December 5, 2013
New York

Cape Vincent meeting could shed light on wind farm’s future

by Joanna Richards, in Watertown, NY | North Country Public Radio | Dec 05, 2013 | www.northcountrypublicradio.org

A proposed wind farm in Cape Vincent, in Jefferson County, has been in limbo since energy company BP said earlier this year that it’s planning to sell off its entire wind power division. Town officials have been anxious for news about the wind farm’s fate since then.

The review process that produced one tense public meeting after another came to an abrupt halt earlier this year.

A big commercial wind farm would likely violate Cape Vincent’s land use laws. So last fall, BP opted out of municipal review, and into a new state process that can overrule local laws if the state deems them unreasonable. When that process halted, BP was preparing to respond to formal comments about the wind farm’s impact.

The company has said it will sell the project before year’s end. If it does change hands, the town wants to scrap the existing review work and make the new owner start from scratch.

The Public Service Commission, the state agency that regulates energy development, says the meeting will clarify where the wind farm stands. State environmental officials, BP representatives and town leaders also will attend.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday at Cape Vincent Elementary School.

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URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/12/05/cape-vincent-meeting-could-shed-light-on-wind-farms-future/