CLAYTON — Supporters of Horse Creek Wind Farm submitted a petition to make it more difficult for the Town Council to pass a zoning law that would contain more restrictions on wind-power development.
If found to be valid, the protest petition forces a requirement for a supermajority, or four votes, to pass the amended law, as opposed to the normal majority, or three votes.
The petition includes signatures from more than 60 owners of more than 12,000 acres of property in the town.
Kevin J. Forkey, who leads support for the project, said those who are in favor of wind projects are often the "silent majority."
"The level of support is dramatic," he said. "The opposition is a small percentage that is very vocal, outspoken and well-organized. Supporters tend to be more quiet, withdrawn and not as outspoken."
Allowance for the protest petition is in Town Law Article 16, Section 265, which deals with changing zoning laws. The section has several requirements for accepting such a petition, but it states primarily that if a petition contains the signatures of the owners of 20 percent of the land affected by the proposed change, the change must be passed by a supermajority of the five-member council, or four votes.
Jefferson County told the town there are 11,095 acres of land in the town's wind overlay district, Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said in an e-mail.
The petition, submitted at the council's meeting Wednesday night, includes properties both in and outside of the district.
"We're well over the requirement," Mr. Forkey said. "We have between 60 and 75 percent of the land signed."
Mr. Taylor said Friday that the town assessor is checking the parcel numbers and acreage to validate them.
The council will have a public hearing on the revised zoning law at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Clayton Opera House. But the members won't vote then — they'll decide when to cast a vote.
"We want to give the board the opportunity to ponder the comments from the public," Mr. Taylor said. "I would want it to be sooner rather than later."
Mr. Forkey will speak for the supporters of the project, who oppose the zoning law changes. John W. Jepma, who was a member of the town's wind committee that formulated the changes, will speak for supporters of the changes. Each will be given 20 minutes.
"I will try to make a very difficult decision for my town board into a very easy decision for my town board," Mr. Forkey said. "I hope I have convinced the board that the whole town would benefit from the project."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Howard Wind Project On Hold
Construction of 25 giant turbines will not start as scheduled
Howard Town Supervisor Don Evia tells WLEA/WCKR news that the Howard Everpower Wind Project has been put on hold for the time being. According to Evia, there is no set official date for when the project will be started up again.
Construction was set to begin next month, but apparently it has been called off for the moment. No reason has been advanced so far for the delay. It is not believed that complaints from residents is causing the delay since those complaints have been ignored thus far by town officials.
Howard Town Supervisor Don Evia tells WLEA/WCKR news that the Howard Everpower Wind Project has been put on hold for the time being. According to Evia, there is no set official date for when the project will be started up again.
Construction was set to begin next month, but apparently it has been called off for the moment. No reason has been advanced so far for the delay. It is not believed that complaints from residents is causing the delay since those complaints have been ignored thus far by town officials.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wind developer to start outreach group
CAPE VINCENT — St. Lawrence Wind Farm's developer has a new community outreach initiative.
Acciona Wind Energy USA will set up a community relations group with 10 to 15 officials and residents.
"We've had our office open to provide people with information for more than three years," said Peter E. Zedick, project manager. "As we progress toward the end of the SEQR process, we will step up our work to have an open dialog with our community."
SEQR is the state environmental quality review process. Acciona is preparing the final environmental impact statement for the 53-turbine, 79.5-megawatt St. Lawrence Wind Farm in the town's northern agricultural district.
"The group will represent a variety of different viewpoints across the community," he said. "It will help us make sure we're sharing all the information we can with the community."
The developer has invited officials from the Cape Vincent, Lyme and Jefferson County governments, as well as wind support and opposition groups.
The developer plans to meet within the next month and have several meetings this year with a moderator from the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College, Watertown.
"The meetings will be private, but we'll provide minutes to the public," Mr. Zedick said.
The group will determine whether to continue with meetings next year.
"If the feedback is positive from the working group, we'll keep going," he said.
Acciona Wind Energy USA will set up a community relations group with 10 to 15 officials and residents.
"We've had our office open to provide people with information for more than three years," said Peter E. Zedick, project manager. "As we progress toward the end of the SEQR process, we will step up our work to have an open dialog with our community."
SEQR is the state environmental quality review process. Acciona is preparing the final environmental impact statement for the 53-turbine, 79.5-megawatt St. Lawrence Wind Farm in the town's northern agricultural district.
"The group will represent a variety of different viewpoints across the community," he said. "It will help us make sure we're sharing all the information we can with the community."
The developer has invited officials from the Cape Vincent, Lyme and Jefferson County governments, as well as wind support and opposition groups.
The developer plans to meet within the next month and have several meetings this year with a moderator from the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College, Watertown.
"The meetings will be private, but we'll provide minutes to the public," Mr. Zedick said.
The group will determine whether to continue with meetings next year.
"If the feedback is positive from the working group, we'll keep going," he said.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Buffalo must investigate wind turbine syndrome
As Buffalo considers the “benefits” of erecting wind turbines within city limits, it must openly and objectively assess the negative consequences. The presence of 400-foot-tall towers will impact community character and scenic vistas. The noise created by wind turbines will be a nuisance. Most troubling, however, is the growing body of medical research establishing that infrasound produced by wind turbines, that is, the low frequency “noise” or vibration that we cannot hear, adversely affects human health.
Dr. Nina Pierpont, an upstate New York physician and scientist, has extensively studied the often debilitating symptoms experienced by adults and children living near large industrial wind turbines. The symptoms, which Pierpont calls “wind turbine syndrome,” include sleep disturbance, headache, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, ringing in the ear, visual blurring, rapid heart rate and problems with concentration and memory.
She has concluded that low-frequency noise or vibration produced by wind turbines tricks the body’s balance system into thinking it is moving. People with a prior history of migraines, motion sickness or inner-ear damage are especially vulnerable to “wind turbine syndrome.”
The medical community, nationally and internationally, is taking Pierpont’s research and findings seriously. Buffalo officials must do the same.
Arthur J. Giacalone
Dr. Nina Pierpont, an upstate New York physician and scientist, has extensively studied the often debilitating symptoms experienced by adults and children living near large industrial wind turbines. The symptoms, which Pierpont calls “wind turbine syndrome,” include sleep disturbance, headache, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, ringing in the ear, visual blurring, rapid heart rate and problems with concentration and memory.
She has concluded that low-frequency noise or vibration produced by wind turbines tricks the body’s balance system into thinking it is moving. People with a prior history of migraines, motion sickness or inner-ear damage are especially vulnerable to “wind turbine syndrome.”
The medical community, nationally and internationally, is taking Pierpont’s research and findings seriously. Buffalo officials must do the same.
Arthur J. Giacalone
Wind farm going up off Wolfe Island
48,000 ACRES IN WATER: Canadian company subsidiary is awarded contract by Ontario Power Authority
CAPE VINCENT — More turbines are coming.
Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals Inc. was awarded a contract with the Ontario Power Authority to buy power from a 300-megawatt wind project in the waters west of Wolfe Island.
The company is a subsidiary of Windstream Energy Inc., Burlington, Ontario.
Windstream President Ian Baines founded Canadian Renewable Energy Corp., the original developer of the 86-turbine, 197.8-megawatt Wolfe Island Wind Project, across the St. Lawrence River from here.
"Wolfe Island is one of the windiest areas of the province and has proven local support for wind development," Mr. Baines said in a press release.
The project will cover about 48,000 acres in water 10 to 20 feet deep.
"We're looking at a range of sizes and manufacturers now," said Nancy E. Baines, wife of Ian and director of finance and administration for Windstream.
The two graduated from Queen's University. After starting work on the original Wolfe Island project, Mr. Baines sold the project to Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. The wind project is now owned and operated by TransAlta Energy Corp.
The project must be built within the next four years under the contract. Engineers must complete a wind study, environmental assessment and engineering designs. They also need to acquire the rights to use the land from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
"We're mobilizing the forces," she said.
The contract with the Ontario Power Authority gives renewable energy projects guaranteed prices for electricity for 20 years. The feed-in tariff program will lead to 18.5 cents per kilowatt hour from the offshore project, Mrs. Baines said.
The market price for electricity in Ontario is currently 3.44 cents per kilowatt hour, reported The Globe and Mail, Toronto, on Thursday.
The Ontario government awarded contracts just over $8 billion for solar and wind projects.
"We're absolutely thrilled to receive the contract," Mrs. Baines said. "It was the largest award and the only offshore wind project included."
Windstream is developing other projects in Ontario, British Columbia and Wyoming.
CAPE VINCENT — More turbines are coming.
Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals Inc. was awarded a contract with the Ontario Power Authority to buy power from a 300-megawatt wind project in the waters west of Wolfe Island.
The company is a subsidiary of Windstream Energy Inc., Burlington, Ontario.
Windstream President Ian Baines founded Canadian Renewable Energy Corp., the original developer of the 86-turbine, 197.8-megawatt Wolfe Island Wind Project, across the St. Lawrence River from here.
"Wolfe Island is one of the windiest areas of the province and has proven local support for wind development," Mr. Baines said in a press release.
The project will cover about 48,000 acres in water 10 to 20 feet deep.
"We're looking at a range of sizes and manufacturers now," said Nancy E. Baines, wife of Ian and director of finance and administration for Windstream.
The two graduated from Queen's University. After starting work on the original Wolfe Island project, Mr. Baines sold the project to Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. The wind project is now owned and operated by TransAlta Energy Corp.
The project must be built within the next four years under the contract. Engineers must complete a wind study, environmental assessment and engineering designs. They also need to acquire the rights to use the land from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
"We're mobilizing the forces," she said.
The contract with the Ontario Power Authority gives renewable energy projects guaranteed prices for electricity for 20 years. The feed-in tariff program will lead to 18.5 cents per kilowatt hour from the offshore project, Mrs. Baines said.
The market price for electricity in Ontario is currently 3.44 cents per kilowatt hour, reported The Globe and Mail, Toronto, on Thursday.
The Ontario government awarded contracts just over $8 billion for solar and wind projects.
"We're absolutely thrilled to receive the contract," Mrs. Baines said. "It was the largest award and the only offshore wind project included."
Windstream is developing other projects in Ontario, British Columbia and Wyoming.
Project would build offshore wind farms
Such a project could create jobs in a state that desperately needs them, said Richard Kessel, president of the power authority. Kessel spoke to more than 150 businesspeople at Monroe Community College, where the authority held a business-to-business conference titled "Get Listed."
The purpose was to educate subcontractors who could help the eventual developer build as many as 200 wind turbines in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. The offshore wind farm was proposed by NYPA in 2009, and proposals from developers are due June 1.
NYPA officials said it's possible that a developer could be chosen by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2011. It was disclosed at the conference that at least six bidders from across the globe have expressed interest in developing the offshore wind facility.
Kessel said the authority will give preference to developers who promise to use local labor and local manufacturing sites. To help with the process, NYPA is holding the Get Listed conferences. A February meeting in Buffalo drew 200 business representatives.
Kessel said there is plenty of potential work, as tall wind turbines can have as many as 8,000 parts. That possibility attracted Timothy Ehmann and Mike Nowicki, officials with O'Connell Electric Co. in Victor, who said they have the experience of working on a majority of New York's existing land-based wind farms.
"We'd like to align ourselves with a developer," said Nowicki, O'Connell's business development manager. "We're looking to put our (employees) to work."
NYPA officials said the proposed offshore project could create as many as 800 manufacturing and installation jobs over two years, and lead to as many as 80 permanent jobs. The establishment of North America's first offshore wind farm could also work as a magnet, as other states begin to build such projects using western New York materials and experience.
The wind farm proposal has created a stir in communities along the Erie and Ontario shorelines — except in the Rochester area, where it's been largely a nonissue. But the MCC event still drew some skeptics, some of whom made their way north from Steuben County.
James Hall of Cohocton, of Citizen Power Alliance, said the wind turbines produce only a fraction of their capacity. "If you don't have the wind, you shouldn't do it, especially with public monies," said Hall.
Kessel, who has seen some county legislatures express skepticism and even adopt resolutions against having the project in nearby waters, said counties that don't want a wind farm won't have to worry about it.
The wind project won't go near their county, but legislators will have to explain why the job creation also left with the wind turbines, he said.
The purpose was to educate subcontractors who could help the eventual developer build as many as 200 wind turbines in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. The offshore wind farm was proposed by NYPA in 2009, and proposals from developers are due June 1.
NYPA officials said it's possible that a developer could be chosen by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2011. It was disclosed at the conference that at least six bidders from across the globe have expressed interest in developing the offshore wind facility.
Kessel said the authority will give preference to developers who promise to use local labor and local manufacturing sites. To help with the process, NYPA is holding the Get Listed conferences. A February meeting in Buffalo drew 200 business representatives.
Kessel said there is plenty of potential work, as tall wind turbines can have as many as 8,000 parts. That possibility attracted Timothy Ehmann and Mike Nowicki, officials with O'Connell Electric Co. in Victor, who said they have the experience of working on a majority of New York's existing land-based wind farms.
"We'd like to align ourselves with a developer," said Nowicki, O'Connell's business development manager. "We're looking to put our (employees) to work."
NYPA officials said the proposed offshore project could create as many as 800 manufacturing and installation jobs over two years, and lead to as many as 80 permanent jobs. The establishment of North America's first offshore wind farm could also work as a magnet, as other states begin to build such projects using western New York materials and experience.
The wind farm proposal has created a stir in communities along the Erie and Ontario shorelines — except in the Rochester area, where it's been largely a nonissue. But the MCC event still drew some skeptics, some of whom made their way north from Steuben County.
James Hall of Cohocton, of Citizen Power Alliance, said the wind turbines produce only a fraction of their capacity. "If you don't have the wind, you shouldn't do it, especially with public monies," said Hall.
Kessel, who has seen some county legislatures express skepticism and even adopt resolutions against having the project in nearby waters, said counties that don't want a wind farm won't have to worry about it.
The wind project won't go near their county, but legislators will have to explain why the job creation also left with the wind turbines, he said.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wind turbines in Lake Ontario?
The Great Lakes are one of the great wonders of the world with natural beauty second to none. The question is -- would adding as many as 160 windmills in the lake change that?
The New York Power Authority held a public session today to gauge interest in wind power among Rochester-area business.
The Power Authority's Great Lakes Off Shore Wind project includes possible locations in our area -- in Webster and Sodus. The giant windmills would be about two and-a-half miles off shore but the local charter boat association -- 63 fishing boat captains -- have voted unanimously against the idea.
Fishing Boat Captain Sam Zucco said, “We're worried about how it's going to affect tourism and the fishing in the area and most of all, the safety of the boaters out in the lake.”
The Power Authority's CEO says it's clean energy, economic development, hundreds and perhaps thousands of jobs. But it won't be shoved down anyone's throat. Jefferson and Oswego counties have already come out against it off their shores.
New York Power Authority CEO Richard Kessel said, “There are so many communities that want it. We've got counties like Erie County and Niagara County who are begging for this project. Why would we want to put it somewhere where it's not wanted?”
The Webster supervisor says he hasn't gotten any calls against it yet but he's concerned about the migrating bird population that settles in Webster in the spring. The giant towers are their whirling blades have been known to affect birds. Supervisor Ron Nesbitt said, “If you have those windmills there, they are going to stop the birds from migrating across Lake Ontario going up to Canada.”
Carlos Dachary lives along the lake in Webster and would not be opposed. “I think everyone is going to have their own opinion. Some people look at them as an eyesore or noisy. There's many, many knocks on the technology but it's a resource that we can't ignore.”
The fishing boat captains also worry about the windmills being a hazard to boats during times of fog and thunderstorms.
The Power Authority is taking bids from private energy companies. The authority says windmills in lakes Erie and Ontario are about five years away.
The New York Power Authority held a public session today to gauge interest in wind power among Rochester-area business.
The Power Authority's Great Lakes Off Shore Wind project includes possible locations in our area -- in Webster and Sodus. The giant windmills would be about two and-a-half miles off shore but the local charter boat association -- 63 fishing boat captains -- have voted unanimously against the idea.
Fishing Boat Captain Sam Zucco said, “We're worried about how it's going to affect tourism and the fishing in the area and most of all, the safety of the boaters out in the lake.”
The Power Authority's CEO says it's clean energy, economic development, hundreds and perhaps thousands of jobs. But it won't be shoved down anyone's throat. Jefferson and Oswego counties have already come out against it off their shores.
New York Power Authority CEO Richard Kessel said, “There are so many communities that want it. We've got counties like Erie County and Niagara County who are begging for this project. Why would we want to put it somewhere where it's not wanted?”
The Webster supervisor says he hasn't gotten any calls against it yet but he's concerned about the migrating bird population that settles in Webster in the spring. The giant towers are their whirling blades have been known to affect birds. Supervisor Ron Nesbitt said, “If you have those windmills there, they are going to stop the birds from migrating across Lake Ontario going up to Canada.”
Carlos Dachary lives along the lake in Webster and would not be opposed. “I think everyone is going to have their own opinion. Some people look at them as an eyesore or noisy. There's many, many knocks on the technology but it's a resource that we can't ignore.”
The fishing boat captains also worry about the windmills being a hazard to boats during times of fog and thunderstorms.
The Power Authority is taking bids from private energy companies. The authority says windmills in lakes Erie and Ontario are about five years away.
Fenner windmill collapse report due this month
FENNER — Enel North America expects to release the findings of an investigation into the collapse of Turbine 18 at the Fenner Wind Farm this month.
The 187-ton turbine off Buyea Road fell in the early morning hours of Dec. 27, causing the 20-turbine wind farm to systematically shut down.
Enel, General Electric and Mortenson Construction — the company that installed the foundation of the turbine — have been involved in the investigation of the collapse, Enel Spokesman Hank Sennott said.
“We’re being very cautious here for a lot of reasons,” Sennott said. “This is the first time, as far as we know, that a turbine has failed in this particular manner.”
Of the 260 Enel-owned turbines in the United State and Canada, Fenner’s is the only one to collapse, he said.
The towering 329-foot tall turbine did not break at any point along its structure, Sennott said, but instead came detached from the foundation.
“As far we know, that’s never happened before,” he said. “As a company, we’ve never experienced a turbine failure so this is something new to us.”
The collapse could have been a result of a defect in construction or simply a fluke, he said.
“We just don’t know at this point,” he said.
Since the failure of Turbine 18, the farm has been shut down, unable to produce energy.
“In the abundance of caution, we decided we should probably just look at them all,” Sennott said of the investigation.
Surrounding soil will be studied in the investigation to see if it has changed since the farm’s inception in 2001.
Borings of the foundation, concrete and support materials will also be examined by an outside lab, Sennott said.
“Just to be exceedingly cautious, we felt that until we knew what happened to Turbine 18, it wasn’t the appropriate thing to do, so we opted to wait,” Sennott said.
Since the collapse, the surrounding area around the base of each turbine has been fenced off. Sennott said this will be a temporary measure.
“We just want to be careful,” he said. “In general, people shouldn’t stop their cars and go stand under one anyway.”
The $34 million farm is covered by insurance and the fallen turbine has been projected to cost several million dollars to replace.
While the company searches for answers, Sennott said revenue is taking a hit from the loss of energy production.
The Fenner Wind Farm has been estimated to produce enough energy to provide electricity to 10,000 homes.
Sennott explained that Enel does not have a purchasing contract with any utility companies and instead sells its production on an as-needed basis.
“I praise them for what they’re doing,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said. “They’re losing a lot of money but they’re holding the farm down. You learn more when things go wrong than when things go right.”
According to Cary, the wind farm is still making payments on a 15-year pilot program in lieu of taxes. It will be on the full tax roll by 2016.
“Once the capital project is done they have a good profit margin,” he said. “Now you have an industry that can stay here and amount to something.”
The 187-ton turbine off Buyea Road fell in the early morning hours of Dec. 27, causing the 20-turbine wind farm to systematically shut down.
Enel, General Electric and Mortenson Construction — the company that installed the foundation of the turbine — have been involved in the investigation of the collapse, Enel Spokesman Hank Sennott said.
“We’re being very cautious here for a lot of reasons,” Sennott said. “This is the first time, as far as we know, that a turbine has failed in this particular manner.”
Of the 260 Enel-owned turbines in the United State and Canada, Fenner’s is the only one to collapse, he said.
The towering 329-foot tall turbine did not break at any point along its structure, Sennott said, but instead came detached from the foundation.
“As far we know, that’s never happened before,” he said. “As a company, we’ve never experienced a turbine failure so this is something new to us.”
The collapse could have been a result of a defect in construction or simply a fluke, he said.
“We just don’t know at this point,” he said.
Since the failure of Turbine 18, the farm has been shut down, unable to produce energy.
“In the abundance of caution, we decided we should probably just look at them all,” Sennott said of the investigation.
Surrounding soil will be studied in the investigation to see if it has changed since the farm’s inception in 2001.
Borings of the foundation, concrete and support materials will also be examined by an outside lab, Sennott said.
“Just to be exceedingly cautious, we felt that until we knew what happened to Turbine 18, it wasn’t the appropriate thing to do, so we opted to wait,” Sennott said.
Since the collapse, the surrounding area around the base of each turbine has been fenced off. Sennott said this will be a temporary measure.
“We just want to be careful,” he said. “In general, people shouldn’t stop their cars and go stand under one anyway.”
The $34 million farm is covered by insurance and the fallen turbine has been projected to cost several million dollars to replace.
While the company searches for answers, Sennott said revenue is taking a hit from the loss of energy production.
The Fenner Wind Farm has been estimated to produce enough energy to provide electricity to 10,000 homes.
Sennott explained that Enel does not have a purchasing contract with any utility companies and instead sells its production on an as-needed basis.
“I praise them for what they’re doing,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said. “They’re losing a lot of money but they’re holding the farm down. You learn more when things go wrong than when things go right.”
According to Cary, the wind farm is still making payments on a 15-year pilot program in lieu of taxes. It will be on the full tax roll by 2016.
“Once the capital project is done they have a good profit margin,” he said. “Now you have an industry that can stay here and amount to something.”
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Wind farm plans on Lake Ontario
The New York Power Authority's proposal to locate wind farms in the waters of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie has created a stir in communities all along the two lakes' shorelines — except in the Rochester area, where it's been largely a nonissue.
That may be about to change.
Power Authority officials are due in Rochester on Monday to pitch their year-old plan to local businesses and the local media, a move likely to focus attention on the issue. At the same time, at least a few local fishing and boating aficionados have begun to speak out against the proposal, under which as many as 200 turbines might be built a few miles off the Monroe and Wayne county shoreline in Lake Ontario, and hundreds more elsewhere in New York's two Great Lakes.
Members of the Genesee Charter Boat Association, for instance, met last week and passionately voiced concerns that offshore wind turbines would have a negative impact on tourism, navigation safety and Lake Ontario's multimillion-dollar sport fishing industry. They intend to ask Monroe County legislators to go on record against the idea.
"It would be a shame to ruin this great natural resource with windmills," said association president Sam Zucco, who operates Dream Catcher Charters. "People come from all over to fish here. It's not just the fishing they enjoy, it's the serenity and peacefulness of the lake. I don't think they want to be looking at hundreds of windmills."
These same sentiments have become commonplace in the counties east of Rochester.
Lawmakers in three of those counties — Wayne, Oswego and Jefferson — voted in March by a combined 49 to 4 to express opposition to the Power Authority plan.
To the west, political leaders in Erie and Niagara counties have endorsed the plan, citing its potential green-energy and economic benefits to a project whose construction budget could easily surpass $1 billion. At week's end, 87 Erie and Niagara companies had signed on a public registry of firms interested in working on the project as contractors or subcontractors.
Only 13 Monroe County companies have followed suit, though authority officials will try to recruit more at a business-oriented information session Monday at Monroe Community College
But to date, there's been no legislative action in Monroe County, and little public discussion by elected officials.
"I know it's been a bigger deal in those counties. It hasn't been a real issue in Monroe yet," said Dan Quatro, the Republican majority leader in the Monroe County Legislature who represents a shoreline town, Webster, and serves on the county fishery advisory board. "I have only received one constituent e-mail on it. They were against it. That was quite honestly the first I've heard of the issue."
Officials in towns on the Lake Ontario shoreline have said in recent weeks that they'd had virtually no feedback, pro or con, from residents.
Fishery board president Daniel Walding said the Power Authority proposal hasn't been fully discussed at meetings yet.
A spokesman for Mayor Robert Duffy, Gary Walker, said Thursday that city officials are awaiting more information on the proposal before giving it a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
"The county's taking the lead on it. When they get some more information about the nature of this thing, they're going to fill us in and we'll make a decision then," Walker said.
A spokesman for County Executive Maggie Brooks, Noah Lebowitz, said Friday that county officials are planning to meet in coming days with the authority. "We're very early on in the process. I assume somewhere down the road we'll come to a conclusion," he said.
Power Authority president and chief executive Richard M. Kessel has promised that wind turbines would not be built where they're not welcomed by the local community. But he also has urged people to keep an open mind until proposals are submitted by would-be developers.
Those proposals, due June 1, should lay out the location and size of possible wind farms, as well as many other details.
The authority has roughed out areas in the lakes that it considers suitable for wind turbines. One zone, a few miles off the eastern Monroe County shoreline, could accommodate up to 100 turbines or so, according to data published by the authority. Another zone off eastern Wayne County could handle as many as 125 more.
Maps also show a smaller zone off Niagara County and a much larger one at Lake Ontario's eastern end. The largest zone of all is at Lake Erie's eastern end.
Though these might be the best areas in terms of water depth and other factors, developers can propose building in other locations, the authority has said.
The location could be key to the turbines' acceptability to sailors. Keith Burhans, vice commodore at the Rochester Yacht Club, which hosts a variety of national and international sailing races, said courses are generally set up a mile to 2 ½ miles offshore. "If 500 windmills are spread over the length of the lake, density isn't a great problem," Burhans said. "But if they are lined up a mile around Rochester, that's a big problem. Anything fixed in the water is a hazard to navigation."
Sam Dattilo, owner of Advocate Charters and a director of the charter captain's association, said "there's no question they would be a hindrance to navigation, for all boaters, especially at night.
"How do you navigate around windmills?" he said. "It could be very dangerous for us, especially with customers on board."
That may be about to change.
Power Authority officials are due in Rochester on Monday to pitch their year-old plan to local businesses and the local media, a move likely to focus attention on the issue. At the same time, at least a few local fishing and boating aficionados have begun to speak out against the proposal, under which as many as 200 turbines might be built a few miles off the Monroe and Wayne county shoreline in Lake Ontario, and hundreds more elsewhere in New York's two Great Lakes.
Members of the Genesee Charter Boat Association, for instance, met last week and passionately voiced concerns that offshore wind turbines would have a negative impact on tourism, navigation safety and Lake Ontario's multimillion-dollar sport fishing industry. They intend to ask Monroe County legislators to go on record against the idea.
"It would be a shame to ruin this great natural resource with windmills," said association president Sam Zucco, who operates Dream Catcher Charters. "People come from all over to fish here. It's not just the fishing they enjoy, it's the serenity and peacefulness of the lake. I don't think they want to be looking at hundreds of windmills."
These same sentiments have become commonplace in the counties east of Rochester.
Lawmakers in three of those counties — Wayne, Oswego and Jefferson — voted in March by a combined 49 to 4 to express opposition to the Power Authority plan.
To the west, political leaders in Erie and Niagara counties have endorsed the plan, citing its potential green-energy and economic benefits to a project whose construction budget could easily surpass $1 billion. At week's end, 87 Erie and Niagara companies had signed on a public registry of firms interested in working on the project as contractors or subcontractors.
Only 13 Monroe County companies have followed suit, though authority officials will try to recruit more at a business-oriented information session Monday at Monroe Community College
But to date, there's been no legislative action in Monroe County, and little public discussion by elected officials.
"I know it's been a bigger deal in those counties. It hasn't been a real issue in Monroe yet," said Dan Quatro, the Republican majority leader in the Monroe County Legislature who represents a shoreline town, Webster, and serves on the county fishery advisory board. "I have only received one constituent e-mail on it. They were against it. That was quite honestly the first I've heard of the issue."
Officials in towns on the Lake Ontario shoreline have said in recent weeks that they'd had virtually no feedback, pro or con, from residents.
Fishery board president Daniel Walding said the Power Authority proposal hasn't been fully discussed at meetings yet.
A spokesman for Mayor Robert Duffy, Gary Walker, said Thursday that city officials are awaiting more information on the proposal before giving it a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
"The county's taking the lead on it. When they get some more information about the nature of this thing, they're going to fill us in and we'll make a decision then," Walker said.
A spokesman for County Executive Maggie Brooks, Noah Lebowitz, said Friday that county officials are planning to meet in coming days with the authority. "We're very early on in the process. I assume somewhere down the road we'll come to a conclusion," he said.
Power Authority president and chief executive Richard M. Kessel has promised that wind turbines would not be built where they're not welcomed by the local community. But he also has urged people to keep an open mind until proposals are submitted by would-be developers.
Those proposals, due June 1, should lay out the location and size of possible wind farms, as well as many other details.
The authority has roughed out areas in the lakes that it considers suitable for wind turbines. One zone, a few miles off the eastern Monroe County shoreline, could accommodate up to 100 turbines or so, according to data published by the authority. Another zone off eastern Wayne County could handle as many as 125 more.
Maps also show a smaller zone off Niagara County and a much larger one at Lake Ontario's eastern end. The largest zone of all is at Lake Erie's eastern end.
Though these might be the best areas in terms of water depth and other factors, developers can propose building in other locations, the authority has said.
The location could be key to the turbines' acceptability to sailors. Keith Burhans, vice commodore at the Rochester Yacht Club, which hosts a variety of national and international sailing races, said courses are generally set up a mile to 2 ½ miles offshore. "If 500 windmills are spread over the length of the lake, density isn't a great problem," Burhans said. "But if they are lined up a mile around Rochester, that's a big problem. Anything fixed in the water is a hazard to navigation."
Sam Dattilo, owner of Advocate Charters and a director of the charter captain's association, said "there's no question they would be a hindrance to navigation, for all boaters, especially at night.
"How do you navigate around windmills?" he said. "It could be very dangerous for us, especially with customers on board."
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Noble scraps plans for second wind farm
CHATEAUGAY — Noble Environmental Power has abandoned its plan to build a second wind farm in Chateaugay.
“We got a letter from Noble, saying they are discontinuing with Chateaugay II,” Town Supervisor Donald Bilow said Wednesday. “It’s because of the market.
“I know the price of power is very low, and I think that’s the main reason.”
COSTS ‘NOT JUSTIFIED’
The town received the letter Tuesday, which also includes an announcement on the cancellation of a 100.5-megawatt Noble Alleghany Wind Park project in western New York.
The company, which operates 71 towers at the Chateaugay I Wind Park, planned to build 13 more towers in Chateaugay to produce 19.5 megawatts of electricity for sale on the state power grid.
But after review of anticipated construction costs and factoring in continued payouts to easement holders and poor rates on power-production credits from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, “Noble has concluded that the ongoing carrying costs are not justified,” the letter states.
LOSS TO LANDOWNERS
The cancelation of the project affects not only the town but numerous landowners who had contracts with Noble.
Steven Carter said his family farm was looking forward to the extra cash that wind-farm easements would bring.
“It was only going to be 14 towers, but everybody here wanted it. But with electricity, the wholesale price dropped. It’s so cheap now.
“This (project) was something good, not just for the people who were going to have the easements. Everybody benefited from the lower taxes. The land and school taxes had dropped, so there were benefits to them.
“We really could’ve used them,” he said of the Chateaugay II towers. “But that’s the way it goes for dairy farmers. It’s not often they give us something up here, and now they snatch it away. “We will still get the lower taxes from the (Chateaugay I towers) Noble still has, but this would have been a little more,” Carter said.
“They don’t improve the skyline any, but (wind towers) sure help people with their taxes.”
BELLMONT SUSPENDED
The company says it is maintaining its development plans for 14 wind-energy towers at Noble Bellmont Windpark, but construction there is suspended until the economy improves.
“We continue to assess our development portfolio,” said Noble Chief Executive Officer Walter Howard, but the company is redirecting its focus from New York to projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maine and Texas.
Bilow said he was not surprised by the news, given the uncertainty of the global economy.
And because of that, the Town Council has been very cautious in its plans and expansion into wind-energy projects all along.
“I never anticipate anything until I see it,” the supervisor said. “We’ve moved slow on this.”
APRIL 6 MEETING
He said the topic will likely be discussed at the town’s next regular meeting on April 26.
Noble generates 612 megawatts of wind power in New York including 97.5 megawatts at Noble Altona Windpark, 100.5 at the Noble Clinton Windpark and 81 megawatts at the Noble Ellenburg Windpark.
“We got a letter from Noble, saying they are discontinuing with Chateaugay II,” Town Supervisor Donald Bilow said Wednesday. “It’s because of the market.
“I know the price of power is very low, and I think that’s the main reason.”
COSTS ‘NOT JUSTIFIED’
The town received the letter Tuesday, which also includes an announcement on the cancellation of a 100.5-megawatt Noble Alleghany Wind Park project in western New York.
The company, which operates 71 towers at the Chateaugay I Wind Park, planned to build 13 more towers in Chateaugay to produce 19.5 megawatts of electricity for sale on the state power grid.
But after review of anticipated construction costs and factoring in continued payouts to easement holders and poor rates on power-production credits from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, “Noble has concluded that the ongoing carrying costs are not justified,” the letter states.
LOSS TO LANDOWNERS
The cancelation of the project affects not only the town but numerous landowners who had contracts with Noble.
Steven Carter said his family farm was looking forward to the extra cash that wind-farm easements would bring.
“It was only going to be 14 towers, but everybody here wanted it. But with electricity, the wholesale price dropped. It’s so cheap now.
“This (project) was something good, not just for the people who were going to have the easements. Everybody benefited from the lower taxes. The land and school taxes had dropped, so there were benefits to them.
“We really could’ve used them,” he said of the Chateaugay II towers. “But that’s the way it goes for dairy farmers. It’s not often they give us something up here, and now they snatch it away. “We will still get the lower taxes from the (Chateaugay I towers) Noble still has, but this would have been a little more,” Carter said.
“They don’t improve the skyline any, but (wind towers) sure help people with their taxes.”
BELLMONT SUSPENDED
The company says it is maintaining its development plans for 14 wind-energy towers at Noble Bellmont Windpark, but construction there is suspended until the economy improves.
“We continue to assess our development portfolio,” said Noble Chief Executive Officer Walter Howard, but the company is redirecting its focus from New York to projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maine and Texas.
Bilow said he was not surprised by the news, given the uncertainty of the global economy.
And because of that, the Town Council has been very cautious in its plans and expansion into wind-energy projects all along.
“I never anticipate anything until I see it,” the supervisor said. “We’ve moved slow on this.”
APRIL 6 MEETING
He said the topic will likely be discussed at the town’s next regular meeting on April 26.
Noble generates 612 megawatts of wind power in New York including 97.5 megawatts at Noble Altona Windpark, 100.5 at the Noble Clinton Windpark and 81 megawatts at the Noble Ellenburg Windpark.
Wind farm planned in Allegany is scrapped
Noble Environmental is scrapping plans to build a 67-turbine wind farm in Allegany County, company officials said Thursday.
The cancellation of the 100.5- megawatt Noble Allegany wind park was blamed on low wholesale electricity prices, which have made it more difficult to justify the project’s costs at a time when the economy is weak and financing remains tight.
Maggy Wisniewski, a Noble spokeswoman, confirmed the cancellation of the project, which would have installed 55 turbines in the Town of Centerville and another 12 in the Town of Rushford.
“Noble has concluded that the ongoing carrying costs are not justified,” given the current anticipated price of electricity and the value of the renewable energy credits that Noble would be able to sell, demonstrating that the power came from a renewable energy resource, the company said in a statement.
Noble Environmental officials also cited development and construction costs in Western New York and the “nature of the market for long-term power purchase agreements” as additional factors that affected the viability of the Noble Allegany project.
At the same time, Noble Environmental said it is “evaluating future development” plans for its 94.5-megawatt Noble Ball Hill Windpark in the Town of Villenova in Chautauqua County.
Construction on the Noble Allegany project was supposed to begin last year but had been delayed as the recession made financing difficult.
The Noble Allegany wind park, first proposed during 2007, would have generated enough electricity to power about 33,500 homes.
The Allegany County project was dropped at the same time that Noble officials also canceled plans to install an additional 13 turbines at its 71-turbine wind park in Chateaugay, Franklin County.
Noble previously had dropped plans to build wind farms in Farmersville and Freedom, Cattaraugus County.
“We continue to assess our development portfolio,” said Walt Howard, Noble Environmental’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “Our resources are currently focused in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maine and Texas, where we have been moving forward with other projects and adding land to our development portfolio.”
Noble Environmental generates 612 megawatts of wind power from a handful of wind parks in New York, including 126 megawatts at its Noble Wethersfield Windpark and 100.5 megawatts at its Noble Bliss Windpark in Wyoming County.
Average electricity prices in New York dropped almost by half last year as the cost of natural gas plunged by more than 50 percent. Natural gas is used to generate as much as half of the state’s power, either at plants that burn only natural gas or both oil and gas.
“The recession and the disruption of the financial markets resulting from the credit crisis significantly impacted investment in the development of new power resources,” the New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s power grid, said in report issued earlier this week.
The state currently has 1,300 megawatts of wind-powered generation in place, with plans for another 7,000 additional megawatts on the drawing board, the ISO said.
“While wind power capacity tripled in [2008], the start-up of new wind power projects slowed to a crawl in 2009.”
The cancellation of the 100.5- megawatt Noble Allegany wind park was blamed on low wholesale electricity prices, which have made it more difficult to justify the project’s costs at a time when the economy is weak and financing remains tight.
Maggy Wisniewski, a Noble spokeswoman, confirmed the cancellation of the project, which would have installed 55 turbines in the Town of Centerville and another 12 in the Town of Rushford.
“Noble has concluded that the ongoing carrying costs are not justified,” given the current anticipated price of electricity and the value of the renewable energy credits that Noble would be able to sell, demonstrating that the power came from a renewable energy resource, the company said in a statement.
Noble Environmental officials also cited development and construction costs in Western New York and the “nature of the market for long-term power purchase agreements” as additional factors that affected the viability of the Noble Allegany project.
At the same time, Noble Environmental said it is “evaluating future development” plans for its 94.5-megawatt Noble Ball Hill Windpark in the Town of Villenova in Chautauqua County.
Construction on the Noble Allegany project was supposed to begin last year but had been delayed as the recession made financing difficult.
The Noble Allegany wind park, first proposed during 2007, would have generated enough electricity to power about 33,500 homes.
The Allegany County project was dropped at the same time that Noble officials also canceled plans to install an additional 13 turbines at its 71-turbine wind park in Chateaugay, Franklin County.
Noble previously had dropped plans to build wind farms in Farmersville and Freedom, Cattaraugus County.
“We continue to assess our development portfolio,” said Walt Howard, Noble Environmental’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “Our resources are currently focused in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maine and Texas, where we have been moving forward with other projects and adding land to our development portfolio.”
Noble Environmental generates 612 megawatts of wind power from a handful of wind parks in New York, including 126 megawatts at its Noble Wethersfield Windpark and 100.5 megawatts at its Noble Bliss Windpark in Wyoming County.
Average electricity prices in New York dropped almost by half last year as the cost of natural gas plunged by more than 50 percent. Natural gas is used to generate as much as half of the state’s power, either at plants that burn only natural gas or both oil and gas.
“The recession and the disruption of the financial markets resulting from the credit crisis significantly impacted investment in the development of new power resources,” the New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s power grid, said in report issued earlier this week.
The state currently has 1,300 megawatts of wind-powered generation in place, with plans for another 7,000 additional megawatts on the drawing board, the ISO said.
“While wind power capacity tripled in [2008], the start-up of new wind power projects slowed to a crawl in 2009.”
Friday, April 09, 2010
Howard Town Official Presses Charges Against Howard Resident
Hatch Accuses Resident of Harrassment --- Resident Denies the Charge----
A Town of Howard resident is accused of 2nd degree harassment.
According to the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, James Lindsay, 64, of Howard, allegedly subjected a Howard Town Board member to physical contact.
The Steuben County Sheriff's Department reports that this incident allegedly happened at the March 16th meeting when the Howard Town Board approved the wind project. According to officials, Lindsay was issued an appearance ticket and released.
James Lindsay denies the allegations. According to Lindsay, the board member making the accusation is Bill Hatch.
This is not the first time that Lindsay and Hatch have been at odds with each other. In 2007, Lindsay was one of the Howard residents who filed a lawsuit against Hatch and others on the Howard Town Board, accusing them of conflict of interest. The case was dismissed.
A Town of Howard resident is accused of 2nd degree harassment.
According to the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, James Lindsay, 64, of Howard, allegedly subjected a Howard Town Board member to physical contact.
The Steuben County Sheriff's Department reports that this incident allegedly happened at the March 16th meeting when the Howard Town Board approved the wind project. According to officials, Lindsay was issued an appearance ticket and released.
James Lindsay denies the allegations. According to Lindsay, the board member making the accusation is Bill Hatch.
This is not the first time that Lindsay and Hatch have been at odds with each other. In 2007, Lindsay was one of the Howard residents who filed a lawsuit against Hatch and others on the Howard Town Board, accusing them of conflict of interest. The case was dismissed.
Second Chateaugay wind farm canceled
CHATEAUGAY — Citing low energy production, Noble Environmental Power has abandoned its plan to build a second wind farm in Chateaugay.
The town of Chateaugay received a letter from Noble on Tuesday confirming the cancellation. The letter includes an announcement on Noble Bellmont Windpark. Noble will maintain development plans for 14 wind turbines there, but construction is suspended until "the economy improves."
"This is a financial abuse on taxpayers of the state of New York," said Dinah Miller of Churbusco, who fought against Noble in public hearings when the company first explored locating in the north country. "These wind turbines were paid for with federal and state tax credits."
Noble operates 71 towers at the Chateaugay I Wind Park and planned to build 13 more towers in a second park to produce 19.5 megawatts of electricity for sale on the state power grid.
Jack Sullivan, a Malone town councilman, has spoken against wind projects in the area and voted against Noble entering the town, saying he felt the wind turbines are not cost-effective.
"None of the projects in Clinton, Chateaugay, Ellenburg and Bellmont can pay for themselves without government subsidies," he said. "Most of the wind farms east of the Mississippi are in areas where wind speeds are too low."
Mr. Sullivan said Chateaugay's output for 2009 was 184,000 megawatt hours.
"That is not good," he said. "Those turbines are running at 19.7 percent of their capacity." When Noble addressed Malone's town board, according to Mr. Sullivan, the company claimed the turbines would run at 30 percent to 35 percent of their capacity.
The 71-tower wind farm has grossed $5.66 million in profit, but the park cost $212 million to build.
Noble's news release said it conducted a thorough one-year analysis of Chateaugay II Wind Park's anticipated construction costs, payouts to easement holders and poor rates on power production credits from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It concluded that the ongoing carrying costs are not justified.
The cancellation of the project affects not only the town but numerous landowners who had contracts with Noble. Noble notified the project's landowners so they can contract their land with other wind developers if they wish to.
"We continue to assess our development portfolio," Noble Chief Executive Officer Walter Howard said, "but the company is redirecting its focus from New York to projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maine and Texas."
The town of Chateaugay received a letter from Noble on Tuesday confirming the cancellation. The letter includes an announcement on Noble Bellmont Windpark. Noble will maintain development plans for 14 wind turbines there, but construction is suspended until "the economy improves."
"This is a financial abuse on taxpayers of the state of New York," said Dinah Miller of Churbusco, who fought against Noble in public hearings when the company first explored locating in the north country. "These wind turbines were paid for with federal and state tax credits."
Noble operates 71 towers at the Chateaugay I Wind Park and planned to build 13 more towers in a second park to produce 19.5 megawatts of electricity for sale on the state power grid.
Jack Sullivan, a Malone town councilman, has spoken against wind projects in the area and voted against Noble entering the town, saying he felt the wind turbines are not cost-effective.
"None of the projects in Clinton, Chateaugay, Ellenburg and Bellmont can pay for themselves without government subsidies," he said. "Most of the wind farms east of the Mississippi are in areas where wind speeds are too low."
Mr. Sullivan said Chateaugay's output for 2009 was 184,000 megawatt hours.
"That is not good," he said. "Those turbines are running at 19.7 percent of their capacity." When Noble addressed Malone's town board, according to Mr. Sullivan, the company claimed the turbines would run at 30 percent to 35 percent of their capacity.
The 71-tower wind farm has grossed $5.66 million in profit, but the park cost $212 million to build.
Noble's news release said it conducted a thorough one-year analysis of Chateaugay II Wind Park's anticipated construction costs, payouts to easement holders and poor rates on power production credits from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It concluded that the ongoing carrying costs are not justified.
The cancellation of the project affects not only the town but numerous landowners who had contracts with Noble. Noble notified the project's landowners so they can contract their land with other wind developers if they wish to.
"We continue to assess our development portfolio," Noble Chief Executive Officer Walter Howard said, "but the company is redirecting its focus from New York to projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maine and Texas."
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Wind-farm forum brings large turnout
ALLEGANY - “We have lost the still of the night, and my hope and prayer for you is that you never have to live with the nightmare we have in Cohocton.”
Those were the words of Hal Graham concerning a Cohocton wind-turbine farm, as he spoke Wednesday evening at a public forum in Allegany.
The forum was sponsored by the Concerned Citizens of Cattaraugus County and held at the Allegany Senior Center on Birch Run Road. The two-hour event was attended by as many as 150 people, as well as some town officials, who turned out for a presentation that addressed the proposed 29-turbine commercial wind farm for the Chipmonk and Knapp Creek area in the town of Allegany.
The Concerned Citizens group, advised by attorney Gary Abraham, has contended that the wind turbines proposed by the EverPower Renewables of New York City will create aesthetic, environmental and noise issues for the community.
Mr. Abraham opened the forum with a slide show presentation that outlined the burdens and benefits of wind turbines. He said the 500-foot tall turbines will each need 5 acres of land, will be placed in concrete pads that are 12 feet deep and sit on ridgelines that are 2,000 to 2,500 feet high. Mr. Abraham said EverPower, which is financed by foreign investors, expects to receive as much as $3 million in federal grants for each turbine. In addition, local residents will see no energy savings as all of the electricity generated by the turbines will be fed into a grid. While there would be some tax benefits to the town from the turbines, he said residents could see property values drop by as much as 20 to 40 percent in the developed area.
Mr. Abraham said if the wind-turbine farm is approved, the first thing the community will deal with are 3,000 truck trips that will be made through the area. He said the trucks will carry loads of concrete and turbine parts that include 160-foot long blades. To avoid making a number of turns, the preferred truck route outlined by EverPower will be along Route 86, with the vehicles getting off at the exit closest to Olean General Hospital (Exit 26).
According to the proposed plan, the trucks will drive through downtown Olean on North and South Union streets, travel over Rock City Hill and turn down Nichols Run Road to Chipmonk. He said there will be an additional 2,000 truckloads that will bring in gravel for the project.
“This will probably be the most intrusive project the community has ever faced,” Mr. Abraham said. “You have to weigh the benefits and the burdens.”
Once the turbines are up on the two ridges in the Chipmonk and Knapp Creek area, they will be visible from areas in Allegany and Olean, and possibly as far away as 5 to 10 miles, he said.
Mr. Abraham’s presentation was followed by remarks made by panelists who included Steve Trude and Mr. Graham. The men are residents of Cohocton in Steuben County, where a 50-turbine commercial wind farm was constructed a few years ago.
Mr. Trude, of the Cohocton Wind Watch group, said he has been dealing with wind turbines in his community for the past four years.
“It’s very important that you have input with your town board, your planning board and whoever is making the decisions on this wind farm,” Mr. Trude told the audience. “I live in the middle of a wind farm. I have one that is 1,500 feet behind my house ... and I have seven turbines in front of my house” on an nearby ridge.
Mr. Trude said he also can see a total of 35 turbines from the top part of his property.
“It will change your life,” Mr. Trude said of the wind turbines. “It changes how you live. Anybody who says it’s not, is full of baloney.”
He said when the First Wind company made initial contact with his community the residents were “promised the world,” but none of promises materialized. In addition, he said property values have plummeted since the turbines were installed.
“There are six homes within a half a mile of mine that have been for sale for the past two years now,” Mr. Trude said. He said the noise from the turbines wakes him up at night, and he can feel the vibration from the low-frequency noise in his home at times.
“I can sit on my couch at night with the TV on low ... and I can feel it in my chest,” he said of the low-frequency vibrations. Mr. Trude said his home is also affected on occasion by shadow flickers, which is a strobe-like light flicker from the turbine blades.
“I do believe my home values have been affected,” he said.
Mr. Graham said he lives on a 300-acre farm that has been in his family for several generations. He said the turbines emit unbearable noise that travels through his house. Mr. Graham said the noise is constant and is louder during the winter months, when the winds are stronger.
“The best way to describe this is the sound of a jet engine trying to take off in your backyard,” he said. “At one time the (noise from the turbine) reached 101 decibels in my backyard.”
He said complaints to First Wind by himself and other residents of the community have gone unheeded by the wind turbine officials.
Additionally, he has been told the town supervisors have no control over the situation and can do nothing to help.
“We were told if we didn’t like it, we could move,” Mr. Graham said. He also noted that the roads in the community have been damaged by the trucks when they first came in and haven’t been fully repaired.
Mr. Graham said he prays Allegany doesn’t have to go through what his community is dealing with on a daily basis.
“Do whatever you can to protect yourselves,” he said. “If you have to stand in front of the cranes (that will come in for construction) do it and stop them.”
ALLEGANY - A public hearing on the proposed EverPower Renewables wind turbine farm for the Chipmonk area will be held at 7 p.m. April 21 at the Allegany Senior Center. During the hearing, area residents may make comments regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project. Written comments regarding the DEIS may also be presented to the Allegany Planning Board during the hearing. Copies of the DEIS are on display at the Allegany Town Hall, the Allegany Public Library, the Friedsam Memorial Library at St. Bonaventure University and online at http://www.alleganywindfarm.com/deis.htm. The planning board will accept written comments on the DEIS through May 3, which can be sent to: Planning Board, Allegany Town Hall, 52 West Main St., Allegany, NY 14706.
EverPower also will make a presentation on the proposed project at the planning board’s regularly scheduled meeting at 6:45 p.m. Monday at the senior center.
Those were the words of Hal Graham concerning a Cohocton wind-turbine farm, as he spoke Wednesday evening at a public forum in Allegany.
The forum was sponsored by the Concerned Citizens of Cattaraugus County and held at the Allegany Senior Center on Birch Run Road. The two-hour event was attended by as many as 150 people, as well as some town officials, who turned out for a presentation that addressed the proposed 29-turbine commercial wind farm for the Chipmonk and Knapp Creek area in the town of Allegany.
The Concerned Citizens group, advised by attorney Gary Abraham, has contended that the wind turbines proposed by the EverPower Renewables of New York City will create aesthetic, environmental and noise issues for the community.
Mr. Abraham opened the forum with a slide show presentation that outlined the burdens and benefits of wind turbines. He said the 500-foot tall turbines will each need 5 acres of land, will be placed in concrete pads that are 12 feet deep and sit on ridgelines that are 2,000 to 2,500 feet high. Mr. Abraham said EverPower, which is financed by foreign investors, expects to receive as much as $3 million in federal grants for each turbine. In addition, local residents will see no energy savings as all of the electricity generated by the turbines will be fed into a grid. While there would be some tax benefits to the town from the turbines, he said residents could see property values drop by as much as 20 to 40 percent in the developed area.
Mr. Abraham said if the wind-turbine farm is approved, the first thing the community will deal with are 3,000 truck trips that will be made through the area. He said the trucks will carry loads of concrete and turbine parts that include 160-foot long blades. To avoid making a number of turns, the preferred truck route outlined by EverPower will be along Route 86, with the vehicles getting off at the exit closest to Olean General Hospital (Exit 26).
According to the proposed plan, the trucks will drive through downtown Olean on North and South Union streets, travel over Rock City Hill and turn down Nichols Run Road to Chipmonk. He said there will be an additional 2,000 truckloads that will bring in gravel for the project.
“This will probably be the most intrusive project the community has ever faced,” Mr. Abraham said. “You have to weigh the benefits and the burdens.”
Once the turbines are up on the two ridges in the Chipmonk and Knapp Creek area, they will be visible from areas in Allegany and Olean, and possibly as far away as 5 to 10 miles, he said.
Mr. Abraham’s presentation was followed by remarks made by panelists who included Steve Trude and Mr. Graham. The men are residents of Cohocton in Steuben County, where a 50-turbine commercial wind farm was constructed a few years ago.
Mr. Trude, of the Cohocton Wind Watch group, said he has been dealing with wind turbines in his community for the past four years.
“It’s very important that you have input with your town board, your planning board and whoever is making the decisions on this wind farm,” Mr. Trude told the audience. “I live in the middle of a wind farm. I have one that is 1,500 feet behind my house ... and I have seven turbines in front of my house” on an nearby ridge.
Mr. Trude said he also can see a total of 35 turbines from the top part of his property.
“It will change your life,” Mr. Trude said of the wind turbines. “It changes how you live. Anybody who says it’s not, is full of baloney.”
He said when the First Wind company made initial contact with his community the residents were “promised the world,” but none of promises materialized. In addition, he said property values have plummeted since the turbines were installed.
“There are six homes within a half a mile of mine that have been for sale for the past two years now,” Mr. Trude said. He said the noise from the turbines wakes him up at night, and he can feel the vibration from the low-frequency noise in his home at times.
“I can sit on my couch at night with the TV on low ... and I can feel it in my chest,” he said of the low-frequency vibrations. Mr. Trude said his home is also affected on occasion by shadow flickers, which is a strobe-like light flicker from the turbine blades.
“I do believe my home values have been affected,” he said.
Mr. Graham said he lives on a 300-acre farm that has been in his family for several generations. He said the turbines emit unbearable noise that travels through his house. Mr. Graham said the noise is constant and is louder during the winter months, when the winds are stronger.
“The best way to describe this is the sound of a jet engine trying to take off in your backyard,” he said. “At one time the (noise from the turbine) reached 101 decibels in my backyard.”
He said complaints to First Wind by himself and other residents of the community have gone unheeded by the wind turbine officials.
Additionally, he has been told the town supervisors have no control over the situation and can do nothing to help.
“We were told if we didn’t like it, we could move,” Mr. Graham said. He also noted that the roads in the community have been damaged by the trucks when they first came in and haven’t been fully repaired.
Mr. Graham said he prays Allegany doesn’t have to go through what his community is dealing with on a daily basis.
“Do whatever you can to protect yourselves,” he said. “If you have to stand in front of the cranes (that will come in for construction) do it and stop them.”
ALLEGANY - A public hearing on the proposed EverPower Renewables wind turbine farm for the Chipmonk area will be held at 7 p.m. April 21 at the Allegany Senior Center. During the hearing, area residents may make comments regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project. Written comments regarding the DEIS may also be presented to the Allegany Planning Board during the hearing. Copies of the DEIS are on display at the Allegany Town Hall, the Allegany Public Library, the Friedsam Memorial Library at St. Bonaventure University and online at http://www.alleganywindfarm.com/deis.htm. The planning board will accept written comments on the DEIS through May 3, which can be sent to: Planning Board, Allegany Town Hall, 52 West Main St., Allegany, NY 14706.
EverPower also will make a presentation on the proposed project at the planning board’s regularly scheduled meeting at 6:45 p.m. Monday at the senior center.
City's renewable energy potential discussed
Buffalo has been known as the "city of light" for its pioneering role in harnessing electricity.
Renewable energy advocates believe the region now has a golden opportunity to market itself as the city of wind power.
In their eyes, it's not an impossible dream that Buffalo could one day be a leader in the manufacturing and installation of energy-producing wind turbines.
Energy experts, economic development officials and business leaders spent nearly 90 minutes Tuesday discussing the prospects of building and erecting windmills in the city. The Common Council's Legislation Committee sponsored a hearing that highlighted the pros and cons of such initiatives.
Wind turbines could create a lucrative industry in the region, said officials from the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. The average wind turbine contains 8,000 parts, said Hadley Horrigan, the Partnership's vice president of public affairs. If the region could foster this new industry, she said it would spawn significant long-term job prospects.
Advocates also said Buffalo could offer inexpensive power as an incentive to new or expanding companies.
Robert E. Knoer is chairman of the Wind Action Group. He said wind turbines already operating on the former Bethlehem Steel site have thrust worldwide attention on the region as it finds creative reuses for old industrial sites.
"When those shiny towers came growing out of that rust belt past over there, the world took notice. This region was on the front of the New York Times, showing those towers, saying "we get it.'"
Listen to audio of Knoer discussing Lackawanna's Steelwinds project:
Still, Knoer acknowledged there are some environmental concerns that must be considered, including noise. He also conceded that wind turbines are not appropriate in all areas.
Listen to Knoer discussing environmental concerns:
South Buffalo business owner Simon F. Manka called windmills "ugly monstrosities" that keep people awake at night. He said he would oppose any plan that would locate wind turbines anywhere in close proximity to the city's waterfront. In particular, he took aim at the New York Power Authority's proposal that might eventually see major offshore wind farms in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
"Our waterfront is our most golden, best asset. And these things are ugly. They're plain ugly," said Manka.
Listen to Manka discuss his opposition to wind turbines on the waterfront:
Downtown business leader Stephen P. Fitzmaurice, chief operating officer of Seneca One Realty, also raised concerns. He said wind turbines often produce power that is costly and unpredictable.
Meanwhile, wind energy advocates highlighted numerous benefits, including giving communities an alternative power source in the event the electrical grid is damaged by natural forces or by terrorist attacks.
South Council Member Michael P. Kearns, who sponsored the bill that triggered today's hearing, believes there are good arguments in support of pursuing wind energy. He believes some industrial areas in South Buffalo, including land near the Union Ship Canal at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, might be suitable spots for windmills.
"We have the wind," said Kearns. "But do we have the will to do this?"
Renewable energy advocates believe the region now has a golden opportunity to market itself as the city of wind power.
In their eyes, it's not an impossible dream that Buffalo could one day be a leader in the manufacturing and installation of energy-producing wind turbines.
Energy experts, economic development officials and business leaders spent nearly 90 minutes Tuesday discussing the prospects of building and erecting windmills in the city. The Common Council's Legislation Committee sponsored a hearing that highlighted the pros and cons of such initiatives.
Wind turbines could create a lucrative industry in the region, said officials from the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. The average wind turbine contains 8,000 parts, said Hadley Horrigan, the Partnership's vice president of public affairs. If the region could foster this new industry, she said it would spawn significant long-term job prospects.
Advocates also said Buffalo could offer inexpensive power as an incentive to new or expanding companies.
Robert E. Knoer is chairman of the Wind Action Group. He said wind turbines already operating on the former Bethlehem Steel site have thrust worldwide attention on the region as it finds creative reuses for old industrial sites.
"When those shiny towers came growing out of that rust belt past over there, the world took notice. This region was on the front of the New York Times, showing those towers, saying "we get it.'"
Listen to audio of Knoer discussing Lackawanna's Steelwinds project:
Still, Knoer acknowledged there are some environmental concerns that must be considered, including noise. He also conceded that wind turbines are not appropriate in all areas.
Listen to Knoer discussing environmental concerns:
South Buffalo business owner Simon F. Manka called windmills "ugly monstrosities" that keep people awake at night. He said he would oppose any plan that would locate wind turbines anywhere in close proximity to the city's waterfront. In particular, he took aim at the New York Power Authority's proposal that might eventually see major offshore wind farms in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
"Our waterfront is our most golden, best asset. And these things are ugly. They're plain ugly," said Manka.
Listen to Manka discuss his opposition to wind turbines on the waterfront:
Downtown business leader Stephen P. Fitzmaurice, chief operating officer of Seneca One Realty, also raised concerns. He said wind turbines often produce power that is costly and unpredictable.
Meanwhile, wind energy advocates highlighted numerous benefits, including giving communities an alternative power source in the event the electrical grid is damaged by natural forces or by terrorist attacks.
South Council Member Michael P. Kearns, who sponsored the bill that triggered today's hearing, believes there are good arguments in support of pursuing wind energy. He believes some industrial areas in South Buffalo, including land near the Union Ship Canal at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, might be suitable spots for windmills.
"We have the wind," said Kearns. "But do we have the will to do this?"
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