Cohocton Wind Watch

Companies poised to profit from state wind-power push

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:25:37 -0400

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.

Schools await windfarm money decision

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:17:27 -0400

Just how tax payments from a windfarm development in Prattsburgh should be divided was argued last week before state Supreme Court Judge Peter Bradstreet.

No decision was made in a lawsuit filed by the Prattsburgh and Naples school districts against a payment-in-lieu of taxes agreement approved by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA) in January. Bradstreet’s office said there is no timetable on when a ruling will be made.

UPC Wind changes its name to First Wind

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:15:53 -0400

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

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:14:48 -0400

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

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:11:01 -0400

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

Naples to get windmill windfall

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:53:50 -0400

The company building two wind farms in Cohocton will contribute $50,000 for restoration work at Memorial Town Hall in Naples.

The Town Board voted unanimously last week to accept the cash; otherwise, it would go back to Cohocton for historic preservation projects there.

The $50,000 is part of $200,000 UPC Wind agreed to set aside to compensate for the effect modern wind towers would have on the historic character of the area. Naples qualified for a share because one of the Cohocton turbines is visible when driving south through Naples on Main Street.

Howard wind hearing draws few residents

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:28:44 -0400

Has the controversy over wind power blown away in Howard?

Fewer than 20 residents came out to a Steuben County Industrial Development Agency hearing Thursday evening on a proposed Payment In Lieu of Taxes Agreement with EverPower Renewables, a New York-based company planning to build 25 wind turbines south of Howard. Two people made comments to SCIDA Executive Director James Sherron.

By comparison, a similar hearing in Cohocton Jan. 18, a Friday morning meeting, was attended by more than 50 residents, with 20 making comments to SCIDA.

Morristown officials considering tower to collect wind data

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:40:18 -0400

Town officials have discussed erecting a tower to measure the wind coming off the St. Lawrence River.

Town Supervisor Frank L. Putman said the town’s wind power committee believes the data could reveal that Morristown has a good wind source and that a wind farm is viable here. A cost estimate for the tower wasn’t available.

Wind power developers haven’t really focused their attention on Morristown, town officials said. Good readings from the tower could entice companies to build here. The economic benefits of a wind farm have caught the attention of town leaders.

Cohocton residents complain about country roads

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:58:52 -0400

Big trucks carrying thousands of pounds on dirt roads can cause big road problems, as Cohocton highway Superintendent Tom Simons knows well.

At this week's Cohocton town board meeting, several residents complained about the conditions of the roads to Simons.

Repairing the roads, however, has been an on-going process for wind turbine contractor Mortenson Construction, Simons said. Mortenson is the main contractor on the 50-turbine industrial wind development on Pine, Lent and Dutch hills by UPC Wind Management.

Meredith passes law banning turbines

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:05:59 -0400

Applause filled the room Tuesday night after a vote by the Meredith Town Board to adopt a local law banning industrial wind turbines.

About 50 people were at the Delaware County Office Building boardroom for a public hearing on the proposed law. The comments were generally in favor of the ordinance.

Meredith residents went to the polls in November and elected three board members who ran on a campaign promise of rescinding the town's wind-energy law and adopting a law banning industrial wind. Officials have said small wind projects would not be banned.