DEC PROPOSES WIND ENERGY BIRD, BAT PROTECTION GUIDELINES:

State environmental officials want wind energy developers to pay closer attention to how their projects will affect birds and bats.

The Department of Environmental Conservation proposed a set of guidelines to promote wind power and minimize the danger to birds and bats.

Developers have been required to analyze how wind projects would affect wildlife before they are allowed to build and the new guidelines will standardize that review.

The guidelines released Thursday would determine how wind energy developers estimate bird and bat populations and how many would be killed by colliding with the giant towers and rotating blades

New York has six operating wind farms, five under construction and at least 30 more planned.

UPDATE: The guidance is available in .pdf here:

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:09 PM | Permalink

COUNTY WON'T SEEK CUT OF WIND FUNDS:

Madison County Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Rocky DiVeronica chose tow [sic] bow to the will of his fellow supervisors and vote against the county taking a share of the payment in lieu of taxes revenue expected from the latest wind farm endeavor.

"I went with the direction of the board; I usually do," he said.

He had previously been an advocate for the county getting involved because he wanted to put the revenue toward the upcoming communication tower project.

A company called Airtricity has been working on an agreement with the Towns of Stockbridge, Eaton and Madison. The company has agreed to pay $8,000 per megawatt of electrical power as a PILOT to the participating towns and schools.

The resolution put to the board of supervisors would have given the county $500 per megawatt and a percentage of the consumer price index, or inflation over the first 15 years of the project.

The participating schools and towns were to split the remaining $7,500 per megawatt.

State law exempts wind power companies from paying property taxes for the first 15 years of operation but also allows for taxing jurisdictions to request a PILOT during that time.

The county could have received $245,214 over the 15 year term of the PILOT.

An amendment presented by Eaton Supervisor David Puddington brought the amount the county would receive to zero.

And Nelson Supervisor Richard Williams added an amendment so that in signing the agreement with Airtricity the county would relinquish its share to the other Madison County jurisdictions on the agreement.

"The lion's share of the impact is to the immediate area, not only the participating landowners, but the neighboring landowners throughout the town," said Lincoln Supervisor Doug Holdridge. "And the town staff itself as they provided services to support the project during construction and long-term operation."
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Proponents of the county receiving a share noted the "parochialism" on the part of those town supervisors who did not want the county involved.

"I think wind energy is the wave of the future-any revenue generated should go to everyone," said Oneida Supervisor Michel DeBottis. "To say we shouldn't get a piece of that to save parochial interests-this is really the crumbs at the table, we should take what we can get."

From the beginning those opposed to the county receiving a share of the PILOT have said that a policy needed to be enacted before the county tried to get involved in any wind farm projects.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:34 PM | Permalink

Town of Fairfield: GROUP RAISING FUNDS TO FIGHT CONSTRUCTION OF WIND TURBINES

Town of Beekmantown: BEEKMANTOWN APPROVES WIND-TURBINE FACILITY

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:25 PM | Permalink

Town of Somerset: GOLISANO HELPS PUSH NEW WIND ENERGY PLAN

Town of Arkwright: ARKWRIGHT HEARS MORE WIND WORRIES

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:38 PM | Permalink

CV BOARD TO VOTE ON WIND-TURBINE LAW:

A proposed ordinance to regulate how wind farms in Cherry Valley will operate is on the agenda for Thursday night’s Cherry Valley Town Board meeting, town Supervisor Tom Garretson said Monday.
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At issue in the proposed law are setbacks and maximum allowed noise levels. The law stipulates that turbines would have to be at least 2,000 feet from the nearest off-site residence, school or church, and 1,200 feet from the nearest lot line. It also calls for noise levels to be less than six decibels higher than ambient levels at lot lines.

At a public hearing earlier this year, the proposed law, with its restrictions, was strongly supported by most speakers, and the town has received many letters of support for the proposed ordinance.

However, a petition calling for the contentious items in the law to be amended, signed by more than 150 town residents, also was delivered to the three-member town board.

Reunion Power, based in Manchester, Vt., estimates its project will cost $100 million to build and has proposed paying at least $300,000 a year in lieu of taxes if it goes forward.

The proposed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement has provisions for increasing that amount if the wind farm is highly productive, and the company estimates it will contribute about $350,000 per year to the town, county and possibly to Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 03:08 PM | Permalink

TWO DEVELOPERS VYING FOR PROPERTY IN ARKWRIGHT
REUNION OFFERS FREE POWER TO CHERRY VALLEY

DECISION NEARS ON 168 WIND TURBINES

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 12:10 PM | Permalink

GOLISANO DISCUSSED NEW WIND COMPANY:

Wind turbines and wind energy were the topics of conversation last Wednesday evening in the Westfield Academy and Central School auditorium where approximately 250 people showed up to hear from the founder of Empire State Wind Energy, LLC, Tom Golisano and the president and chief executive officer of the company, Keith Pitman.

The meeting was co-hosted by Chautauqua County Executive Gregory Edwards and the Towns of Westfield and Ripley.

Local leaders from the county and surrounding municipalities were among those in attendance to hear Golisano, the founder of Paychex, the second largest payroll processor in the United States and the owner of the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres, discuss his model for the development of wind power within New York State.

In his introductory statements about his interest in wind power, Golisano said, “I begin doing research into the level of aggressiveness in building these turbines. We are not advocating building wind turbines. If you want to do it, we want to help. The financial reward is significant.”

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 03:36 PM | Permalink

TOPPLED TURBINE RAISES CONCERNS:

Hikers on Black Mountain reached the fire tower at the summit earlier this month to find a 60-foot wind turbine lying in the snow.

Justin Kerner of Clifton Park said it looked like a tree fell on one of the wires that secured the tower and then the turbine fell over.

The State Police own the turbine. Spokeswoman Maureen Tuffey said it fell because a guy wire gave way when a bolt sheered off. She said it might be spring before the turbine is fixed.
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Kerner took photographs during his hike on Nov. 5, and supplied them to the Adirondack Council. John Sheehan, executive director of the council, sent the photos to the Times Union.

Tuffey said the troopers must use a helicopter to reach the top of the mountain because they will carry 10 propane tanks -- each one holds 200 pounds of fuel -- for the generator at the site.

Sheehan said the wrecked turbine illustrates the potential danger of building a wind farm in the Adirondack Mountains. A group called Adirondack Wind Partners, made up of the Barton Group mining operation and Reunion Power LLC, has plans to erect 10 turbines on Pete Gay and Gore Mountain in North Creek, Warren County. The Adirondack Council is opposed to the plan.

Sheehan has said the turbines pose a danger to wildlife and, in light of the crash on Black Mountain, questioned what other risks are involved.

Jim McAndrew, project manager of the wind partners, said comparing the State Police tower to the 400-foot turbines proposed by his company is "like seeing a wind glider crash in the Adirondacks and saying it's unsafe to fly airplanes there."

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 03:34 PM | Permalink

ADVOCATES URGE COUNTY TO ACCEPT COMMUNITY ENERGY'S OFFER FOR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES:

Armed with books, studies, facts and figures, several proponents of windmill projects addressed members of the county legislature during last night's meeting.

Fairfield resident Dennis Kaczeroski urged the county to accept Community Energy's reported offer of $7,500 per megawatt for the 136-megawatt Jordanville Wind Farm for a payment in lieu of taxes agreement. The money would be split among the taxing entities involved - the county, the towns, and school district. The county has been seeking a higher figure, based on a consultant's estimate of $40,000 per megawatt that they said the county should be able to expect.

“Get what you can get; the market is the market. Don't be short-sighted and derail this,” said Kaczeroski. “Your responsibility is to get the best deal for all of us.”

Kaczeroski said if the price isn't right, Community Energy would be more than willing to move along to one of the many areas who want windmill projects.

“$12,000 (the county's recent offer per megawatt) will kill the deal,” said Kaczeroski. “They have a lot of places they can go.”

Member of the Friends of Renewable Energy, a recently formed Jordanville-based group, also spoke last night, touting the benefits of wind energy and the fact Herkimer County stands to become a leader in the field of renewable energy. Group member Shirley Mower said Community Energy's offer for a PILOT agreement was “reasonable.”

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 06:28 PM | Permalink

TOWN WEB PHOTOS COMING INTO FOCUS:

Six months after having posted on the town's official Web site a handful of photos depicting the interior of private homes, their blueprints and- in some cases- the homeowners themselves, the pictures have been sorted out, but questions remain about when the photos will return to the Web.

Photos depicting the front of the properties must go back online because they were among the requirements of a $30,000 New York State grant awarded to the town assessor's office to upgrade its system.

Mark Orzechowski, network coordinator for the town's Department of Information Support Services, said that state officials are eager for the town to return its online assessment system to its Web site.

"Right now, we're out of compliance with the grant," Orzechowski said at Monday's Town Board work session. "New York State is ready for Cheektowaga to go back online."

Roughly 35,000 pictures were posted to the Web site by the Town Assessor's Department. The intention was that the photos would help a person challenge his or her assessment by comparing similar properties.

Only the front of each home and commercial building in town was to be placed on the site, but when additional photos were posted to the site, some residents complained that their privacy rights were violated.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:05 AM | Permalink

aren't just for rural towns: HEARING MONDAY ON LOCAL LAW FOR WIND TURBINES:

A local law regulating the construction of wind turbines in the Town of Tonawanda is ready for a public hearing.

The hearing is scheduled for Monday's Town Board meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers of the municipal building.

Town lawmakers approved a moratorium last December on "wind-energy-deriving towers and transmission facilities." The subject has been broached in many communities in recent years, and inquiries were made in the Town of Tonawanda.

In fact, the General Motors property in the Town of Tonawanda was one of five sites identified following a year-long study of shoreline winds by Erie County and Ecology & Environment of Lancaster to determine the potential for generating wind power.

Town of Tonawanda officials enacted the moratorium to give them time to draft appropriate regulations for the town code. But the moratorium may need to be extended to give officials time to review and amend the proposed legislation.

Within town borders, potential sites include the industrial area near the south Grand Island bridges and near the town's water treatment plant along Aqua Lane.

Wendel Duchscherer is working on legislation for several municipalities, said engineer Andrew C. Reilly. "This is something that private business is going to look at, municipalities are going to look at," he said.

"You're not asking for much more than what they [developers] normally have to do," Riley said.

"There may be some tweaking," Riley said. "Let's hear from the public."

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:03 AM | Permalink

Town of Westfield: GOLISANO COMING TO WESTFIELD FOR WIND MEETING

County Executive Greg Edwards has announced that a meeting will be held on Nov. 8th at Westfield High School at 7 p.m. to discuss efforts to harness the potential of wind energy that comes off Lake Erie. This regional initiative, which can greatly benefit Chautauqua County, is being co-hosted by Mr. Edwards and the Towns of Westfield and Ripley. The speakers will be Tom Golisano, Chairman, and Keith Pitman, President & CEO, of Empire State Wind Energy, LLC.

Edwards said, “Certainly Mr. Golisano needs no introduction to western New York, but we need to listen to the unique business model he and Mr. Pitman have developed for community wind projects. After some initial discussion the leadership in Ripley and Westfield wanted a forum to permit their residents to hear about this approach, and we thought other towns would want to hear it, too, particularly those in the north county where wind energy—renewable, green energy—is viable. Economic development here is critical, and low-cost electric for our industries coupled with dollars flowing directly into our towns, rather than going elsewhere, are stepping stones for economic development.”

Town of Westfield Supervisor Martha Bills is encouraging all interested parties to attend this meeting.

“This is an important informational meeting that will present a very different approach to windpower development with a lot of potential benefits to the community,” she said. “We encourage everyone to attend and hear about this opportunity firsthand.”

Town of Jordanville: EXPERTS COMPLETING STUDIES FOR JORDANVILLE WIND PROJECT

Experts studying the proposed Jordanville Wind Energy Project are in the process of finalizing additional environmental, geophysical and operational studies for the State Environmental Quality Review process as project developer Community Energy continues its extensive pre-construction review.

Community Energy, based in Wayne, Pa., released the project's Draft Environmental Impact Statement in May. The additional studies are evaluating social and economic factors as well as environmental effects.

One of the issues being looked at, at the request of the Department of Environmental Conservation, is what impact the project will have on the area's karst topography, including the presence of sinkholes and underground limestone caves. Opponents of the project are saying the impact on karst features would put groundwater safety at risk.

“We are studying this issue extensively as asked by the DEC,” said Skip Brennan, New York Development Director with Community Energy. “We concur with the DEC that we do not want to put such an expensive turbine in a sinkhole application. We're going to look at the correct places to put these turbines.”
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According to Community Energy, the 136-megawatt Jordanville Wind Farm is expected to generate $6.3 million in wage and salary compensation paid to local workers during construction, generate around $800,000 in annual revenues for local governments and school districts, and have the capacity to provide the annual electric needs of more than 51,000 homes.

If the project receives ultimate approval, construction would begin next spring and likely finish up next fall, said Brennan.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:01 PM | Permalink

Town of Enfield: TOWER TO TEST WIND FARM'S FEASIBILITY

Town of Cherry Valley: REUNION JOINS LARGER WIND FARM TO TARGET CV

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:37 PM | Permalink

Towns of Warren & Stark: OPPONENTS SAY PROPOSED GROUND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR WIND TURBINES

Towns of Altona, Clinton & Ellenburg: NOBLE WIND-FARM CONSTRUCTION DELAYED

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:22 PM | Permalink

GOLISANO: COHOCTON CAN CONTROL ITS OWN DESTINY:

Officials from Empire State Wind Energy LLC unveiled a business plan that they believe would give community members a larger piece of the revenue-sharing pie.

On Wednesday, more than 50 residents gathered at Cohocton elementary school for an informational session hosted by Keith Pitman - president and chief executive officer of the Oneida-based company - as well as B. Thomas Golisano, a Rochester billionaire who is also the company's main investor.

Golisano said his interest was kindled when he first picked up a newspaper article about wind farm development, talked to several people and researched it, and found there's a substantial economic benefit.
*

“I thought it would be a heck of an idea to be the owner of a wind farm,” he said, questioning “what would happen if the wind turbine company was owned by the community?

“I thought the PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program was so minimal it was a disgrace,” Golisano added. “I decided to start an organization and a way to help.”

Pitman introduced himself by saying he takes pride living in rural upstate New York and also was influenced by an article.

“Big wind. Big energy. Big wind power. Big money. Wind power can significantly improve a community's local economy if it is locally owned,” he read from an excerpt from Rural Features, a state bi-partisan publication.

Pitman said the basic model was simple: To create projects that are beneficial to the entire community with 100 percent of the start-up costs covered by Empire State Wind Energy. Later, and at pre-determined times, the Town of Cohocton would have ownership options.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 07:00 PM | Permalink

WINDMILL PROJECT MOVING FORWARD:

Plans for a windmill project for the towns of Warren and Stark continue to move forward.

The town of Warren, the lead agency involved in the project, recently determined that a supplement to the comprehensive Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for the proposed Jordanville Wind Energy Project. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was previously accepted by the town of Warren and three public hearings were held as part of the public comment period. An additional opportunity for public comment of no less than 30 days will be provided before a Final Environmental Impact Statement is prepared.

Community Energy has proposed to develop a wind-powered generating facility of up to 150 megawatts in the towns, which will include around 75 windmills. Each of the turbines carries a capacity to generate 2 megawatts, and the turbines will feature a 285-foot diameter, three-bladed rotor mounted on a 256-foot high steel tubular tower.

The proposal also includes two meteorological towers, 21 miles of access roads, 41 miles of electrical interconnect, a collection substation, a .8-mile long, overhead 230-kilovolt transmission line, an interconnection substation, a centrally located, temporary construction staging area, and an operations and maintenance facility.

The project encompasses around 6,225 acres of private land and around 77 separate parcels of land.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:20 PM | Permalink

HARTSVILLE ADVERTISING FOR SUPERVISOR: TOWN TAKES OUT LEGAL AD IN EFFORT TO FILL VACANCY:

An apparent lack of interest in the Hartsville town supervisor position has the town turning to advertising to find a replacement for Amy Emerson.

Emerson, 32, resigned last month, effective Sept. 30, citing a need to spend more time with her family and less time on the heated wind farm debate that has embroiled the town for the past year. She served two full two-year terms and was in the middle of her third. The Republican was first elected to office in 2001.

“The continued controversy and negativity has invaded our daily lives 24 hours/7 days a week,” her letter of resignation stated. “I am making the choice to no longer live that way.”
*

Deputy Supervisor George Prior said the ad was placed to get as many candidates for the job as possible.

“We just thought with all the stuff that's gone on in town that would be the prudent thing to do,” he said.

Four people have expressed interest in taking over the role of supervisor thus far, Prior said, but declined to name names.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:18 PM | Permalink

Of course it does: WINDFARM LAWSUIT CLAIMS SEQR PROCESS IS INCOMPLETE. Be sure to read the last section. How coincidental that the citizen most vocally opposed to the project later turns out to suffer from a "vibroacoustic" condition caused by "industrial wind turbines". Color me skeptical.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:38 PM | Permalink

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.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 02:19 PM | Permalink

DELAWARE COUNTY WIND FARM PROPOSED:

Details of a plan that calls for 34 industrial wind turbines to be erected on a 6-mile ridgeline between Stamford and Roxbury will be reviewed at a public meeting here Wednesday.

Chicago-based Invenergy Wind, an energy development firm, wants to construct the 3.0 megawatt wind turbines on the Moresville Range between the two towns. Local residents have been divided over whether wind farms would be an asset or a detriment to their communities and to the Catskill region in general.
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A press release issued by Invenergy noted the proposed "mid-sized" wind farm, named the Moresville Energy Center project, is expected to produce 268 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, or enough to power 45,000 "typical New York homes." On-site transmission lines and existing roads will be used in the construction and operation of the farm, Miller said.

Miller called the Moresville Range "a great location for a medium-sized wind project."

The company also predicted the project could pay about $800,000 in taxes to local governments annually and employ five full-time workers. Miller said the firm expects the local operations center to generate an annual payroll of $200,000 and pay an estimated $600,000 a year in royalties to landowners, for a total of $1.6 million in "direct economic benefits to the host communities."

They announced few specifics, but Empire State Wind Energy representatives last night offered to help develop local wind power projects and return the profits to Wayne County communities.

Tom Golisano, the billionaire founder of Paychex and the money behind Empire State Wind, said the newly formed company is interested only in projects beneficial to the communities they're built in and acceptable to residents.

The scope of any projects would depend on what people in the community want, said CEO Keith Pitman.

"We're for real, we're sincere and we want to help you," he said. "Learn more, and let us know what you think."
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Although information on the size and site of the project wasn't on the agenda last night, Pitman did discuss Empire State's business model. The company would assume the risk and responsibility of development and return most of its profits to the community, he said.

A wind turbine can cost around $3 million and generate about $150,000 a year in profit, Golisano said. Empire State plans to keep enough money to cover the company's expenses plus "a little bit more" in profit, he said.

Most of the money, however, would go back to host communities through taxes, payments in lieu of taxes and fixed-rate energy sales, Pitman said. And towns involved in the project could eventually decide to purchase the turbines for themselves.

The merits of an Article 78 proceeding filed against the Town of Howard by a group of residents were hashed out in Monroe County Supreme Court last week.

The outcome of that is still likely a couple weeks away, as Judge Joseph Valentino reserved judgment in the case. The attorneys also have another week to get in any final comments in writing for him to use when making a decision.

In addition to the town, the suit also is filed against Howard Wind LLC, EverPower Global Corporation and the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency. Among the additional respondents listed in the suit are councilmen William Hatch and Robert Palmer, who have signed lease agreements with EverPower.
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The residents brought the suit against the town asking a local wind law be stricken, alleging “three of the town's five councilmen had conflicts of interest which disqualified them from voting on the law.” The complaint also states the board did not “comply with the requirements of the State Environmental Quality Review Act” before it adopted the law.

The suit was transferred to Monroe County Supreme Court after three Steuben County judges recused themselves from the matter.

A proposed ordinance that would govern how wind turbines are placed in Cherry Valley is unworkable, according to David Little, project manager for Reunion Power.

"It basically would guarantee there won’t be a wind farm in Cherry Valley," he said Monday.

The Fenner Renewable Energy Education Center is quickly on its way to becoming a major tourist attraction.
The addition of a wind turbine blade on Thursday is just the beginning.

The 115-foot blade weighs 14,000 pounds and was donated by GE Energy. Delaney Brothers Construction donated the crane and Southern Tier Express provided the flatbed to transport the blade to its new home.

"We love our wind farm and the contribution our community is making to improving this country's energy independence, the environment and our children's future," said Joan Livingston, president of the FREE Center's board of directors.

The Town of Fenner donated the land for the facility.

The FREE Center began as a result of the number of visitors who visit the Fenner Wind Farm.

Friends and neighbors decided to establish a visitor center to educate the public about the benefits of renewable energy like wind power, solar power, hydro power, draft power and ethanol.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:20 PM | Permalink

FAIRFIELD WOMAN CLAIMS WIND PROJECT WOULD HARM DAUGHTER:

A town of Fairfield resident claims her daughter is in danger of adverse health impacts if a proposed wind energy project is pushed through in the towns of Fairfield and Norway.

Resident Lisa Sementilli told county legislators during Wednesday night's session that her 10-year-old daughter suffers from a severe hearing problem that would only be aggravated by the noise produced by the wind turbines.

Atlantic Renewable has proposed to construct a series of 65-70 wind turbines in the towns.

Sementilli said he has talked with several doctors, including pediatricians who have experienced dealing with conditions related to windmill noise, about her concerns.

“Every doctor tells me that the background noise created by windmills would be detrimental to her,” said Sementilli. “She would not be able to function in everyday living with all of the special things I have to do for her. We would be in the midst of these towers, they would be in front of and behind us.”

She urged legislators to consider the potential health impacts the towers might have before the financial benefits the project is expected to bring the towns, school district and county.

Among the many favorable aspects of a free society and representative republic are that each citizen may lobby his representatives, they, in turn, must weigh what is best for the community as a whole, and no individual is compelled to remain in situ to suffer the consequences .

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:03 PM | Permalink

DEVELOPER PROPOSES 34 WIND TURBINES IN ROXBURY, STAMFORD:

A wind-farm developer presented a plan Monday to erect 34 wind turbines on the Moresville Range in Roxbury and Stamford.

Eric Miller, Invenergy Wind LLC project manager, said the proposed towers will be 262 feet high with 148-foot blades for a total tip height of 410 feet.

Miller gave a presentation about the project at the Roxbury Town Board meeting Monday and said a similar presentation will be done by David Groberg, an Invenergy project manager, at the Hobart Fire Hall at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Roxbury Supervisor Tom Hynes said about 45 people attended the meeting, many of them from other towns and counties. Hynes said he didn’t open the meeting for discussion.
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The wind farm is expected to generate up to 102 megawatts, producing 268 million kilowatt hours per year, according to the media release.

In addition, the project could pay about $800,000 to local government entities every year. If approved, construction of the wind farm could begin in 2008.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 05:47 PM | Permalink

WIND-PARK WORK MAY START SOON:

Noble Environmental hasn't set the date, but ground-breaking on its three wind-energy parks comes ever closer.
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The IDA established payment-in-lieu-of-tax and capacity-royalty amounts in July following months of negotiations among the involved taxing jurisdictions.

More recently, Noble and the three towns hammered out host community agreements that secured annual revenue for each of $3,000 per megawatt of permitted wind turbines and also one-time additional payments of $1,000 per tower.

The latter comes in lieu of special projects Noble was willing to undertake for each of those towns.

For Altona, that means $68,000.

"We were talking salt sheds, ball fields, sidewalks," Ross said of projects bandied about during negotiations. "Instead of that, we decided to take a one-time payment."

That way, the town can take its time about deciding where to spend the money.

Altogether, Altona will take in $558,800 for 2006-07.
...
Ellenburg Town Supervisor James McNeil said the majority of revenues from the wind projects in his community will offset the budget, though some funds will be kept for projects yet to be identified.

Once the money starts to roll in, he expects tensions over the siting of wind turbines in Ellenburg will begin to ease.

The town anticipates receipt of $443,400 initially.

"This," McNeil said, "is what we've worked for."

The Town of Clinton will take in about $596,500 in host-community and special-projects funds and PILOT payments by Jan. 1, 2007. Clinton County and the school districts of Chateaugay Central and Northern Adirondack don't get money as hosts or for special projects but will share in PILOT payments, as well.

Altona will establish a special fund with wind revenues, said Ross, as hedge against possible tax increases in the future and for projects town government has long wanted to see happen.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:21 PM | Permalink

JASPER HEARS WIND PLAN: FOUR SITES UNDER REVIEW BY INVENERGY:

Wind energy may be coming to Jasper.

On Tuesday night Jasper-Troupsburg High School hosted 30 area residents to hear an informational session presented by Chicago-based Invenergy representative Eric Miller.

According to Miller, the company is the third-largest builder nationally, and has established wind energy projects in other states, including Oklahoma, Texas and Montana.

Based on past wind developments, Miller gave estimations and explained different stages for a potential project in Jasper. He said each wind tower would have a height of about 400 feet, have three blades and the base would be 16 feet in diameter.

There also are four hilltop sites mapped out and considered usable due to the higher elevation. The locations that will be evaluated more closely will be Marsh Hill Road, Grass Hill, Jackson Hill and South Jackson Hill. There would be about 10 turbines per hill, Miller said.

First to spot the numerical typo in this article gets a special (as yet undetermined) prize.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:50 PM | Permalink

GOLISANO BACK IN THE GAME: COMPANY TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY-BASED WND DEVELOPMENT:

Billionaire Tom Golisano is back in the wind game.

Steve Dombert - a frequent critic of the planned Airtricity development - Friday said Golisano has formed a new company and hired an engineer to develop community-based wind farms.

“We're going to rejoin the battle,” Dombert said of the formation of Empire State Wind Energy.

Golisano first joined the wind debate while exploring a run for New York governor, then became involved with a community-based wind farm project in Perry. He also visited Hartsville and had considered lending his considerable financial support to development of a wind farm there.

Golisano's lead man on the project, Ed Rechberger, however, withdrew for personal reasons and the project stalled.

That is, until Friday.

Dombert said Empire State Wind Energy will focus on small projects, and the main focus will be plowing revenue back into the communities in which they are based.

“The idea is to turn the proceeds over to the town,” said Dombert, who said Hartsville will be just one of several areas explored by Empire State Wind Energy.

According to the organization's Web site, the newly formed wind company aims to benefit all community stockholders, including paying for “up-front” development expenses, trying to avoid payment in lieu of taxes agreements, and participating in whole and retail energy markets.

In addition, Golisano, who is the chairman of Empire State Wind Energy, has become a key figure in the wind effort to help alleviate reliance on fossil fuels, as well as helping communities have more control on the issue.

Councilman George Prior is skeptical the Golisano plan is likely to proceed. An Irish company, Airtricity, also is looking at constructing turbines the town. The company already has contracts with landowners for turbine sites, and Prior said construction could start by summer 2007.

“We're going down the road with the PILOT program and pretty far down the road,” he said. “We've never seen enough about Golisano or the community plan. We asked but it never came forward, so its hard to tell.

“Even if it were alive, I don't see how you can go back to that at this point,” Prior added.

Dombert, however, is supportive of the wind group.

“I'm interested in seeing competent and better ideas than are going on here,” he said.

Keith Pitman, chief executive officer and president of Empire State Wind Energy, did not return phone calls for comment.

Here is the new company's website. I'm curious to see how the model works.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:36 AM | Permalink

ELLENBURG TO RECEIVE MONEY YEARLY FOR WIND TURBINES:

The Ellenburg Town Council signed an agreement Monday with Noble Environmental Power to create Ellenburg Wind Park on land straddling the border separating Clinton and Ellenburg. The plan calls for 54 wind turbines, with work starting next month.

Ellenburg officials are also continuing to work with Horizon Wind Energy, though that company doesn't plan to begin constructing its wind turbines until sometime next year. It would like to set up 20 turbines.

The agreement with Noble came after a process that began more than two years ago when Ellenburg enacted laws allowing wind turbines.

Under the contract, for the next 15 years Noble will make payments in lieu of taxes in the amount of around $486,000 yearly.

The funds are to be split between Clinton County, the Town of Ellenburg and Northern Adirondack Central School.

Ellenburg would receive about $165,240 yearly, and the county $58,320. NACS will get about 54 percent of the yearly total.
...
[Town Board member Richard Pearson] said Ellenburg will receive another $243,000 annually for 15 years for agreeing to be a host community for wind turbines.

"After 15 years, this will all have to be renegotiated."

Finally, the town receives $54,000 up front, or $1,000 per turbine, as a bonus for allowing special projects in Ellenburg.

Let's see . . . 240, carry the 1 . . . why, that looks like a total annual payment of $408,240 plus the one-time payment of $54,000. Nope, no local benefit there. UPDATE: I didn't read the sentence that indicates the $54,000 special project payment is annual, so, the total annual benefit to the town is $462,240. Not bad.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:49 PM | Permalink

BUILDING A BETTER WHEEL: WIND LEGISLATION PROPOSED:

In an effort to tighten legal enforcement regarding the construction of wind turbines, the Town of Cohocton decided to delay recommendations set by the planning board.

The decision was announced Tuesday at the town board meeting, according to Supervisor Jack Zigenfus.
...
Originally, Local Law No. 1 on wind farm development was passed in 2005, he said. Since then, several suggestions have been implemented by the planning board.

“One of the biggest changes was the enforcement section for charging someone who violates the law from $250 to $1,000,” Zigenfus said.

In addition, the property insurance value section will be looked at.
...
A proposed wind farm in Cohocton will be constructed by UPC Wind Partner LLC. It calls for 41 2-megawatt turbines. Each will stand about 403-feet high.

The area will encompass more than 5,775 acres. The construction is slated for spring of 2007, and may be completed as early as October 2007.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:54 PM | Permalink

WINDMILL PLAN STIRS UP CONTROVERSY:

The wind energy company that convinced many local towns, businesses and individuals to subsidize the electricity produced from Central New York wind turbines is seeking approvals to build its first wind farm in New York.

Community Energy's Jordanville Wind Farm would have as many as 75 wind turbines on private land in Herkimer County, about 20 miles north of Cooperstown. The turbines would generate enough power for as many as 60,000 homes.

Local people paying extra for wind power are supplying some of the capital for the Jordanville Wind Farm project. Set in farm country near Glimmerglass Opera House and Otsego Lake, it has been controversial, and that controversy has reached to the Hudson Valley.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:18 PM | Permalink

What's left unsaid here is that these and the earlier rules were required by the behavior of wind-turbine opponents:

TINKER TIME:

The Hartsville town board amended several of its rules of decorum for meetings at its meeting Wednesday night.

Councilman George Prior said the changes were to be implemented to facilitate less disruptive town meetings.

“Often times questions and comments are disruptive and deter from the purpose of a board meeting, which is to conduct the business and affairs of the town,” he said. “These changes, if approved, are not to be construed as a means of muzzling the public.

“The rules are a sincere effort on behalf of the town to focus on the town's business and affairs in a time-efficient manner,” Prior added.

The changes include allowing the town board to determine whether public comment will be allowed and will include such a time frame on the agenda, and noting board members are not required to respond to public questions and comments.

A final change - allowing public comment on matters discussed by the board that are not on the agenda - was spurred by Councilwoman Mattie Parini. She was concerned residents would be prevented from commenting on or questioning board members about items raised that weren't listed on the agenda.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 11:00 PM | Permalink

Here's the latest about a moratorium designed to thwart a wind turbine project. In something of a suprise move the Town Board rejected the moratorium. What stuck out to me is that the Town Board in Cherry Valley has only three members. Most towns have five, of course. Section 160-a of the Town Law permits a town board to adopt a local law subject to permissive referendum reducing the number of boardmembers, but in no case can it be fewer than a supervisor and two councilmen, as in Cherry Valley. They must have adopted such a law. I hope.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 04:38 PM | Permalink

Beekmantown is the latest to adopt wind turbine regulations.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:52 PM | Permalink

Town of Cherry Valley: REUNION APPLICATION NOT ACCEPTED BY CV PLANNING BOARD. The report of this meeting and the behavior of some its participants rings familiar to other municipal boards who've faced windpower projects.

Town of Hartsville: GOLISANO PLAN MAY BE DEAD. No surprise there.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:06 PM | Permalink

REUNION FILES EAST HILL SITE PLAN APPLICATION:

Reunion Power is not waiting to see if there will be a moratorium in Cherry Valley.

Reunion's project manager David Little said Monday that after nearly two years, the East Hill Wind Farm site plan review application was submitted to the Cherry Valley town planning board last Friday.

Town planning board chairman Jeffrey Wait confirmed he had received the application documents from Reunion, but had not yet opened the package.

Wait said the application would not be available for review prior to the planning board meeting on Tuesday, July 18.

Little said the project, which at one time also included a second site on Cape Wycoff, would have 24 turbines.

"It is very much in line with what we have communicated to people," he said.

The East Hill facility will cover 1,200 leased acres of land from a dozen landowners. The actual footprint of the turbines is much less - about five percent, he said.

"The submission of their site plan review application is a last ditch attempt to subvert the orderly process of government here in Cherry Valley. Our supervisor had made clear to Reunion Power, both directly at public meetings and in print, that he expected them to proceed at a measured pace in order that the town might properly prepare itself. They have violated his trust," said Advocates for Cherry Valley member Andy Minnig.

Why is it that the opponents of windpower projects proclaim their opposition in such apocalyptic terms? I suspect this tendency turns off the undecided i.e. most of the community.

More of the same: HARTSVILLE WIND FARM 'CONFLICTS' RAISED; RISING ATTORNEY FEES DRAW SCRUTINY

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:35 PM | Permalink

DEVELOPER SAYS WIND PROJECT WILL LOWER COSTS:

The battle over wind turbines in Cherry Valley is heating up, with the developer, Reunion Power, of Manchester, Vt., proposing to reduce electricity bills in the town and opponents calling for an 18-month moratorium on wind projects.

On Thursday, David Little, Reunion’s project manager in Cherry Valley, said the firm is working out an agreement with a large electrical supplier to offer town residents a reduction of 25 percent on the cost of purchasing their electric power.

"We want to offer something to everyone in the town beyond the PILOT agreement that would benefit the town and school district," Little said. Last week, Reunion announced that it is prepared to pay at least $300,000 a year to the Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School District, Otsego County and the town of Cherry Valley.

Over a 20-year period, the company estimates this payment-in-lieu-of-taxes proposal would provide about $7.5 million.

On Thursday afternoon, Little said the company has nearly concluded an agreement with "a well-known company" that would give all customers of that company in Cherry Valley a 25 percent reduction on the portion of their electric bills that covers the cost of buying power.

The agreement would not affect the cost of transmitting electricity to customers. For all town residents to receive the reduction in electrical costs, they would need to become customers of that company, he said.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:13 PM | Permalink

COMPANY OFFERS CASH FOR CV WIND POWER:

Reunion Power has proposed paying at least $300,000 a year in lieu of taxes if it is allowed to build 24 wind turbines in Cherry Valley.

David Little, project manager of the firm’s proposed Cherry Valley Wind Farm, said the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement (PILOT) would be administered by the Otsego County Industrial Development Agency.

"We think it’s a generous offer, and we hope the people of Cherry Valley do, too," Little said.

The proposal would likely generate $375,000 a year to be split by the town of Cherry Valley, the Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School District and Otsego County, Little said.

"The agreement has a floor of $300,000 a year, and then the community would share in the upside of the project," Little said. The more wind energy produced in Cherry Valley, the more money the community would receive.

Reunion estimates the PILOT will produce $375,000 annually, or about $7.5 million over 20 years.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

WIND ENERGY PROGRAMS LAUNCHED BY SOUTHERN TIER:

Southern Tier West has established a program to help local officials develop wind farms and wind energy programs.

The organization, a regional planning and development board in the Southern Tier, developed the wind energy local government support program in conjunction with the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority.

The group will provide education, outreach and technical assistance, focusing on towns who rely on part-time officials and volunteers for development efforts.

According to Southern Tier West, New York ranks No. 15 in the nation for wind energy potential, with Western New York home to the top five counties in the state. Already, there is one operational wind farm in the region in Wethersfield, one in Bliss preparing for construction and others entering the planning phase.

For additional information, go to www.southerntierwest.org.

Go to the story for hotlinks.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:57 PM | Permalink

HUNDREDS TURN OUT FOR WIND-FARM JOB FAIR:

Noble Environmental Power's wind-farm job fair drew a crowd of 350-plus, packing the Rainbow Wedding and Banquet Hall and lining up vehicles both sides of Devil's Den Road for a good quarter-mile.

The wind-energy company, with turbine farms planned for the towns of Clinton, Ellenburg and Altona, expects to hire about three-dozen employees for the national operations center to be established here.

"We are very committed to hiring from Clinton County and the North Country," Managing Director Dan Haas announced, standing beneath a glittering chandelier clad in a florescent-yellow work vest.
...

The site for the operations center will be selected within 60 days, he said, in either Clinton or Franklin county.

From that facility, Noble would conduct operations for all its farms, which are presently located in six states with a total 244 turbines planned for this year and 300 more in 2007.

All projects would be run via an Internet connection staffed around the clock, Haas said, and the facility would handle such responsibilities as daily crew assignments, both local and remote, and serve as support center, performing such duties as payroll.

Parts for the massive turbines would be stored here as well.
...
Some jobs require wind-energy experience, with preference given not only to locals but North Country natives who want to move back home.

The firm needs board operators and administrative staff as well as operation-and-maintenance workers who don't require high-elevation experience.

"These are long-term, what we believe to be, very good jobs," Haas said.

Entry-level jobs, Haas said, would pay between $15 and $20 an hour.

Poor schlubs. Apparently they don't understand there are no community benefits from these projects.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:27 PM | Permalink

WIND-FARM LAW PASSES:

The 15 or so people in attendance applauded Wednesday night when the Malone Town Council adopted a local law that severely restricts the construction of wind towers.

Language in the unanimously passed law limits tower heights to 85 feet on non-agricultural land and 100 feet for property within an ag district as long as the power generated is used for on-site consumption.

Person after person stood to praise the members for their courage in adopting the measure that takes effect as soon as it is on file with the Secretary of State's Office in Albany.

No wind-energy companies have proposed a project in the Town of Malone, but there are plans under way in several sites in Clinton County and a formal plan could be presented to the Town of Brandon in the coming months from Noble Environmental Power.
...
Beth Moshier offered appreciation for "your high level of integrity" and "for not selling out." John McCarthy, who is a member of the town's Planning Board, said he was opposed to wind-farm operations because there are no clear benefits to the town or its people, adding that the country's reliance on foreign oil needs to be addressed.

The lone audience member who spoke in favor of future wind projects was Tom Schultz, a Malone artist, who said the Maple Ridge Wind Project he sees in the Lewis County Town of Lowville "is very beautiful" and that the people who live near them have no complaints.

I imagine the people of Lewis County think the annual $8,000,000 PILOT payment from the Maple Ridge project is a clear benefit.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

AIRTIRCITY GIVES UPDATES AMID OUTBURSTS:

There was a lot of wind filling the Canisteo-Greenwood High School auditorium Wednesday night, but it wasn't from Airtricity representatives giving an update on their company's Hartsville and Hornellsville project.

Project Manager Bob Sherwin had to contend with rude audience members throughout his presentation, both during his project update and the question-and-answer period. At one point Steve Dombert - who was sitting more than halfway back from the front of the auditorium - asked Sherwin to speak up. When he attempted to do so and Dombert still couldn't hear him, the request for Sherwin to speak louder came up again.

“You could also move closer to the front,” said Sherwin, who was speaking without a microphone.

“Why don't you just speak up,” responded Dombert, a Hartsville resident who with Rochester billionaire B. Thomas Golisano has promoted a community-based wind farm.

Throughout the meeting, Sherwin was interrupted numerous times by audience members. He also had to contend with Brian O'Neil of WLEA-AM and WCKR-FM - who was attempting to record his comments for a sound bite - and asked him to back up and give him a little space. During the question-and-answer period, Sherwin was asked if O'Neil was causing him to not speak up. He said O'Neil was invading his space, to which O'Neil said he needed to get his sound bites.

There also was a back-and-forth between O'Neil and several members of the audience, and he was asked to sit down - he had been standing next to Sherwin with his microphone out - and get out of the way.

“I need to get my sound bites,” O'Neil replied, but he did sit in the front row for the remainder of the meeting.

It's a dismaying trend in public discourse these days for people to act as if passionate beliefs give them a license to be rude and disrespectful of anyone who takes a different, usually less extreme view. My (limited) experience wih partisan debates is that the party that refuses to respect the other is usually the one with the weaker argument.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 05:52 PM | Permalink

Herkimer County: COUNTY EXTENDS PACT WITH WINDMILL CONSULTANT

Suffolk: BLOWING IN THE WIND

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:17 AM | Permalink

TOWN EYES TOWER PLAN:

An Irish company wants to build 20 to 30 electricity-generating wind turbines atop a mountain near Lake Desolation in the town of Greenfield.

The question is, do people in Greenfield want wind turbines in their town?

'It's hard to say no to renewable energy,' Supervisor Al Janik said. 'I think we need to move toward renewable energy, but is this the right place for it?'

Janik hopes to know more about that question following an informational meeting tonight on Airtricity's proposal for the far northwestern corner of the town. The meeting is set for 7 at the Greenfield Community Center, next door to Town Hall on Wilton-Greenfield Road.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:18 PM | Permalink

WIND TURBINE FIRM FILES COMPLAINT:

A Buffalo-area wind turbine company has filed a complaint, saying the town’s six-month extension on its wind turbine moratorium unlawfully prevents the firm from building the electricity substation it would need for its Steuben County generators.

The substation that Ecogen LLC plans to build on Emerson Road is needed to connect electricity produced by the 30 wind turbine generators proposed for Prattsburg and 23 turbines proposed in Italy.

Tom Hagner, owner/manager of Ecogen, said the substation doesn’t qualify to be included in the moratorium because it doesn’t pose an imminent threat.

“I don’t know what hazard results from a substation,” Hagner said.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:32 AM | Permalink

Today's Hornell Evening Tribune has a neat picture of the balloon used to prepare photosimulations for a windpower project in the Town of Howard:

See picture here

The caption reads: "Representatives from EverPower, Inc. were in Howard Wednesday sending up test balloons to show how tall the proposed wind turbines will be. Photos were taken of the balloons while they were in flight so computer-generated images of the wind turbines can be produced. EverPower, Inc., contacted the Town of Howard in late 2004 and construction could begin this year with operation possible in 2007 if approval is given. The project would involve 20-30 turbines producing between 50-70 megawatts of power."

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 02:34 PM | Permalink

As expected, the town has adopted a one-year moratorium on windpower projects to develop its regulations.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:25 AM | Permalink

HARTSVILLE BOARD CALLS MEETINGS:TO ORDER:

Six months of tense wind farm debate has divided in the Town of Hartsville and led the town board to adopt rules of decorum.

Supervisor Amy Emerson regretted the need for the rules, but said larger numbers of attendees at board meetings made maintaining order difficult.

“I've asked repeatedly for people to speak one at a time and to address the board only,” she said. “That has not worked, and at the March meeting I was overwhelmed by the disrespect I received when I tried to call the meeting back to order.

“Tonight I am asking the board to officially enact some rules of procedure,” Emerson said during Wednesday's meeting. “At a special meeting March 27, we tried a procedure used by the Hornellsville town board - having the public questions written down - it worked relatively well, and I think once everyone gets the hang of it, it will work really well for us.”

Among the list of rules for procedure at meetings, questions are now required to be written down and addressed to the board, and must relate to the purpose of the meeting. It also requires questions to be asked courteously, and personal remarks will not be allowed.
...
“A meeting of the town board is a serious matter, and under the open meeting law the public has a right to attend town board meetings,” Emerson said. “The public may not participate in the meeting except upon invitation from the board.

“The law does not require town boards to set time aside at regular town meetings for public comment; public participation is the purpose of a public hearing,” she added. “Some residents may feel the rules enacted by the town board have unconstitutionally limited their right to free speech; however, the limitations on public participation is to ensure many speakers, questions and points of view may be expressed, and the board reserves the right to limit for content and length.”

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 05:51 PM | Permalink

The latest wind turbine moratorium.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 12:22 PM | Permalink

DELAWARE TOWNS NEAR VOTE ON WIND-FARM DELAYS

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 07:03 PM | Permalink

LAWSUIT FILED TO HALT WIND TURBINES:

Local people who argue that wind turbines do not belong in the residential neighborhoods that dot the hills of Steuben and Yates counties filed suit Friday in hopes of stopping the construction of 53 turbines in the towns of Prattsburg and Italy.

A group called Advocates for Prattsburg is formally challenging the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency's December decision to approve an environmental impact statement prepared by wind turbine developer Ecogen LLC.
...
The environmental review is the first major regulatory hurdle in constructing a wind development. Before construction begins, Ecogen would also need to acquire final permits from local and state agencieLast year, Advocates for Prattsburg unsuccessfully petitioned for a 20-month moratorium to allow further study before any wind developments were approved. Members also ran for local political office, but were unable to gain a foothold on the Town Board.

Now, with construction moving forward, they have used a provision of New York law that allows citizens to challenge governmental agencies when they believe that data does not support a final decision.
...

Steuben County Industrial Development Authority Executive Director James Sherron cited the four-volume EIS, which included thousands of pages of research, in saying that he believed Ecogen made its case to the authority. "We followed the process and developed a response to all the issues," Sherron said..

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:18 AM | Permalink

GOLISANO LAYS OUT ALTERNATIVE WIND PLAN: PROPOSAL SAYS COMMUNITY COULD MAKE $125,000 PER TURBINE ANNUALLY:

A community-based wind farm would be a cash cow for the community.

That was the message at a meeting Thursday night at the Arkport Central School Performing Arts Center, arranged by Hartsville resident Steve Dombert. Dombert was initially opposed to any wind farm coming to Hartsville, but is now urging the town board to look at a community-owned project.

With the help of Rochester billionaire B. Thomas Golisano; Ed Rechberger, Perry community-based wind farm leader; and Keith Pitman, a utility engineering specialist, Dombert organized the meeting to present an alternative to a wind farm constructed by Ireland-based Airtricity. The Hartsville town board has approved the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency to act as lead agency in PILOT negotiations with the company.
...
With companies like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Florida Power and Electric behind other projects in the state, Golisano said communities should try to develop its own projects.

“Why should we give it away?” he said. “Why should we let companies reap the reward of our wind?”

“Why not develop it and harvest it ourselves?” Golisano added.

According to the figures presented, a 2 megawatt turbine costs about $3 million to construct, which would result in approximately $90,000 in taxes per year for each turbine. With Payments in Lieu of Taxes agreements, Golisano said, the owners do not have to pay property taxes.

“The PILOT being offered compared to property taxes is much smaller,” he said.
*

The $3 million per turbine includes the purchase of the turbine, construction, road work, legal costs, and any other costs that would be incurred, Golisano said. He then outlined the estimated annual revenue per turbine at $575,000 - $375,000 for sale of the electricity produced, $100,000 from the federal power tax credit and $100,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

As for other costs, Golisano said the average maintenance cost - which includes land lease costs - would be $50,000 per turbine, giving each turbine a $525,000 pre-debt cash flow. The debt service on each turbine would be about $400,000 per year.

“Let's assume that the turbine is an asset like a house which has a mortgage,” Golisano said. “The $3 million turbine will be paid for over 10 years that - with interest - would be approximately $400,000.”

Based on those figures, the after debt cash flow would be $125,000 per turbine for the first 10 years.
“Multiply that by 30 (turbines) and it's almost $4 million per year,” Golisano said, “but things get really interesting in year 11.”

After 10 years, he said, the debt service would be paid off, and the power tax credits and NYSERDA grants would be done, leaving the revenues at $375,000 for the sale of power. Figuring in an increase in maintenance costs to $75,000 would bring in about $300,000 per turbine per year after year 10, Golisano said. The estimated figures were developed using current costs and prices, he added.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:13 AM | Permalink

The Towns of Springfield and Canisteo are the latest to consider moratoria

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 07:12 PM | Permalink

Business First of Buffalo has an article today that touches on several of the wind turbine projects proposed in Western New York and the inevitable controversies surrounding them.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:17 PM | Permalink

BEEKMANTOWN RESIDENTS ORGANIZE TO COMBAT WIND POWER:

Residents are looking to blow back the wind-power project proposed for the Rand Hill Road area.

"We're trying to have some sort of organization process, rather than everybody going every other way," said Tom Flynn, who served as chairperson for a meeting of the residents this week.

Breaking up into small committees, property owners of the Rand Hill Road area organized to find a way to combat the proposed wind-power project of Windhorse Power LLC.

Representatives of Save Upstate New York, a citizens activist group, attended the meeting, which was held in the meeting room of Beekmantown Town Offices.
...

One committee's primary purpose was to continue the search for a lawyer, both for legal advice and for the possibility that an Article 78 lawsuit against the town might be necessary.

Save Upstate New York is a citizens group that says it works toward the education of individuals and authorities concerning the effects of wind power on a community and residents. The organization was represented by Ann Brinton at the Beekmantown meeting.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 05:59 PM | Permalink