Town of Bovina

SURVEY REVEALS THAT TOWN OF BOVINA RESIDENTS ARE OPPOSED TO LARGE WIND TURBINES:

More than 80 percent of town of Bovina residents are opposed to industrial wind turbines, according to a survey released Monday by the Alliance for Bovina.

The survey was mailed to all of Bovina’s taxpayers and voters, alliance organizers said, with 540 responders, a 62 percent response rate.

"We knew that a clear majority of Bovina residents were opposed to industrial wind, but we were surprised by how strong that majority was," said Hall Willkie, co-director of the Alliance for Bovina, an organization that opposes industrial wind development in Bovina, but supports small wind turbines for individual use.

Bovina is the first town in upstate New York where the community has been surveyed on whether to allow wind turbines, Willkie said. To assure the survey would be fair, reliable and anonymous, it was tabulated by an independent pollster in Milford, Pa.

The survey asked Bovina residents two questions:

1) "Do you want the town of Bovina to allow industrial-scale wind turbines (up to 400 feet in height, linked in groups, and intended to provide electricity for sale on the regional power grid) within the town and tax jurisdiction of Bovina?"

2) "Do you want the town of Bovina to allow small-scale wind turbines (up to 120 feet in height and intended to provide electricity on site for a single farm, business or residence) within the town and tax jurisdiction of Bovina?"

Of the 540 respondents, 83 percent said they opposed industrial-scale turbines; 16 percent said they were for industrial-scale turbines; and 2 percent had no opinion. In response to the second question, 48 percent of respondents were against small turbines; 49 percent were for them; and 2 percent had no opinion. Percentages do not equal 100 percent because of rounding.

These results would change if the questions were preceded by "If the Town of Bovina were to receive $400,000 per year in a PILOT agreement . . ." or "If the Town of Bovina were to receive $4,000,000 per year by an agreement with Tom Golisano's new company, Empire State Wind Energy . . .". As phrased the questions raise the specter of the cost with no mention of the potential benefit. Could that be because an opponent group solicited the survey? Hmmm. You'd think the newspaper would note this point.