, lives within a mile of 27 of the turbines. "I have no television right now," he told the board. "Noble agrees there is a problem with TV reception."
He also cited noise and "shadow flicker" problems.
O'Connor, who attended the March meeting along with a neighbor, said that the company that did the study, Hessler Associates, is closely connected with Noble. "I had it reviewed by another guy," he said. O'Connor told the board that he videotapes the turbines and uses a sound meter to back up his claims. "My metering is honest and legitimate," he said, reporting that the sound level reaches over 50 decibels at times.
Adding his attorney fees were already very costly, O'Connor asked the board, "Will you help me with this. Pay my attorneys? What do you want me to do?"
O'Connor told the board that Noble's attorneys wanted him to sign a confidentially agreement, a stipulation he objects to.
When Supervisor Joseph Kushner asked Hastings why the confidentiality, he replied that the clause is in the town's agreement.
WHEN ZAWADSKI asked what could be done if his noise study found Noble was in violation, Kushner said," I'll talk to the attorney and see what we can do, legally. If we breach the contract we will be sued, and lose. We may have grounds, we may not."
He said that because of the host agreement with Noble, "We are limited as to what we can do." He explained the town chose the 50-decibel level for noise because it is the limit that other towns use.
Kushner agreed to look into the television reception matter and said, "I want the television thing settled tomorrow." He later explained that just five residents had reported television reception interference. Of these problems, three had been solved with new antennas. He said the two homes left were located in a valley.
"They [Noble] were not prepared for the change to digital TV," Kushner said, "but they know they have to fix it. They'll have to work it out contractually with the individuals."
Hastings told the board and the residents, "I'll be glad to go to Noble with whatever you plan to do."
"Noble will be doing another noise study north of Route 39 [the Wethersfield project]," Kushner later told the Herald, "and we'll see how that one goes."
"As far as O'Connor asking us to have Noble 'shut them down' we have a contract we have to abide by. The project is here to stay," Kushner said.
Wobbly wind sector sets sights on stimulus
SAN FRANCISCO -- Wind power developers have long relied on complex tax-equity financing to bring most of their projects to market, but that system, once hailed as innovative, has collapsed over the last year, leaving the wind sector flailing for the cash it needs to make generation projects a reality.
This is how it worked: Large financial institutions like AIG, Wachovia, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo, Lehman Brothers and others would buy federal tax benefits from renewable energy startups that did not have enough taxable income to use the credits on their own.
In other words, big financial firms traded financing to offset tax liability. So-called tax-equity investors would bankroll a solar or wind project in exchange for a tax shelter, which was effectively pinned to profits. The system worked as long as Congress renewed the federal investment and production tax credits that granted developers a range of incentives, and it was widely viewed as a essential avenue within the renewable energy development community.
No more. The system, like other schemes crafted by insiders, has crumbled as AIG, Lehman and others have collapsed. The big boys no longer have cash to bankroll projects or the means to pull the profits to get credits, so the tax-equity space has turned into a financial dead zone.
According to figures from Hudson Clean Energy Partners, about 25 of the largest financial firms were active in tax equity for alternative energy in 2007. But at least 16 of them left the field last year (Greenwire, March 20).
That means an industry that had consolidated behind a handful of major players was left vulnerable to their demise. Wind in particular had banked on tax equity, financing 95 percent of its projects through this system in 2007 and following the same track in 2008 until the crash, according to numbers from J.P. Morgan.
So what now? Experts at a cleantech conference last week offered a simple fix: Figure out how to tap the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the economic stimulus law.
(Click to read entire article)
This is how it worked: Large financial institutions like AIG, Wachovia, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo, Lehman Brothers and others would buy federal tax benefits from renewable energy startups that did not have enough taxable income to use the credits on their own.
In other words, big financial firms traded financing to offset tax liability. So-called tax-equity investors would bankroll a solar or wind project in exchange for a tax shelter, which was effectively pinned to profits. The system worked as long as Congress renewed the federal investment and production tax credits that granted developers a range of incentives, and it was widely viewed as a essential avenue within the renewable energy development community.
No more. The system, like other schemes crafted by insiders, has crumbled as AIG, Lehman and others have collapsed. The big boys no longer have cash to bankroll projects or the means to pull the profits to get credits, so the tax-equity space has turned into a financial dead zone.
According to figures from Hudson Clean Energy Partners, about 25 of the largest financial firms were active in tax equity for alternative energy in 2007. But at least 16 of them left the field last year (Greenwire, March 20).
That means an industry that had consolidated behind a handful of major players was left vulnerable to their demise. Wind in particular had banked on tax equity, financing 95 percent of its projects through this system in 2007 and following the same track in 2008 until the crash, according to numbers from J.P. Morgan.
So what now? Experts at a cleantech conference last week offered a simple fix: Figure out how to tap the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the economic stimulus law.
(Click to read entire article)
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