December 4, 2015
New York

Big wind project near Lake Ontario shore stirs dissent

Steve Orr | Democrat & Chronicle | December 4, 2015 | www.democratandchronicle.com

Planning continues for a large wind-turbine development just inland from Lake Ontario in Orleans and Niagara counties. Opposition to the project continues as well.

Apex Clean Energy has proposed a 200-megawatt installation featuring dozens of turbines that could be as tall as 600 feet. Those would be the tallest wind turbines in New York state, and the facility’s capacity could be the largest of any single farm in the state.

The turbines would be located in Orleans County’s westernmost town, Yates, and Nigara County’s easternmost, Somerset, in a zone stretching from the Lake Ontario shoreline to a point about four miles from the shoreline.

The nearest turbine would be about 40 miles from the Charlotte pier (much too far to been see, no matter how tall).

Virginia-based Apex gave state regulators its preliminary scoping statement, which provides more information about the project, about two weeks ago. State approvals for Lighthouse Wind remains well in the future.

All things being equal, you’d think state officials would look on such a development favorably, given Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive the other day that half of all electricity consumed in New York come from renewable or clean sources by the year 2030. But time will tell.

Apex’s next public availability session is scheduled for the morning of Dec. 7 in its office at 8691 Main Street in Barker, Niagara County.

The well-organized opposition plans its next public gathering for the following evening at the Barker fire hall, 1600 Quaker Road.

The group, Save Ontario Shores, has denounced the Lighthouse Wind project because it would industrialize a largely rural area, disrupt traffic, kill too many birds and bats, cause annoying and arguably harmful visual and audio effects and so on.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/12/04/big-wind-project-near-lake-ontario-shore-stirs-dissent/