Citizens for Responsible Energy Development
New York has been inundated with proposals to build wind turbines and wind turbine ‘farms’ or ‘parks’. Unfortunately, most of us (and our local governments) only hear from the power companies. Many of our local governments make decisions based on one-sided input, in undue haste and without input from informed citizens. Many of these decisions are essentially made before public hearings and, by the time the citizens have the opportunity to voice their concerns, the issue is essentially closed.
CRED will endeavor to provide you with information on this critical issue via our web site www.credny.org e-mail, local media outlets and, hopefully, public meetings. We will provide you with addresses/phone numbers for our local, state and federal officials. And we will give you links to other wind energy sites.
CRED will also raise concerns regarding critical issues that we feel are being shorted, such as (but not limited to): placement of the turbines, size of the turbines, noise, noise measurement methodology, financial impact on home and property value, financial benefits in favor of the power companies, impact on the water table, loss of state subsidies, abandonment of turbines, and penalties (if any) if turbine companies fail to maintain standards (such as noise levels).
Companies poised to profit from state wind-power push
Determining which way the wind blows has rarely been as important to a politician as it is to Gov. David Paterson. Paterson’s ambitious goal of increasing renewable energy to 25 percent of New York’s power by 2013 will hinge on wind turbines.
Since most of New York’s renewable energy comes from hydroelectric power plants with little capacity to grow, and the pace of growth in solar energy has gone at less than light speed, with only 15 megawatts of installed capacity to date, the wind industry will likely account for most of the desired growth in so-called clean energy.
UPC Wind changes its name to First Wind
A Newton wind-power company says it has changed its name from UPC Wind to First Wind to better reflect its approach to building, owning and running wind farms in North America.
First Wind officials said the name change, already in effect, would have no impact on the day-to-day operations, organizational structure or the ownership of the company, and the firm plans to remain focused on projects in the Northeast as well as on the West Coast and Hawaii.
PUC Chair resigns for wind-power job
Kurt Adams has resigned as chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission to join the wind-power company behind the Mars Hill and Stetson Mountain wind power projects.
Adams, who has served as chair of the PUC since 2005, will become senior vice president of transmission for First Wind, formerly known as UPC Wind, a wind development company based in Newton, Mass., according to a press release from the company.
Subsidies Rate Table
From the Executive Summary of the report
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/subsidy2/pdf/execsum.pdf, pdf page 6 of 8. That page includes a table of subsidies paid per mwh of generation. A quick summary (subset) below:
Coal is paid $.44 per mwh
Nat. Gas: $.25 per mwh
Biomass: $.89 per mwh
Nuclear: $1.59 per mwh
Hydro: $.67 per mwh
Solar: $24.34 per mwh
Landfill gas: $1.37 per mwh
Wind: $23.37 per mwh
Zoning closer to reality in Charlotte
A zoning law for the town of Charlotte was pushed closer recently after a lengthy meeting during which the Town Board reviewed and accepted the final draft of the proposed zoning program.
With plans for a wind turbine development confined to the wings until zoning is in place, officials say they are hopeful the law can be enacted in June.
The Town Board capped the two-hour review with an authorization of the municipality’s attorney, William Duncanson, to complete the required State Environmental Quality Review.
NYSERDA Announces Renewable Energy Initiatives
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has launched two initiatives that will help strengthen the evolving renewable energy arena in New York. These initiatives grew out of the efforts and recommendations of Lt. Gov. David Paterson's Renewable Energy Task Force.
First, New York is initiating a $6 million clean-energy workforce training initiative. NYSERDA will invest more than $4 million in a range of clean energy sectors, including small wind and biogas energy systems. An additional $2 million is included in the governor's executive budget targeted at developing the solar workforce through programs at community colleges across New York State.
Support S4608 ALESI
TITLE....Establishes the New York state task force on wind generating facilities siting and permitting policies
04/19/07 REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
01/09/08 REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUMMARY:
ALESI, FLANAGAN, MORAHAN, PADAVAN, RATH, SEWARD, YOUNG
Establishes the New York state task force on wind generating facilities siting and permitting policies to study the need to implement a uniform statewide policy regarding the siting and permitting of wind energy production facilities; further establishes an 18 month moratorium upon the siting and permitting of wind energy production facilities; repeals such provisions effective December 31, 2008.
Wayland-Cohocton School District January 28, 2008 Letter by James Hall
January 28, 2008
Wayland-Cohocton Central School Board
2350 Rte 63 N
Wayland, NY 14572
RE: UPC SCIDA PILOT approval not required for Wayland-Cohocton School District
Dear School Board members:
Submitted this date to the Wayland-Cohocton School Board the following documents:
1) Press Release January 10, 2008 from attorney David Miller
2) List of SCIDA Board members and their home addresses
Bethany Wind Turbine Committee's January Report
I have obtained a copy of Bethany's "final" wind report. You can download it at http://www.effierover.com/downloads/ReportFinal.pdf
Don't know at this time if the town will offer it on their website (they usually do) or what the general reaction is.
Committee researches legalizing backyard wind turbines
ITHACA — Current code in the Town of Ithaca makes it impossible for individual homeowners to install wind turbines on their property, but that may change soon, said Cathy Valentino, town supervisor and a member of the Codes and Ordinances Committee.
The committee has been researching the issue of small wind-energy facilities for around four months, Valentino said, and committee members have a draft of a law to make installation and ownership of the facilities legal.
