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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: 

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 potential: charging a fee to take a tour of a wind farm  has revenue generating potential; municipalities w/existing wind farms have been experiencing a high demand for tours

Land-Use Regulations:

• Many of the towns being approached by wind developers do not currently have land –use regulations to control the types of development that occurs

• What kind of zoning power do municipalities have over siting wind power?

• Currently a number of municipalities have moratoriums to create land-use regs/model ordinances; however, it may take a court case to decide if this is legal

• Developing these projects goes across town boundaries and county lines

Avian Impact:

• Migratory routes need be considered in the site plan proposal (required in the permitting process)

• NYS DEC & Audubon Society are actively researching the potential impact on birds/bats

SEQR process:

• Residents, concerned citizens, other agencies, organizations can provide comments during scoping phases

• NYSERDA has been the lead agency by default in some cases

Financial Benefits to Community

• Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) from the wind energy companies to the municipalities

• Case study in Toronto shows that wind energy has reduced the cost of power

• Town of Fenner receives $5,000 per rated megawatt (30 megawatt capacity project)

• The primary driving force is the economy and the price is inflated above market rate

Maintenance and Longevity:

• Life span of machinery is currently 25-30 years before needing rebuild; infrastructure is completely re-useable.

• Few people employed on-site to maintain system, most monitoring done remotely

• Noise and safety issues could arise if not properly maintained; long-term commitment from the owner is important

Possible Solutions:

Establish Developer / Municipality Relationship:

• Combined effort to develop zoning to regulate the siting of wind development where it does not already exist

• Developers need to show how the project will benefit the town and how potential impacts will be minimized

• Effective public meetings can provide open communication between the developer, the town and residents

• Developer to land owner agreements without municipal guidance can lead to divided communities and distrust

Zoning / Land-Use Laws:

• Wind development is currently proposed in number of towns without zoning

• Without zoning, land-owners may be unprotected / unaware of impacts

• Can provide balance between the desires of wind developers and what is in the best  interest of the community

• Property rights groups may play role in deciding if zoning and regulation will be more acceptable than the unregulated wind development

• Moratoriums have been used to develop land-use laws that municipalities can use to regulate wind farm development

Inter-Municipal Cooperation:

• Proposed projects and site-planning issues are likely to cross municipal boundaries

• For example: viewsheds that are identified in one municipality are comprised of land in neighboring municipalities

• The sheer size of these projects can overwhelm the small towns, especially since we are a home rule state, working collaboratively on the issues can help ease this strain

Take a Proactive approach:

• Address local energy consumption and production in a comprehensive plan

• Gain feedback from the public early on; one community held a number of public meetings over 2-year period (far before the SEQR process started)

• Take the time to familiarize yourself with the issues before projects are proposed

• Planning boards should look at model ordinances

Develop a better understanding of the SEQR process:

• SEQR is not a permit, it’s a review process

• Discretionary approval is required: if there are no zoning or land use regulations, the town will not qualify to be an involved agency in the SEQR review

• Encourage the community to participate in the public hearings & open comment periods

State Level / Legislative Involvement:

• Considerable strain on smaller municipalities with part time supervisors/mayors; don’t have the capacity or the money to bring in a consultant

• State agencies and lawmakers attempt to develop guidelines, not dictate or mandate

• NYSERDA has developed guidance document called “Wind Power Development - A Guide For Local Authorities in NYS" (exit this site)

• DEC, DOS, Ag & Markets is also active in developing guidelines 

• There is a general lack of any central, credible source of information for municipalities looking for information about wind development

Learn from the cell tower issue:

• The legislature passed an item when cell towers were becoming an issue

• DOS worked with consultants to create a publication for municipalities about how to deal with the issue

• As with a cell tower law, the wind development must be done through home rule authority (the state would rather see it accomplished through a comprehensive plan)

• Municipalities can develop a licensing law

Resources Sharing:

• Engineered studies that address the issues raised today should be made available through a central source

• NYS DOS can post resources providing guidance for land-use laws regulating wind Power on their website

• DEC looks at the avian impacts of wind turbines

• NYISO’s interconnection queue provides a comprehensive list of interconnection proposals, including proposed commercial wind farm projects

Education Opportunities:

• Further educational opportunities are needed for the public to understand the benefits/impact of wind power

• Need for an education center at existing / future wind farms, current municipal staff are overwhelmed with requests for information and tours

• NYS Ag & Markets (Matt Brower) can provide a power point presentation for agricultural communities

Conclusions/Next Steps:

• There is a large potential for a number of commercial wind energy production projects within region; need to be kept aware of what’s going on throughout the region

• Communities need to take a proactive approach to this issue, work together to share knowledge and resources

• Look at examples of European countries such as Denmark and Germany, that have had the large percentage of wind power projects globally

• Credible resources can be submitted to G/FLRPC and posted on-line

• The first major project in the State, Fenner’s wind farm (on-line since October, 2000) has overall been a positive asset to the community. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit the site. The best way to get a feel for large scale wind development is to stand beside it.

• A session on “Local Regulation of Wind Energy Systems” will be presented by Lori Heitoff, NYSDOS at the G/FLRPC Spring Local Government Workshop on Friday May 13, 2005 at the Burgundy Basin Inn, Pittsford, NY (registration required by May 6, 2005)

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Last Modified:  September 15, 2010