LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Cape officials seek PSC intervention as BP clams up pending sale of wind projects 

Credit:  By JAEGUN LEE, TIMES STAFF WRITER, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013, watertowndailytimes.com ~~

The community has been left in the dark as BP Wind Energy looks to sell all of its “in-development” wind assets, including the proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm, according to town officials.

The town once again is asking the state Public Service Commission to intervene, but local officials said they’re not getting their hopes up.

“We seem to be stuck again now, awaiting word from BP about its claimed cessation of wind project development,” town officials said in a recent letter to PSC Secretary Kathleen H. Burgess.

In September, BP confirmed that it plans to sell the proposed 124-turbine Cape Vincent wind project, along with the company’s entire wind development portfolio, by the year’s end.

The pending sales would not include active wind farms. BP Wind Energy – with interests in 16 active wind farms in nine states – attempted to sell all of its U.S. wind assets this spring, but was unable to find a high enough bidder for the 2.6-gigawatt portfolio that included both planned and operating wind farms.

With the fate of the Cape Vincent wind project unknown, Cape Vincent officials said, the town board is being forced to put together a budget for the following year – which would set aside money for wind project-related consulting services – based on pure speculation.

“BP has had our town twisting in the winds of uncertainty since 2006. Please try to provide us with some relief by insisting that an applicant presuming to be moving forward under Article X not be permitted to circle over a town indefinitely,” town officials said in their letter Friday.

Town Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey said Friday afternoon that the town has sent several letters requesting the state’s assistance to get answers from BP Wind Energy, which has become increasingly uncommunicative, yet never got a response.

“To the best of my knowledge, they’ve never responded,” Mr. Hirschey said, adding that the town board’s last communication with PSC officials was at the May 21 pre-application conference – which was a state Article X-mandated meeting to award intervenor funds.

Despite the state’s silence, energy magazines have followed the BP proposal to sell wind projects that are only in the planning stages. An article in Power Risk & Finance suggested that BP would be willing to take little or nothing up front, with a sales contract that sets benchmarks that when reached would provide money to BP. That would allow the company to sell the sites on speculation, with payment gleaned only if the projects receive permits, are built and start generating electricity.

The town’s letter can be found at http://wdt.me/aWTZpV.

Source:  By JAEGUN LEE, TIMES STAFF WRITER, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013, watertowndailytimes.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky