Wind project online
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By Bob Clark
The Evening Tribune
Fri Jan 02, 2009, 11:09 AM EST
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Atlanta, N.Y. -
More than three years of planning, negotiations, construction and lawsuits are now at an end.
But it’s a new beginning in Cohocton, as the latest green power generating station starts cranking out the megawatts of power.
According to Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus, the 50-turbine industrial wind development north of Cohocton is up and running.
“It’s my understanding they are indeed selling power to the grid,” he said.
The project’s operational status also means the town received almost $1 million from developer First Wind.
“By the end of the day (Wednesday), they transferred the money,” Zigenfus added.
The payment came as promised, he said, but there was a fear that it might not come.
“I was a little nervous,” the supervisor said. “Nervous as the economy kept going downhill.”
As the economy continued to slide, he said, several large banks needed bailouts from the federal government this fall, including some that fund wind developments, causing some developments to be shut down or delayed indefinitely — including the project First Wind is considering in neighboring Prattsburgh.
While Zigenfus did not belive it would be implemented, he prepared a contingency budget that did not include the payment from First Wind, just in case.
“I always like to have a backup plan,” he said.
If the project was not online, Zigenfus said, the company would not have had to make the payment. On the other hand, he said, the company would have lost much of its subsidies from various agencies — the subsidies that helped bring the project to town.
As the blades spin, Zigenfus said he wants to look at what the town can do to improve itself with its revenue stream.
“Now we’ll look for other things to fix up,” he said, adding the town highway department shop is under an engineering review to see what improvements can be made, or if a replacement is needed.
The town and county highway departments also are getting ready to fix the last of the roads damaged by the huge turbines, Zigenfus added.
“The remainder of those are going to be done in the spring,” he said, adding many repairs to roads were completed this summer on First Wind’s dime.
The other step remaining is to keep an ear on the turbines.
“We’re going to set up our noise monitoring system,” Zigenfus said. The town board approved to contract the monitoring to Massachusetts-based firm Tech Environmental at the board’s Nov. 17 meeting.
The few odd and ends represent the completion of more than three years of headaches and development.
The firm — then known as UPC Wind — began developing the project in 2005. In 2006, the town board approved two laws regulating wind energy.
After the first law was passed, the project came under fire from several quarters, including officials of area school districts who felt they do not receive enough money from the project, union officials who wanted local workers building the turbines, Congressman-elect Eric Massa for a lack of oversight and town residents opposed to the developments.
The opposing residents formed the group Cohocton Wind Watch and filed five lawsuits against the town in connection to the project and the local laws that enabled it to begin. All of the lawsuits were dismissed, with the last being thrown out Sept. 16, 2008.
A sixth lawsuit, involving the Naples and Prattsburgh school districts over the distribution of funds from Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements, is still in court.
The first bulldozer went rolling through the farmlands on Dutch, Lent and Pine hills on Sept. 18, 2007, with tower construction commencing in November. Construction on the first two towers on Dutch Hill were finished a year ago Saturday. Of the 50 towers, 47 are spread across Lent, Pine and Dutch hills, dominating much of the view around Cohocton, North Cohocton and Atlanta. The three remaining turbines are on Brown Hill to the south of the village, near where the project connects to the regional energy grid.
John Lamontagne, director of corporate communications for First Wind, was not available for comment this morning. Lamontagne said on Dec. 16 the project would be completed by the end of the year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bob Clark
The Evening Tribune
Fri Jan 02, 2009, 11:09 AM EST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story Tools: Email This | Print This
Atlanta, N.Y. -
More than three years of planning, negotiations, construction and lawsuits are now at an end.
But it’s a new beginning in Cohocton, as the latest green power generating station starts cranking out the megawatts of power.
According to Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus, the 50-turbine industrial wind development north of Cohocton is up and running.
“It’s my understanding they are indeed selling power to the grid,” he said.
The project’s operational status also means the town received almost $1 million from developer First Wind.
“By the end of the day (Wednesday), they transferred the money,” Zigenfus added.
The payment came as promised, he said, but there was a fear that it might not come.
“I was a little nervous,” the supervisor said. “Nervous as the economy kept going downhill.”
As the economy continued to slide, he said, several large banks needed bailouts from the federal government this fall, including some that fund wind developments, causing some developments to be shut down or delayed indefinitely — including the project First Wind is considering in neighboring Prattsburgh.
While Zigenfus did not belive it would be implemented, he prepared a contingency budget that did not include the payment from First Wind, just in case.
“I always like to have a backup plan,” he said.
If the project was not online, Zigenfus said, the company would not have had to make the payment. On the other hand, he said, the company would have lost much of its subsidies from various agencies — the subsidies that helped bring the project to town.
As the blades spin, Zigenfus said he wants to look at what the town can do to improve itself with its revenue stream.
“Now we’ll look for other things to fix up,” he said, adding the town highway department shop is under an engineering review to see what improvements can be made, or if a replacement is needed.
The town and county highway departments also are getting ready to fix the last of the roads damaged by the huge turbines, Zigenfus added.
“The remainder of those are going to be done in the spring,” he said, adding many repairs to roads were completed this summer on First Wind’s dime.
The other step remaining is to keep an ear on the turbines.
“We’re going to set up our noise monitoring system,” Zigenfus said. The town board approved to contract the monitoring to Massachusetts-based firm Tech Environmental at the board’s Nov. 17 meeting.
The few odd and ends represent the completion of more than three years of headaches and development.
The firm — then known as UPC Wind — began developing the project in 2005. In 2006, the town board approved two laws regulating wind energy.
After the first law was passed, the project came under fire from several quarters, including officials of area school districts who felt they do not receive enough money from the project, union officials who wanted local workers building the turbines, Congressman-elect Eric Massa for a lack of oversight and town residents opposed to the developments.
The opposing residents formed the group Cohocton Wind Watch and filed five lawsuits against the town in connection to the project and the local laws that enabled it to begin. All of the lawsuits were dismissed, with the last being thrown out Sept. 16, 2008.
A sixth lawsuit, involving the Naples and Prattsburgh school districts over the distribution of funds from Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements, is still in court.
The first bulldozer went rolling through the farmlands on Dutch, Lent and Pine hills on Sept. 18, 2007, with tower construction commencing in November. Construction on the first two towers on Dutch Hill were finished a year ago Saturday. Of the 50 towers, 47 are spread across Lent, Pine and Dutch hills, dominating much of the view around Cohocton, North Cohocton and Atlanta. The three remaining turbines are on Brown Hill to the south of the village, near where the project connects to the regional energy grid.
John Lamontagne, director of corporate communications for First Wind, was not available for comment this morning. Lamontagne said on Dec. 16 the project would be completed by the end of the year.
posted by Yes! Wind Power for Cohocton at
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