Project online despite report from grid operator
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By Bob Clark
The Evening Tribune
Tue Feb 24, 2009, 11:39 AM EST
Cohocton, N.Y. -
Despite reports from the operator of the state’s power grid, the 50-turbine project in Cohocton is online.
The New York Independent System Operator, the not-for-profit organization that runs the state’s power grid, stated Friday the 125 megawatt project in Cohocton was not operational, a claim refuted by town officials and later by NYISO itself.
Kenneth M. Klapp, the senior communications and media relations specialist with NYISO, Monday said the information provided by his own agency Friday was incorrect.
“Unfortunately, you were given information on the status of another wind project in Steuben County, which has been proposed for interconnection to the grid,” he said. “In answer to your original question, both phases of the 125 MW wind project in Steuben County (known as Cohocton Wind and operated by First Wind) are currently in service.”
That comes in contrast to what officials at the organization had said previously.
Richard Barlette, manager of government affairs for NYISO, said Friday no power generated at the site has been sold for consumption.
“They’re currently under the connection process,” he said at the time. “As far as ‘flipping the switch,’ a ball park figure is December 2010.”
Others contacting NYISO had received similar information, including U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, D-29, who responded to the mistake during a press conference call this morning.
“What you’re saying is it’s hard to get a straight answer out of anybody,” Massa said. “There is a lot of misinformation out there.”
Massa added much work is left to do on the project, including sound studies that were the topic of discussion at a Cohocton town board meeting Monday night.
Jack Zigenfus, town supervisor in Cohocton, provided The Evening Tribune with a spreadsheet from NYISO showing the project was in service as of the most-recent update of the document, recorded as Feb. 5.
Cohocton officials applauded First Wind for “throwing the switch” on the 50-turbine wind energy development in December, while according to John Lamontagne, director of corporate communications for First Wind, the project was believed to be up and running in 2008.
“The time frame was to be by the end of the year,” he said in a Dec. 16, 2008 phone interview.
According to company officials in 2007 — when the company was known as UPC Wind — the project was expected to be up and running about a year after construction began.
Dirt first started moving on the project Sept. 18, 2007, with tower construction commencing in November. Work on the first two towers, complete with turbine blades, was finished Jan. 3. 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, where the project connects to the regional energy grid.
First Wind officials did not immediately return a call requesting a comment.
Comments (1)
sammy3459
19 hours ago
Ohh man!! What are you idiots in the media gonna whine about now? Common sense told most of us that they would not have paid out all that money and had them running unless the power was going somewhere for $. How does your foot taste!!

Three Article 78 suits against special use permits for wind development

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By Bob Clark
The Evening Tribune
Sat Jan 31, 2009, 08:13 PM EST

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Cohocton, N.Y. -
The last remnants of lawsuits that threatened to shut down the $230 million wind turbine development in Cohocton flew off like dust in the wind this week.

According to documents provided by the Town of Cohocton, the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department of the state Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed the appeals of three Article 78 lawsuits brought against the town following its approval of special use permits on the project.
According to the documents, the case was through out, “on the ground that appellant has failed to perfectly timely the appeal.”

Town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus was pleased with the decision.

“They actually filed to appeal, but they failed to perfect that appeal,” he said. “Basically, what they did was throw away their right to appeal.”

Jim Hall, head of Cohocton Wind Watch — the anti-wind development group which levied five separate lawsuits against the town and First Wind — , said he did not know about the decision when contacted Saturday.

The appeal stem from three lawsuits filed against the town on Aug. 30, 2007.

The suits attempted to have the issuance of First Wind’s special use permit overturned on 13 points, including the town board and planning board did not follow the appropriate laws for granting the permit, failed to insure the safety of the community and violated the state Open Meeting Law by holding “secret” meetings.

After more than a year — on Sept. 16, 2008 — Steuben County Supreme Court Judge Marianne Furfure dismissed the lawsuits on three points:

l CWW failed to file an injunction against the town and First Wind to halt the development.

l The town’s oversight and approval of the project followed all applicable laws.

l The $230 million project was almost completed, and the impact to the local economy and governments would have been great.

The 50-turbine, 125-megawatt project covers more than 7,000 acres on the hilltops around Cohocton and Atlanta, as well as additional real estate on Brown Hill to the south, where three more turbines are located in addition to the project’s connection to the New York State Electric and Gas power grid.

Developer UPC Wind — the predecessor of First Wind — was interested in developing wind projects in northern Steuben County in 2003. Construction on the project in Cohocton began Sept. 18, 2007, but stopped Sept. 20 because of issues involving the project’s use of county roads. Construction resumed Sept. 27. The first turbine was completed Jan. 3, 2008, and the project began producing a limited amount of electricity by the end of 2008.

The question now is what, if any, recourse do those opposed to the project have.

At this point, Zigenfus believes little can be done.

“From our law firm’s (Albany-based Whiteman Osterman and Hanna, LLP) perspective, they’re done,” he said, adding the deadlines for appeals have passed since the decisions on the special use permits were made in 2007.

Hall said he and other members of CWW are still considering additional legal action against the town and wind developer.

“At this particular time, we’re looking to see what other people in the community are doing and what the other people in our group are doing,” he said. “I would not be surprised to see some kind of legal action.”