August 16, 2007
New York
New York
The New York State Public Service Commission authorized the construction of wind turbines in Cohocton Wednesday.
The PSC approved the plan for the building of 51 wind turbines, capable of generating up to 127.5 megawatts of electricity on Dutch, Lent, and Pine hills by Canandaigua Power Partners LLC, and issued Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity to the company, but the Commission will impose condition on the projects.
The final report from the PSC had not been released as of press time, the agency issued only a press release stating it came to a conclusion. The release does not outline the conditions Canandaigua Power Partners will have to meet.
“There’s a number of stipulations [in the report] which could be minor things or major things, but it’s not available online yet,” said Judy Hall, a member of Cohocton Wind Watch.
Although the certificates are some of the last documents needed before work can commence on the installation of the turbines, a number of issues are still presenting problems, including turbine proximity to the Town of Naples, the possible groundwater impact of major construction to one turbine approximately 500 feet from the Steuben County landfill, and Canandaigua Power Partners has not finished acquiring the necessary leases for the transmission lines to the power grid.
The PSC also said that additional environmental mitigation measures will be required by the Town of Cohocton in lieu of previous environmental testing.
Several lawsuits are still pending, including one over Town Law No. 2 of 2006, which is awaiting decision from Supreme Court Judge Marianne Furfure.
According to Cohocton town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus, however, a judgment overturning the law would not affect construction because Town Law No. 1 of 2006 would still be in place.
The Cohocton planning board also finalized documents putting construction on a fast track. For more on the project, turn to page 9A.
Cohocton is just one of several area municipalities with a wind farm proposed for its township. The Town of Howard is also dealing with a lawsuit filed by residents regarding its proposed wind farm, after one had been dismissed.
In the Town of Prattsburgh there are two proposed projects, while other towns with proposals include Hartsville, Fremont, Hornellsville and Nunda.
16 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/16/public-service-commission-gives-green-light-for-cohocton-wind-farm/