N.Y. says it doesn't regulate smaller wind farms
FENNER — As officials continue to investigate what could have caused a 200-foot-tall wind turbine to collapse in Madison County, it was not at all clear Monday what agency, if any, is responsible for overseeing turbine safety issues at Fenner Wind Farm in this town northeast of Cazenovia.
State officials said the farm does not produce 80 megawatts of energy annually, and therefore, is not large enough to fall under their jurisdiction. Madison County officials also don’t believe they’re responsible for regulation and pointed to town officials for oversight.
However, officials in this rural town of about 1,600 residents said while they played a role in awarding permits for the project before it was completed in 2001, they thought that Enel North America, the company that operates the farm, was responsible for regulating the structures manufactured by General Electric.
“I think they’re pretty conscientious,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said of Enel North America. “They don’t want this to happen again.”
The turbine, which weighed close to 190 tons, toppled over in a cornfield at about 4 a.m. Sunday, shutting down the wind farm’s 19 other turbines. No one was injured.
The collapse on Buyea Road in Fenner followed a power outage recorded at about 3:30 a.m., Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. The cause remains under investigation by the company.
While it was the first time the company saw one of its turbines fall over, collapses of the structures are not unprecedented.
In March, another General Electric turbine split in half at the Noble Altona Windpark, northwest of Plattsburgh in Northern New York. That incident also followed a power outage.
Noble Environmental Power, the company operating the turbine, declared a wiring anomaly was to blame for the incident. General Electric wind turbines are equipped with a system that should shut them down when a loss of power occurs. Without the system working property, the turbine will spin faster than its design allows, the company said in a news release.
However, the collapse at Noble Altona Windpark remains under investigation by the state Public Service Commission because the operation produces enough energy to fall under that agency’s jurisdiction, said Anne Dalton, a spokesperson for the state commission.
“As I understand it, this one owned by Enel North America would be investigated locally,” Dalton said. “All I know is it’s not subject to our jurisdiction.”
The collapse that occurred in Altona on March 6 created a small fire and flung Fiberglass debris as far as 345 feet from the base of the turbine, the company said. No one was injured in the incident.
But Milissa Rocker, a spokesperson for General Electric, said the company’s windmills are safe. Just five of General Electric’s 13,000 turbines operating globally have collapsed since 2002 when General Electric took over the wind power operation from Enron, she said.
“It’s important to understand this is a very rare occurrence,” Rocker said. “This turbine is one of the most reliable in service.”
Despite the apparent resemblance between the incidents in Altona and Fenner, officials from both General Electric and Enel North America said there is no way to draw a parallel until an investigation is complete.
“What’s similar is that a turbine collapsed,” Rocker said. “That’s about as far as the similarities go right now.”
Wind turbines are an increasingly common part of the regional landscape, particularly along U.S. Route 20 and near Lowville.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York’s electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Members of Save Sauquoit Valley Views -- a group opposing the Litchfield windmills - said theFenner tower collapse sparks concern over the Litchfield project.
“Despite the industry’s assurances, large turbines are intrinsically unsafe,” Liz Waszkiewicz said in a statement e-mailed on behalf of the organization. “Since the Fenner incident wasn’t related to high winds or other conditions that should have led to collapse, should a landowner take that chance?”
Sennot said the company does not believe strong winds or foul play were involved in the incident, but declined to discuss other possible causes until an investigation is complete, which likely won’t be until the end of January.
“Generally speaking, turbines are a far enough distance away that -- should something like this happen -- homes wouldn’t be hit,” Sennott said. The company is not concerned about additional turbines collapsing, he said.
The other 19 turbines at Fenner Wind Farm, which produces enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, have been temporarily shut down as a safety precaution, he said.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Enel hires consultant to help probe Fenner turbine collapse
Fenner, NY -- Enel North America has hired a forensic engineer to look into why a 187-ton turbine at the company’s Fenner Wind Farm fell over early Sunday.
The engineer is expected to be joined by a team being put together by General Electric Co., the turbine’s manufacturer, to look into the cause of the collapse, Enel spokesman Hank Sennott said.
A security firm also is expected to be hired to take over from company officials who have been taking turns keeping the site safe from curiosity seekers, Sennott said.
Meanwhile, officials are working to stabilize pieces of the fallen giant so they don’t hurt investigators probing the wreckage, said Steve Pike, Fenner Wind Farm’s project manager.
Turbine 18, one of 20 erected in farm fields atop a ridge five miles northeast of Cazenovia, fell with a thunderous boom between 3 and 4 a.m. Sunday, neighbors said. What once stood 329 feet tall to the tip of a blade at the highest point of its arc lay sprawled across the mud and stubble of a harvested cornfield on Buyea Road.
(Click to read the entire article)
The engineer is expected to be joined by a team being put together by General Electric Co., the turbine’s manufacturer, to look into the cause of the collapse, Enel spokesman Hank Sennott said.
A security firm also is expected to be hired to take over from company officials who have been taking turns keeping the site safe from curiosity seekers, Sennott said.
Meanwhile, officials are working to stabilize pieces of the fallen giant so they don’t hurt investigators probing the wreckage, said Steve Pike, Fenner Wind Farm’s project manager.
Turbine 18, one of 20 erected in farm fields atop a ridge five miles northeast of Cazenovia, fell with a thunderous boom between 3 and 4 a.m. Sunday, neighbors said. What once stood 329 feet tall to the tip of a blade at the highest point of its arc lay sprawled across the mud and stubble of a harvested cornfield on Buyea Road.
(Click to read the entire article)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Taxpayer-Funded Wind Farms Prompt Concern from Democrats and Republicans; Jobs for China?
(CNSNews.com) – Wind-power projects funded in part by the $787-billion Recovery Act (stimulus law) are coming under scrutiny at a time when President Obama and other Democrats have promoted alternative forms of energy production.
Two New York Democrats – Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Eric Massa – are among the lawmakers criticizing specific wind-power projects that are getting hundreds of millions in taxpayer subsidies.
A “definitive agreement” was reached on one of those projects two weeks ago, according to a Dec. 20 news release from the Austin, Texas-based Cielo Wind Power. The deal is between Cielo, U.S. Renewable Energy Group and China-based Shenyang Power Group.
The $1.5 billion project – which is getting $450 million in stimulus funds – is supposed to create 2,000 to 3,000 jobs. The problem is, most of those jobs will be in China, Sen. Schumer said, because that’s where the wind turbines will be constructed. Another 300 temporary jobs will be created in Texas.
“I’m all for investing in clean energy, but we should be investing in the United States, not China,” Schumer wrote in a Nov. 5 letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The goal of the stimulus was to spur job creation here, not overseas. This project should not receive a dime of stimulus funds unless it relies on U.S.-manufactured products,” the senator wrote.
The Cielo wind farm in West Texas is supposed to cover 36,000 acres and generate enough electricity to power up to 180,000 American homes each year.
Cielo Wind Power President Walt Hornaday, in a Nov. 10 statement, insisted that the project will grow the U.S. economy and would not be possible without federal assistance.
“A project of this scale will not only create hundreds of on-site construction and operational jobs, but it will also benefit a network of engineers, suppliers, and contractors all around the U.S. who will see hundreds of millions of dollars in additional work,” Hornaday said.
“Cielo plans to draw on the same American contractors from North Dakota to New York and New Mexico to California who have contributed to its past 10 wind projects. This planned project is an economic development lifeline to the wind industry during tough economic times.”
Hornaday did not deny Schumer’s assertions that most of the jobs would be created in China. However, a Cielo staff member told CNSNews.com last week that none of the stimulus funds (taxpayer money) would be used to pay workers in China. However, the spokesman declined to say any more about the project than has already been discussed in news releases.
Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) also wrote a letter to Energy Secretary Chu: “There is bipartisan concern that the Obama administration is using U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund green jobs in China and other foreign countries,” Bond wrote on Nov. 12. “As U.S. unemployment tops 10% during this time of economic distress for America’s families and workers, we must ensure that our government is not using American taxpayer dollars to create more green jobs in China than in the U.S.”
On another front, a Newton, Mass.-based company called First Wind reportedly is getting $115 million in stimulus funds to build wind farms in Cohocton, N.Y. and near Danforth, Maine.
Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) whose district includes Cohocton, had problems with U.S. tax dollars going to what he called “shell companies” for First Wind.
In a September letter to President Obama, Massa noted that First Wind is under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office for alleged corruption. The actual appropriation is going to Canandaigua Power Partners and Canandaigua Power Partners II, subsidiaries of First Wind.
“This is one of the most volatile issues in Western New York, and the award of $74.6 million dollars to corrupt companies that have changed names time and again, forming new LLCs and new Inc.s but maintaining their business model of lie, cheat, and corrupt at the expense of taxpayers, has stirred great unrest in New York’s 29th Congressional District,” Massa wrote to the president.
Massa spokesman Jared Smith did not return phone calls last week.
On July 15, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced an investigation into the wind power industry. He cited First Wind as one of the two companies from which he had subpoenaed documents.
The other was the Essex, Conn.-based Noble Environmental Power. The investigation was to determine “whether companies developing wind farms improperly sought or obtained land-use agreements with citizens and public officials; whether improper benefits were given to public officials to influence their actions, and whether they entered into anti-competitive agreements or practices.”
“The use of wind power, like all renewable energy sources, should be encouraged to help clean our air and end our reliance on fossil fuels,” Cuomo said when he announced the probe. “However, public integrity remains a top priority of my office and if dirty tricks are used to facilitate even clean-energy projects, my office will put a stop to it.”
The First Wind projects already are up and running. The Cohocton plant began operating in late January, and by the end of September it had produced 133,370 megawatt hours of electricity for the region, First Wind Chief Executive Officer Paul Gaynor said in October.
Gaynor also said the New York attorney general is not currently investigating the company. “In fact, we have been advised by the attorney general’s office that we are not under investigation,” Gaynor wrote. “First Wind is proud to be one of the first two companies in New York to have signed a code of conduct with the New York Attorney General that establishes for the first time an industry-wide framework for wind development in New York.”
In October, Cuomo announced a new “Wind Industry Ethics Code” and established a multi-agency task force to enforce the rules.
An Oct. 30 release from Cuomo’s office said, “Both Noble and First Wind fully cooperated in the inquiry, and their assistance was instrumental in developing the Code of Conduct that is being announced today.”
Two New York Democrats – Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Eric Massa – are among the lawmakers criticizing specific wind-power projects that are getting hundreds of millions in taxpayer subsidies.
A “definitive agreement” was reached on one of those projects two weeks ago, according to a Dec. 20 news release from the Austin, Texas-based Cielo Wind Power. The deal is between Cielo, U.S. Renewable Energy Group and China-based Shenyang Power Group.
The $1.5 billion project – which is getting $450 million in stimulus funds – is supposed to create 2,000 to 3,000 jobs. The problem is, most of those jobs will be in China, Sen. Schumer said, because that’s where the wind turbines will be constructed. Another 300 temporary jobs will be created in Texas.
“I’m all for investing in clean energy, but we should be investing in the United States, not China,” Schumer wrote in a Nov. 5 letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The goal of the stimulus was to spur job creation here, not overseas. This project should not receive a dime of stimulus funds unless it relies on U.S.-manufactured products,” the senator wrote.
The Cielo wind farm in West Texas is supposed to cover 36,000 acres and generate enough electricity to power up to 180,000 American homes each year.
Cielo Wind Power President Walt Hornaday, in a Nov. 10 statement, insisted that the project will grow the U.S. economy and would not be possible without federal assistance.
“A project of this scale will not only create hundreds of on-site construction and operational jobs, but it will also benefit a network of engineers, suppliers, and contractors all around the U.S. who will see hundreds of millions of dollars in additional work,” Hornaday said.
“Cielo plans to draw on the same American contractors from North Dakota to New York and New Mexico to California who have contributed to its past 10 wind projects. This planned project is an economic development lifeline to the wind industry during tough economic times.”
Hornaday did not deny Schumer’s assertions that most of the jobs would be created in China. However, a Cielo staff member told CNSNews.com last week that none of the stimulus funds (taxpayer money) would be used to pay workers in China. However, the spokesman declined to say any more about the project than has already been discussed in news releases.
Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) also wrote a letter to Energy Secretary Chu: “There is bipartisan concern that the Obama administration is using U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund green jobs in China and other foreign countries,” Bond wrote on Nov. 12. “As U.S. unemployment tops 10% during this time of economic distress for America’s families and workers, we must ensure that our government is not using American taxpayer dollars to create more green jobs in China than in the U.S.”
On another front, a Newton, Mass.-based company called First Wind reportedly is getting $115 million in stimulus funds to build wind farms in Cohocton, N.Y. and near Danforth, Maine.
Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) whose district includes Cohocton, had problems with U.S. tax dollars going to what he called “shell companies” for First Wind.
In a September letter to President Obama, Massa noted that First Wind is under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office for alleged corruption. The actual appropriation is going to Canandaigua Power Partners and Canandaigua Power Partners II, subsidiaries of First Wind.
“This is one of the most volatile issues in Western New York, and the award of $74.6 million dollars to corrupt companies that have changed names time and again, forming new LLCs and new Inc.s but maintaining their business model of lie, cheat, and corrupt at the expense of taxpayers, has stirred great unrest in New York’s 29th Congressional District,” Massa wrote to the president.
Massa spokesman Jared Smith did not return phone calls last week.
On July 15, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced an investigation into the wind power industry. He cited First Wind as one of the two companies from which he had subpoenaed documents.
The other was the Essex, Conn.-based Noble Environmental Power. The investigation was to determine “whether companies developing wind farms improperly sought or obtained land-use agreements with citizens and public officials; whether improper benefits were given to public officials to influence their actions, and whether they entered into anti-competitive agreements or practices.”
“The use of wind power, like all renewable energy sources, should be encouraged to help clean our air and end our reliance on fossil fuels,” Cuomo said when he announced the probe. “However, public integrity remains a top priority of my office and if dirty tricks are used to facilitate even clean-energy projects, my office will put a stop to it.”
The First Wind projects already are up and running. The Cohocton plant began operating in late January, and by the end of September it had produced 133,370 megawatt hours of electricity for the region, First Wind Chief Executive Officer Paul Gaynor said in October.
Gaynor also said the New York attorney general is not currently investigating the company. “In fact, we have been advised by the attorney general’s office that we are not under investigation,” Gaynor wrote. “First Wind is proud to be one of the first two companies in New York to have signed a code of conduct with the New York Attorney General that establishes for the first time an industry-wide framework for wind development in New York.”
In October, Cuomo announced a new “Wind Industry Ethics Code” and established a multi-agency task force to enforce the rules.
An Oct. 30 release from Cuomo’s office said, “Both Noble and First Wind fully cooperated in the inquiry, and their assistance was instrumental in developing the Code of Conduct that is being announced today.”
187-ton windmill topples in Madison County by JENNIFER BOGDAN
FENNER
A wind turbine weighing nearly 190 tons collapsed early Sunday morning in rural Madison County , leaving experts stumped as to what could have brought down the towering structure.
The windmill, located on Buyea Road in Fenner, northeast of Cazenovia and several miles south of Canastota, fell into a cornfield at about 4 a.m., shutting down the 19 other turbines in the wind farm operated by Enel North America, officials said.
No one was injured.
It was the first time the company had seen one of its turbines topple.
“This is just not an everyday occurrence,” Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. “I'd rather wait until we have a chance to investigate rather than speculating as to what could have happened.”
However, Sennott said he doesn't believe sabotage occurred. He also said he doesn't believe the force of the wind could have knocked over the turbine, which soared more than 200 feet above the town's rolling countryside. But he would not answer questions about what possibilities the company is considering for the cause of the collapse.
Buyea Road resident David Kalenak said the crumpled remains of the wind turbine attracted hundreds of onlookers throughout the day on the rural road, which usually sees just one or two cars each hour.
“I think a couple of my neighbors are a little nervous,” said Kalenak, who didn't hear the crash. “This one was in a field, but others are in the line of homes.”
The turbine was one of 20 erected at Fenner Wind Farm in 2001. The farm's turbines produce enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, Sennott said.
Wind turbines have become an increasingly common feature of the Central New York landscape. In Lewis and Madison counties, there are five established projects, most along U.S. Route 20 or in the Lowville area.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York's electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Fenner town Supervisor Russell Cary he was shocked by the incident, but didn't think it should spark cause for concern.
“I think it's a freak thing,” said Cary, who noted he fielded calls from concerned residents throughout the day.
“This isn't something that normally happens,” he said. “It's been an exciting day.”
Sennott said the company is not concerned about the possibility of another turbine collapsing. Instead, he said, the company's efforts will be directed toward securing the site of the crash and discovering what caused it.
Safety fencing was erected around the site of the crash Sunday night, and company workers planned to stand guard to ensure no one would be able to remove debris from the site. The company plans to hire security officers in the coming days to protect the site.
Replacing the turbine would likely cost between $2 million and $3 million, but it's not likely a replacement turbine would be installed immediately, Sennott said.
“It's not like we have an extra one of these things sitting in the backyard,” Sennott said.
A wind turbine weighing nearly 190 tons collapsed early Sunday morning in rural Madison County , leaving experts stumped as to what could have brought down the towering structure.
The windmill, located on Buyea Road in Fenner, northeast of Cazenovia and several miles south of Canastota, fell into a cornfield at about 4 a.m., shutting down the 19 other turbines in the wind farm operated by Enel North America, officials said.
No one was injured.
It was the first time the company had seen one of its turbines topple.
“This is just not an everyday occurrence,” Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. “I'd rather wait until we have a chance to investigate rather than speculating as to what could have happened.”
However, Sennott said he doesn't believe sabotage occurred. He also said he doesn't believe the force of the wind could have knocked over the turbine, which soared more than 200 feet above the town's rolling countryside. But he would not answer questions about what possibilities the company is considering for the cause of the collapse.
Buyea Road resident David Kalenak said the crumpled remains of the wind turbine attracted hundreds of onlookers throughout the day on the rural road, which usually sees just one or two cars each hour.
“I think a couple of my neighbors are a little nervous,” said Kalenak, who didn't hear the crash. “This one was in a field, but others are in the line of homes.”
The turbine was one of 20 erected at Fenner Wind Farm in 2001. The farm's turbines produce enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, Sennott said.
Wind turbines have become an increasingly common feature of the Central New York landscape. In Lewis and Madison counties, there are five established projects, most along U.S. Route 20 or in the Lowville area.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York's electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Fenner town Supervisor Russell Cary he was shocked by the incident, but didn't think it should spark cause for concern.
“I think it's a freak thing,” said Cary, who noted he fielded calls from concerned residents throughout the day.
“This isn't something that normally happens,” he said. “It's been an exciting day.”
Sennott said the company is not concerned about the possibility of another turbine collapsing. Instead, he said, the company's efforts will be directed toward securing the site of the crash and discovering what caused it.
Safety fencing was erected around the site of the crash Sunday night, and company workers planned to stand guard to ensure no one would be able to remove debris from the site. The company plans to hire security officers in the coming days to protect the site.
Replacing the turbine would likely cost between $2 million and $3 million, but it's not likely a replacement turbine would be installed immediately, Sennott said.
“It's not like we have an extra one of these things sitting in the backyard,” Sennott said.
Windmill falls in Madison County by ROBERT BRAUCHLE
FENNER — A more than 300-foot-tall wind turbine installed less than 10 years ago crashed to the ground Sunday before sunrise along Buyea Road.
This small town of about 1,680 people in northern Madison County is home to a 20-turbine wind farm that can produce as much as 30 megawatts. Construction of the facility began in 1998 and its turbines became operational in 2001.
Marvin DeKing lives across Buyea Road and said he heard a loud bang about 3 or 4 a.m. Sunday. He said it wasn't until daylight that he learned the windmill had toppled over.
"We were notified by the owners of the wind farm this morning," said town Supervisor Russell L. Cary, from his home Sunday night. "They detected it and were out there looking at it. They don't know what happened. They're basically investigating what happened."
Mr. Cary said the 187-ton turbine is located on private land leased by the wind farm's owners, Canastota Windpower LLC., a subsidiary of Enel North America Inc. The turbine crashed to the ground in a cornfield more than 1,000 feet from the nearest road or home.
The company, based in Andover, Mass., operates a pair of wind farms in New York — a 6.6 megawatt facility in Gainesville, Wyoming County, and the Fenner wind farm. The company also owns wind farms in Minnesota, Kansas, Texas and Newfoundland.
Mr. Cary said the importance of the town board's discussion to regulate where the turbines can be placed didn't hit home until Sunday morning, when he saw the mangled tower laying in the field.
"We'd always said we wanted to learn about its impacts," Mr. Cary said.
Enel spokesman Hank Sennott said the company is investigating, but doesn't believe the collapse was caused by sabotage. He estimates the cost to replace the turbine at $2 million to $3 million.
This is the second industrial turbine to collapse in New York this year.
In March, the blades of a 392-foot-tall turbine in Altona, Franklin County, reportedly "ran away," spinning uncontrollably after the unit's braking system failed. The turbine caught fire and partially collapsed, forcing emergency crews to douse flames in the turbine's base.
At the time, area residents heard what sounded like an explosion, and then a repetitive booming noise lasting a few minutes, the Plattsburgh Press-Republican reported.
Turbines similar to the size of the one that fell Sunday are expected to have a 20 to 30-year life span, according to information provided by Minnesota-based wind developer National Wind.
Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are home to a single wind farm, a 195-turbine facility in Lewis County named Maple Ridge Wind Farm. A number of other wind farms, of various sizes, are being proposed for Galloo Island, the town of Martinsburg, Clayton, Orleans and Cape Vincent.
This small town of about 1,680 people in northern Madison County is home to a 20-turbine wind farm that can produce as much as 30 megawatts. Construction of the facility began in 1998 and its turbines became operational in 2001.
Marvin DeKing lives across Buyea Road and said he heard a loud bang about 3 or 4 a.m. Sunday. He said it wasn't until daylight that he learned the windmill had toppled over.
"We were notified by the owners of the wind farm this morning," said town Supervisor Russell L. Cary, from his home Sunday night. "They detected it and were out there looking at it. They don't know what happened. They're basically investigating what happened."
Mr. Cary said the 187-ton turbine is located on private land leased by the wind farm's owners, Canastota Windpower LLC., a subsidiary of Enel North America Inc. The turbine crashed to the ground in a cornfield more than 1,000 feet from the nearest road or home.
The company, based in Andover, Mass., operates a pair of wind farms in New York — a 6.6 megawatt facility in Gainesville, Wyoming County, and the Fenner wind farm. The company also owns wind farms in Minnesota, Kansas, Texas and Newfoundland.
Mr. Cary said the importance of the town board's discussion to regulate where the turbines can be placed didn't hit home until Sunday morning, when he saw the mangled tower laying in the field.
"We'd always said we wanted to learn about its impacts," Mr. Cary said.
Enel spokesman Hank Sennott said the company is investigating, but doesn't believe the collapse was caused by sabotage. He estimates the cost to replace the turbine at $2 million to $3 million.
This is the second industrial turbine to collapse in New York this year.
In March, the blades of a 392-foot-tall turbine in Altona, Franklin County, reportedly "ran away," spinning uncontrollably after the unit's braking system failed. The turbine caught fire and partially collapsed, forcing emergency crews to douse flames in the turbine's base.
At the time, area residents heard what sounded like an explosion, and then a repetitive booming noise lasting a few minutes, the Plattsburgh Press-Republican reported.
Turbines similar to the size of the one that fell Sunday are expected to have a 20 to 30-year life span, according to information provided by Minnesota-based wind developer National Wind.
Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are home to a single wind farm, a 195-turbine facility in Lewis County named Maple Ridge Wind Farm. A number of other wind farms, of various sizes, are being proposed for Galloo Island, the town of Martinsburg, Clayton, Orleans and Cape Vincent.
Remember this story from 2008? - Helicopter crashes, 4 suffer minor injuries
ENNER — Four people suffered minor injuries when their company helicopter crashed Tuesday in foggy conditions near a windmill farm in Central New York, state police said.
Initial reports were that all four people were able to walk away from the downed aircraft, said Trooper Jim Simpson, a state police spokesman.
The private helicopter was owned by Canastota Windpower, a wholly owned subsidiary of Enel North America Inc. The helicopter crew was doing routine maintenance when the pilot became disoriented in the heavy fog.
“It appears it was more of a hard landing, but we’re still investigating. We were expecting the worse when the call first came in,” Simpson said.
The Fenner wind farm consists of 20 wind turbines. Located about 30 miles east of Syracuse, it began producing power in 2001.
Associated Press
The Ithaca Journal
15 January 2008
Initial reports were that all four people were able to walk away from the downed aircraft, said Trooper Jim Simpson, a state police spokesman.
The private helicopter was owned by Canastota Windpower, a wholly owned subsidiary of Enel North America Inc. The helicopter crew was doing routine maintenance when the pilot became disoriented in the heavy fog.
“It appears it was more of a hard landing, but we’re still investigating. We were expecting the worse when the call first came in,” Simpson said.
The Fenner wind farm consists of 20 wind turbines. Located about 30 miles east of Syracuse, it began producing power in 2001.
Associated Press
The Ithaca Journal
15 January 2008
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Windmill Hits the Ground by Karen Lee
FENNER, N.Y. -- A windmill that stretched more than 300 feet into the sky, crashed to the ground early Sunday morning.
"There was no wind or nothing, just calm and quiet out. I just heard a noise and it was just like thunder and lighting. It went boom," said Marvin Deking, who lives across the street.
"It's just amazing to see it down like that. We've seen them when they were first putting them up but not like this," said Vickie Roberts, a Perryville resident.
The windmill is located near Buyea Road and is part of the Fenner Wind Farm, operated by Enel North America.
Buyea Road is about a quarter to half-a-mile from where the windmill stood, and with nothing else in its vicinity, there was no real danger to the people who live here.
"Nobody was hurt. It's well-designed, there's plenty of safety built into the farm," said Russell Cary, the Fenner town supervisor.
Crews secured the scene throughout the day as they waited for Enel officials to arrive and begin the investigation.
"This is a lesson we're going to learn and hopefully make the whole process better and I'm sure they'll be checking other ones also, once they realize what really happened," said Carey.
Nineteen other turbines generate electricity for the wind farm. It'll cost approximately $2 million to $3 million to repair the windmill.
Enel officials arrived on scene Sunday evening to begin their investigation. They don't expect to find out what caused the collapse until at least until Monday.
The remaining turbines on the wind farm have been turned off for the time-being.
"There was no wind or nothing, just calm and quiet out. I just heard a noise and it was just like thunder and lighting. It went boom," said Marvin Deking, who lives across the street.
"It's just amazing to see it down like that. We've seen them when they were first putting them up but not like this," said Vickie Roberts, a Perryville resident.
The windmill is located near Buyea Road and is part of the Fenner Wind Farm, operated by Enel North America.
Buyea Road is about a quarter to half-a-mile from where the windmill stood, and with nothing else in its vicinity, there was no real danger to the people who live here.
"Nobody was hurt. It's well-designed, there's plenty of safety built into the farm," said Russell Cary, the Fenner town supervisor.
Crews secured the scene throughout the day as they waited for Enel officials to arrive and begin the investigation.
"This is a lesson we're going to learn and hopefully make the whole process better and I'm sure they'll be checking other ones also, once they realize what really happened," said Carey.
Nineteen other turbines generate electricity for the wind farm. It'll cost approximately $2 million to $3 million to repair the windmill.
Enel officials arrived on scene Sunday evening to begin their investigation. They don't expect to find out what caused the collapse until at least until Monday.
The remaining turbines on the wind farm have been turned off for the time-being.
Concerns in light of the Fenner turbine collapse
The following letter was received by us and is addressed to people who have signed a lease option with Ecogen. If the option is due to expire, you may want to consider the following information before you put your land back under Ecogen's control.
You may want to take another look at the real estate tax part of the agreement. The company is supposed to pay all taxes attributable to the wind towers. The wind towers are exempt from taxation for 15 years in New York. At the Fenner, NY project the wind towers were listed as improvements on the tax parcel owned by the landowners. Could the same thing happen here? Keep in mind that you will be addressing this issue 15 years in the future. What is the likelihood that you will be dealing with the same company you signed with? 15 years seems like a long time and you received your annual lease payment in that time but what do you suppose the taxes are on a commercial power generating wind tower? And let's not overlook what the tax consequences would be if the wind company went bankrupt. You may want to look into Ecogen's history of wind project construction and management or the lack thereof.
Ecogen has publicly stated that many of its towers will be interconnected with ABOVE ground transmission lines. The lease says under the "use" clause that the tenant (Ecogen) has the right to use the property for constructing transmission lines. It does not say they will be underground. Ecogen told me and other landowners that the lines would be underground but it is not in writing.
You may want to look at the right of first refusal clause. My lawyer said that to sign this agreement would take away my right to sell my property to whom I wanted. The clause says that Ecogen has the right of first refusal if the land owners desires to sell or to "effect any other form of transfer with respect to the land". How does this effect parents who may want to give the land to their children? How does this effect the landowner's will/estate? How does this effect land with multiple owners who may want to buy each other out at some point? What happens in cases of divorce? Why does a wind tower lease even need to include this clause?
The scope of construction necessary to erect the wind towers should also be reconsidered. The South Bristol Views website says that "Ecogen has already stated that they would have to clear-cut at least a 350' circle for each turbine just to assemble the blades". The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) describes the following in "A Guide for Local Authorities in New York": Access roads to each turbine location are typically 18-20' wide. Crane pads are installed along access roads and adjacent to the tower foundations. Foundation excavation is additional to the area described. All this area needs to be clear cut in wooded areas. NYSERDA's guide also says that each turbine may require up to twenty cement trucks. The turbines themselves come in 10-20 tractor trailers with additional tractor trailers needed to bring in other tools and construction materials. Does your lease agreement say anything about Ecogen restoring the area to pre-construction condition? Does your lease say anything about tower removal if they are no longer in use? Consider this along with the real estate tax implications above.
Lastly, people should consider the liability they may be taking on by allowing wind towers to be constructed on their property. Ecogen plans on putting towers as close as 120' from my lot line. Blade and ice throws, tower collapse, fire, noise, soil erosion/disruption of natural drainage, and the potential to negatively effect ground water sources and wells are all concerns that have been voiced and debated. What landowners need to consider is in the event that a wind tower somehow damages a neighbor's land, who is responsible to pay for damages? You can argue about the likelihood of any of above concerns, but are you prepared for the consequences if they do occur? I doubt if your homeowners insurance is going to cover the potential damages a 400' power generating wind tower may cause. Did your agreement say that Ecogen will be responsible for any and all damages that the construction or operation of the wind towers may cause? Mine didn't. Be aware that NYSERDA lists distance as the factor which will mitigate the above listed effects on neighboring properties. Here there are virtually no setbacks. I have found no other wind project in the U.S. which puts wind towers right on top of neighbors lot lines as is proposed here. Do you really want to be pioneers into the uncharted waters this project poses? Make sure any reassurances given by the sponsoring wind companies are given in writing.
You may want to take another look at the real estate tax part of the agreement. The company is supposed to pay all taxes attributable to the wind towers. The wind towers are exempt from taxation for 15 years in New York. At the Fenner, NY project the wind towers were listed as improvements on the tax parcel owned by the landowners. Could the same thing happen here? Keep in mind that you will be addressing this issue 15 years in the future. What is the likelihood that you will be dealing with the same company you signed with? 15 years seems like a long time and you received your annual lease payment in that time but what do you suppose the taxes are on a commercial power generating wind tower? And let's not overlook what the tax consequences would be if the wind company went bankrupt. You may want to look into Ecogen's history of wind project construction and management or the lack thereof.
Ecogen has publicly stated that many of its towers will be interconnected with ABOVE ground transmission lines. The lease says under the "use" clause that the tenant (Ecogen) has the right to use the property for constructing transmission lines. It does not say they will be underground. Ecogen told me and other landowners that the lines would be underground but it is not in writing.
You may want to look at the right of first refusal clause. My lawyer said that to sign this agreement would take away my right to sell my property to whom I wanted. The clause says that Ecogen has the right of first refusal if the land owners desires to sell or to "effect any other form of transfer with respect to the land". How does this effect parents who may want to give the land to their children? How does this effect the landowner's will/estate? How does this effect land with multiple owners who may want to buy each other out at some point? What happens in cases of divorce? Why does a wind tower lease even need to include this clause?
The scope of construction necessary to erect the wind towers should also be reconsidered. The South Bristol Views website says that "Ecogen has already stated that they would have to clear-cut at least a 350' circle for each turbine just to assemble the blades". The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) describes the following in "A Guide for Local Authorities in New York": Access roads to each turbine location are typically 18-20' wide. Crane pads are installed along access roads and adjacent to the tower foundations. Foundation excavation is additional to the area described. All this area needs to be clear cut in wooded areas. NYSERDA's guide also says that each turbine may require up to twenty cement trucks. The turbines themselves come in 10-20 tractor trailers with additional tractor trailers needed to bring in other tools and construction materials. Does your lease agreement say anything about Ecogen restoring the area to pre-construction condition? Does your lease say anything about tower removal if they are no longer in use? Consider this along with the real estate tax implications above.
Lastly, people should consider the liability they may be taking on by allowing wind towers to be constructed on their property. Ecogen plans on putting towers as close as 120' from my lot line. Blade and ice throws, tower collapse, fire, noise, soil erosion/disruption of natural drainage, and the potential to negatively effect ground water sources and wells are all concerns that have been voiced and debated. What landowners need to consider is in the event that a wind tower somehow damages a neighbor's land, who is responsible to pay for damages? You can argue about the likelihood of any of above concerns, but are you prepared for the consequences if they do occur? I doubt if your homeowners insurance is going to cover the potential damages a 400' power generating wind tower may cause. Did your agreement say that Ecogen will be responsible for any and all damages that the construction or operation of the wind towers may cause? Mine didn't. Be aware that NYSERDA lists distance as the factor which will mitigate the above listed effects on neighboring properties. Here there are virtually no setbacks. I have found no other wind project in the U.S. which puts wind towers right on top of neighbors lot lines as is proposed here. Do you really want to be pioneers into the uncharted waters this project poses? Make sure any reassurances given by the sponsoring wind companies are given in writing.
Officials investigating why 187 ton windmill collapsed in Fenner by John Mariani
Fenner, NY -- Marvin DeKing already was up and awake between 3 and 4 a.m. when he heard a loud bang.
"It sounded like thunder and lightning," said DeKing, of 5206 Buyea Road in this rural town east of Cazenovia. But it wasn't until daylight that DeKing learned what had caused the noise: The 187 ton windmill across the road from his house had fallen over and lay sprawled in the cornfield in which it stood.
The 200-foot-plus structure is one of 20 windmills that generate electricity at the Fenner Wind Farm operated by Enel North America.
Officials from Enel's headquarters in Massachusetts began arriving in Fenner around 3 p.m. to begin investigating the incident.
“I don’t think we have any idea what happened at this point,” company spokesman Hank Sennott said.
The company will conduct a thorough investigation into the “highly unusual occurrence,” he said. He said he does not think there’s any possibility sabotage caused the windmill to topple.
Sennott said he believes this is the only one of Enel's 260 turbines in the United States and Canada to fall. He estimated the replacement cost at $2 million to $3 million.
It's unlikely that high winds knocked over the windmill. Winds gust up to 31 mph were recorded at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in nearby Hamilton, about 17 miles away, but then died down, said Dave Nicosia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Binghamton. By 3 a.m., the winds in Hamilton were 10 mph, with gusts up to 17 mph.
“The winds certainly are going to be stronger higher up. I don’t know what it takes to knock one of them (windmills) down. Probably not 40 mph winds. That’s not a terribly unusual wind,” Nicosia said.
Fenner Supervisor Rusell Cary said he was informed about the collapse this morning by Steve Pike, Enel's project manager for the site.
Pike said when the tower fell it activated an alarm at a substation on Peterboro Road. Workers came to Buyea Road and discovered the windmill down.
By midday, officials had set up a wooden barracade at the foot of the gravel road that leads from Buyea Road to the disabled mill. Curiosity seekers drove past and some snapped photos of the downed tower and its now mangled vanes.
The 20 windmills in the Fenner wind farm were erected in 2001 atop a majestic hill. The project cost $34 million. At the time, it was the largest wind-energy facility in the Eastern United States. It no longer is the largest, but when all the blades are spinning, the farm's turbines provide enough electricity for 10,000 homes.
The windmills are the biggest landmarks, and a tourist attraction, in Fenner, a town with about 2,000 residents where farming remains the main occupation.
The toppled windmill stood 212 feet from the ground to the center hub, 329 feet to the tip of a blade at its full height. By comparison, the 23-story State Tower Building, the tallest in downtown Syracuse, is 315 feet high. The windmill's tower is made of steel and the blades of fiberglass.
Sennott said Enel shut down its 19 other windmills in Fenner after discovering Turbine 18 on the ground. Enel’s other windmill farms remain in operation today in Minnesota, Kansas, Texas and Newfoundland. Officials at those operations were made aware of the problem in Fenner, Sennott said.
"I wouldn't speculate on anything," Cary said when asked why he thought the windmill went down. "We don't know what the issue is. I'm just hoping we can learn from it."
Bob Stinson, a resident of South Road near Fenner, said it sounded like "a sonic boom" when the windmill toppled.
"I felt it. It shook the house. It woke me up," Stinson said
"It sounded like thunder and lightning," said DeKing, of 5206 Buyea Road in this rural town east of Cazenovia. But it wasn't until daylight that DeKing learned what had caused the noise: The 187 ton windmill across the road from his house had fallen over and lay sprawled in the cornfield in which it stood.
The 200-foot-plus structure is one of 20 windmills that generate electricity at the Fenner Wind Farm operated by Enel North America.
Officials from Enel's headquarters in Massachusetts began arriving in Fenner around 3 p.m. to begin investigating the incident.
“I don’t think we have any idea what happened at this point,” company spokesman Hank Sennott said.
The company will conduct a thorough investigation into the “highly unusual occurrence,” he said. He said he does not think there’s any possibility sabotage caused the windmill to topple.
Sennott said he believes this is the only one of Enel's 260 turbines in the United States and Canada to fall. He estimated the replacement cost at $2 million to $3 million.
It's unlikely that high winds knocked over the windmill. Winds gust up to 31 mph were recorded at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in nearby Hamilton, about 17 miles away, but then died down, said Dave Nicosia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Binghamton. By 3 a.m., the winds in Hamilton were 10 mph, with gusts up to 17 mph.
“The winds certainly are going to be stronger higher up. I don’t know what it takes to knock one of them (windmills) down. Probably not 40 mph winds. That’s not a terribly unusual wind,” Nicosia said.
Fenner Supervisor Rusell Cary said he was informed about the collapse this morning by Steve Pike, Enel's project manager for the site.
Pike said when the tower fell it activated an alarm at a substation on Peterboro Road. Workers came to Buyea Road and discovered the windmill down.
By midday, officials had set up a wooden barracade at the foot of the gravel road that leads from Buyea Road to the disabled mill. Curiosity seekers drove past and some snapped photos of the downed tower and its now mangled vanes.
The 20 windmills in the Fenner wind farm were erected in 2001 atop a majestic hill. The project cost $34 million. At the time, it was the largest wind-energy facility in the Eastern United States. It no longer is the largest, but when all the blades are spinning, the farm's turbines provide enough electricity for 10,000 homes.
The windmills are the biggest landmarks, and a tourist attraction, in Fenner, a town with about 2,000 residents where farming remains the main occupation.
The toppled windmill stood 212 feet from the ground to the center hub, 329 feet to the tip of a blade at its full height. By comparison, the 23-story State Tower Building, the tallest in downtown Syracuse, is 315 feet high. The windmill's tower is made of steel and the blades of fiberglass.
Sennott said Enel shut down its 19 other windmills in Fenner after discovering Turbine 18 on the ground. Enel’s other windmill farms remain in operation today in Minnesota, Kansas, Texas and Newfoundland. Officials at those operations were made aware of the problem in Fenner, Sennott said.
"I wouldn't speculate on anything," Cary said when asked why he thought the windmill went down. "We don't know what the issue is. I'm just hoping we can learn from it."
Bob Stinson, a resident of South Road near Fenner, said it sounded like "a sonic boom" when the windmill toppled.
"I felt it. It shook the house. It woke me up," Stinson said
Windmill Hits the Ground by Martha E. Conway
A windmill on Buyea Road in the Fenner Wind Farm Project hit the ground Sunday morning. The collapsed equipment was discovered Dec. 27 by staff of Enel North America, the Andover, Mass., company that owns the project, while doing routine monitoring of their equipment.
Town of Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said he doesn’t know whether the problem was discovered through the wind farm’s extensive computer monitoring system or by physical rounds, but he said nobody was injured in the collapse.
“This is an example of something that went right,” Cary said of the lack of casualties in the incident. “You can have all the experts in the world conduct all the studies in a lab, but the real learning happens in the field.”
Cary said planning precautions implemented prior to the construction of the wind farm in 2001 required certain setbacks and “collapse distances” to prevent damage to surrounding structures and town infrastructure in the event of an equipment failure.
“They will learn something from this,” Cary said. “And you want to learn as much as you can so there is no impact if something goes wrong.”
He said the windmill fell within the anticipated zone and about a half-mile from any roadway.
“Once it started to fall, gravity took over,” Cary said, explaining that fears of windmill debris scattering to the four winds and injuring property or people are unfounded. “There’s a big dent in the cornfield. That’s the extent of the damage.”
As of press time, Cary said Enel crews were en route to conduct a full investigation.
About the Fenner Wind Farm
The Fenner Windpower Project consists of 20 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 1.5 megawatts for a total installed capacity of 30 megawatts. Each wind turbine generator consists of a concrete foundation, a 213-foot-tall tubular steel tower, a 231-foot diameter, three-bladed rotor connected to a gearbox and generator, and an electrical control center to automatically operate the system.
The towers are 13.5 feet in diameter at the base and 8.5 feet at the top. The total height of each tower with blade extended is 328 feet; each blade is 113 feet long.
Each turbine weighs 380,000 pounds; the concrete foundation for each tower weighs more than 610,000 pounds. Access to the top of the tower is made by use of a vertical ladder located inside each tower.
The project is located in the town of Fenner, about 20 miles east of Syracuse in Madison County. The project encompasses about 2,000 acres of leased land running from the intersection of Mile Strip and Bellinger Roads in the North to the intersection of Buyea and East Roads in the south.
Two additional wind turbines and the electrical substation are located south of the intersection of Peterboro and Rouses roads, east of the main project site. Electricity produced by the windmills is transmitted to the National Grid power grid.
Construction began in June 2001 and was completed in November of that year.
The Fenner Wind Farm will be featured again on the History Channel’s Modern Marvels: Renewable Energy, replaying Jan. 24 at 9 p.m.
Town of Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said he doesn’t know whether the problem was discovered through the wind farm’s extensive computer monitoring system or by physical rounds, but he said nobody was injured in the collapse.
“This is an example of something that went right,” Cary said of the lack of casualties in the incident. “You can have all the experts in the world conduct all the studies in a lab, but the real learning happens in the field.”
Cary said planning precautions implemented prior to the construction of the wind farm in 2001 required certain setbacks and “collapse distances” to prevent damage to surrounding structures and town infrastructure in the event of an equipment failure.
“They will learn something from this,” Cary said. “And you want to learn as much as you can so there is no impact if something goes wrong.”
He said the windmill fell within the anticipated zone and about a half-mile from any roadway.
“Once it started to fall, gravity took over,” Cary said, explaining that fears of windmill debris scattering to the four winds and injuring property or people are unfounded. “There’s a big dent in the cornfield. That’s the extent of the damage.”
As of press time, Cary said Enel crews were en route to conduct a full investigation.
About the Fenner Wind Farm
The Fenner Windpower Project consists of 20 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 1.5 megawatts for a total installed capacity of 30 megawatts. Each wind turbine generator consists of a concrete foundation, a 213-foot-tall tubular steel tower, a 231-foot diameter, three-bladed rotor connected to a gearbox and generator, and an electrical control center to automatically operate the system.
The towers are 13.5 feet in diameter at the base and 8.5 feet at the top. The total height of each tower with blade extended is 328 feet; each blade is 113 feet long.
Each turbine weighs 380,000 pounds; the concrete foundation for each tower weighs more than 610,000 pounds. Access to the top of the tower is made by use of a vertical ladder located inside each tower.
The project is located in the town of Fenner, about 20 miles east of Syracuse in Madison County. The project encompasses about 2,000 acres of leased land running from the intersection of Mile Strip and Bellinger Roads in the North to the intersection of Buyea and East Roads in the south.
Two additional wind turbines and the electrical substation are located south of the intersection of Peterboro and Rouses roads, east of the main project site. Electricity produced by the windmills is transmitted to the National Grid power grid.
Construction began in June 2001 and was completed in November of that year.
The Fenner Wind Farm will be featured again on the History Channel’s Modern Marvels: Renewable Energy, replaying Jan. 24 at 9 p.m.
Turbine falls at Fenner wind farm
Fenner, Madison County (WSYR-TV) – A turbine at the Fenner wind farm has toppled, and engineers are on the scene trying to figure out how it happened.
The tower, which is more than 200 feet long, is located just off Buyea Road, and is one of 20 generating electricity.
"I was turning over in bed and it sounded like a big clap of thunder" said Jill Van Allen, who lives across the street. "I was waiting to see the lightning through my bedroom window (but didn't)".
Fenner Town Supervisor Russ Cary was notified by company officials at Enel North America, which owns the farm. He tells us Enel did not have any answers as to how it happened, but adds, the towers were built a distance away from homes for this very reason-that if they collapse, they won't do any harm.
(Click to view video)
(Click to view second video)
Windmill falls at Fenner wind farm
Fenner, Madison County (WSYR-TV) – A windmill at the Fenner wind farm has toppled over, Town Supervisor Russell Cary confirmed Sunday morning.
The wind farm is owned by Enel North America, based in Massachusetts, and includes 20 windmills. The farm is serviced by a local team based in Cazenovia.
NewsChannel 9 has a crew preparing to travel to Fenner and we will bring you updates as soon as they become available.
The wind farm is owned by Enel North America, based in Massachusetts, and includes 20 windmills. The farm is serviced by a local team based in Cazenovia.
NewsChannel 9 has a crew preparing to travel to Fenner and we will bring you updates as soon as they become available.
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