National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Galloo Island Wind Farm developers sued over allegedly unpaid engineering bill

A Buffalo engineering firm that performed work for a proposed wind farm on Galloo Island has filed suit against the project’s developers claiming it has not been fully paid.

American Consulting Professionals of New York PLLC filed state Supreme Court action Wednesday at the Jefferson County clerk’s office against Galloo Island Corp., Upstate NY Power Corp. and Watertown Development of New York LLC.

The suit claims that the company was hired in October 2009 to perform engineering work on the proposed 246-megawatt wind farm on Galloo Island in the town of Hounsfield. American Consulting contends that it performed all the work required under its contract, but has received payment of only $108,503, with a balance due of $360,463.

The company has filed a mechanic’s lien in that amount on the property and is asking a judge to, among other things, order that the property be foreclosed upon and sold, with any proceeds going toward the allegedly unpaid bill. There are also causes of action for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

The Galloo Island Wind Farm project has stalled, with no progress being made on it for well more than a year. The project suffered a serious setback in June when the state Public Service Commission denied Upstate NY Power’s application to construct a 50.6-mile electric transmission line that would connect the wind farm to the Fitzpatrick-Edic Substation in the town of Mexico, Oswego County. That followed an October 2011 determination by the New York Power Authority that NYPA would not enter into a power purchase agreement with the project.