August 30, 2015
New York

Wind opposition fuels GOP challenges in Yates

Staff Reports | Lockport Union-Sun & Journal | August 30, 2015 | www.lockportjournal.com

LYNDONVILLE – Three opponents of the proposed Lighthouse Wind energy project are seeking Yates town offices.

John Riggi, a leader of Save Ontario Shores, and Valerie Pratt are seeking the Republican ballot line in the contest to fill a town board seat. They’re in a Sept. 10 primary contest with incumbent board member Wesley R. Bradley. Two board seats are to be filled in the November election.

Lighthouse Wind opponent Jim Simon is battling incumbent Yates Supervisor John Belson for the GOP ballot line as well.

SOS is hosting a 7 p.m. Tuesday campaign rally at White Birch golf course, where the primary challengers reportedly will be present to talk about their work to stop Virginia-based Apex Clean Energy’s Lighthouse Wind project from being built in Yates and neighboring Somerset.

Specifics of the proposal are not hammered out but preliminary plans suggest the company would seek to erect up to 70, 570-foot high wind turbines across a roughly 12-mile swath of the towns situated on the Lake Ontario shoreline.

SOS previously filed a lawsuit against the Town of Yates to try and upend its approval of meterological tower installation by Apex in that town. Apex would use the data obtained from the tower to fine-tune its proposal for a wind farm.

Since then, according to media reports, the Town of Yates has decided to conduct a survey of residents to try and gauge public opinion of wind farming. The Orleans County Legislature is awaiting the results before entertaining a resolution to formally oppose Lighthouse Wind.

The Niagara County Legislature recently went on record as opposing it after a Somerset town survey of residents indicated strong opposition.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/08/30/wind-opposition-fuels-gop-challenges-in-yates/