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Wind Energy

March 4, 2005

The following is a summary of the issues, opportunities and potential solutions related wind energy generation that were raised by participants of the regional roundtable discussion on March 4, 2005 and does not reflect the views/opinions of the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council:

 Participants: 

Organization

First Name

Last Name

Title

Advocates For Prattsburgh

John

Servo

President

City of Rochester

Larry

Stid

Director of Planning

Ecogen, LLC

Thomas

Hagner

Manager

FLEDGE

Bill

Howard

Member

Harbec Plastics

Bob

Bechtold

President

LaBella Associates

Rick

VanVertloh

Environmental Engineer

Monroe County Cornell Cooperative Extension

Bob

King

Agriculture Specialist

Monroe County Legislature

Wayne

Zyra

President

Nixon Peabody LLP

Bob

Burgdorf

 

NYS Assembly, 130th District

Joseph

Errigo

Assemblyman

NYS Assembly, 135th District

Dennis

O'Brien

Rep. for Assemblyman David Koon

NYS DEC, Division of Env. Permits

Jack

Nasca

Chief, Energy Unit

NYS DEC, Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resource

Mark

Woythal

Windpower Avian Impact Coordinator

NYS Department of Ag & Markets

Matt

Brower

Agriculture Specialist

NYS Department of State

Lori

Heithoff

Land Use Training Manager

NYS Senate, 56th District

Joseph

Robach

Senator

NYSERDA

Jeff

Peterson

Energy Resources Program Manager

Senator Volker, NYS Senate, 59th District

Joan

Harrison

Representative

Seneca County Planning Department

Glenn

Cooke

Director

Seneca County Tourism

Phyllis

Motill

Director

Sierra Club - NY Chapter

Hugh

Mitchell

Conservation Chair

Sierra Club, Rochester Regional Group

Bob

Siegel

Energy Committee Chair

Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc.

Kevin

Schulte

Vice-President, Consulting

Town of Alabama

Guy

Hinkson

Supervisor

Town of Castile

Edwin

Gozelski

Supervisor

Town of Conesus

Graham

Barson

 

Town of Conesus

Tawn

Feeney

Comprehensive Planning Committee

Town of Covington

Jerry

Davis

Supervisor

Town of Fenner

Russ

Cary

Supervisor

Town of Italy

Tom

Tyo

Zoning Committee Chair

Town of Italy

Sande

Johnson

Zoning Committee Member

Town of Italy

Bob

Pearce

Zoning Committee Member

Town of Italy

Amanda

Gorton

Town Board Member

Town of Italy

Vince

Johnson

Zoning Committee Member

Town of Romulus

Dan

Motill

Planning Board Member

Town of Romulus

Barry

Roach

Planning Board Member

Town of Romulus

David

Kaiser

Supervisor

Town of Romulus

Tom

Bouchard

Planning Board Member

Town of Sheldon

John

Knab

Supervisor

Town of South Bristol

Daniel

Marshall

Supervisor

Town of South Bristol

Jim

Schartzer

Planning Board Vice-Chairman

Town of Springwater

Mark

Walker

Supervisor

Town of Springwater Preservation Committee

Carolyn

Tinney

 

Town of Springwater Preservation Committee

Robert

Radell

 

Town of Stafford

David

Vicary

 

Town of Stafford

Robert

Clement

 

Town of Varick

Bill

Larzelere

 

Town of Williamson

Wilma

Young

 

Town of Williamson

James

Hoffman

Supervisor

U.S. Congress, 25th District of NY

Nora

Keane-Yancey

Rep. for Congressman Walsh

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development

Scott

Collins

Assistant to the State Director

UPC Wind Management, LLC

Christopher

Swartley

Development Manager

Village of Naples Board of Trustees

Steve

Lewandowski

Trustee

Wayne County Industrial Development Agency

Margaret

Churchill

Director

Wayne County Planning Dept

Sharon

Lilla

Director of Planning

Wyoming Co. Bd. Of Supervisors

Anne

Humphrey

Vice-Chair

Young / Sommer LLC

Valerie

Strauss

WindPower NY, American Wind Energy Association

Issues and Opportunities:

Height of Towers:

  • Average wind speeds increase as tower height increases

  • Commercially sized (1.5 megawatt turbines) are approximately 400 feet tall with the blade in an upright position

  • Height will require to follow FAA lighting regulations

Scenic Impact:

  • Windy locations in our region (hilltops and shorelines) are also some of the most scenic

  • Assessment of  scenic viewsheds should be incorporated into siting considerations

  • Is very difficult to quantify into a measurable value

Property Values:

  • Home owners neighboring proposed project sites fear decrease in property value based on the sight, noise, lighting of wind towers

  • May 2003 Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) study, “The Effect of Wind Development on Local Property Values” (exit this site) showed that there was no adverse impact on property values on within a 5-mile radius of 10MW installed capacity or greater windfarms

  • Process used to sign up for leases is not well known

  • Better public education of the potential impacts on communities is needed - landowners in many communities being approached by developers may not know what’s at stake

  • Proper sighting can alleviate potential decrease in property value to neighboring residents.

Construction Disturbances:

  • Runoff during construction phases could contaminate ground water wells

  • Actual footprint of projects is minimal (1/2 acre per tower ave) after the tower is built

  • Temporary roads for construction equipment

NYS Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)

  • New York State Public Service Commission adopted a proposal in Feb, 2005 calling for at least 25% of total electrical power generation in NYS to come from renewable resources by 2013

  • Wind energy could provide up to 3,000 MWs of power under the RPS

  • Development of other renewable power sources in the RPS include hydroelectric, biomass, fuel cells and solar energy

  • The goal of the RPS is to reduce our consumption of nonrenewable resources for energy production by creating diversity in the state’s electricity production portfolio

Reliability of Wind Power

  • Seasonal concerns with wind generation – highest wind potential in the winter, but largest electrical consumption is during the summer

  • Wind energy generation will displace fossil-fuel production of our state’s energy needs and reduce emissions, however, traditional power plants will still be needed

  • For more information on how wind energy effects the operation of the NYS power grid refer to GE Power System’s report, “Effect of Integrating Wind Power on Transmission System Planning, Reliability, and Operations" (exit this site)

Farmland Preservation:

  • It appears that there are compatible land-uses between agriculture and wind power

  • In order to preserve agriculture, it needs to be profitable, wind power can help farmers to preserve land and continue farming

  • Land-leases to wind energy developers is a way of producing year round income with a small actual footprint

  • Madison County has addressed wind development as a way to preserve farmland

  • NYS Dept of Ag and Markets & Cornell Cooperative Extension have been researching feasibility of “wind as agriculture”

  • Agricultural tourism / ecotourism potentia