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)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

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

Plans for wind turbines in Niagara, Orleans counties develop as opposition grows 

Credit:  By Callan Gray, News 4 Reporter | WIVB | Published: December 12, 2016 | wivb.com ~~

People living in Niagara and Orleans County could see a new wind farm as soon as 2019. The company Apex Clean Energy told News 4 it’s ready to submit its proposal to the state sometime next year.

More than 100 people have agreed to lease a total of 10,000 acres of land to Apex for wind turbines, according to the company.

Taylor Quarles, the development manager, said it’s expected to landowners will get a combined $1.5 million per year through the arrangement. The company anticipates Niagara and Orleans counties and the local municipalities will get more than $1.5 million in tax revenue payments.

In the Village of Barker it’s clear not everyone is on board with the proposal for 70 wind turbines in Somerset and Yates. There are dozens of signs saying “No Wind Turbines”.

The group Save Ontario Shores (SOS) said this isn’t the right location.

“There may be places where there’s no one around, I don’t think they should be anywhere near people,” said Pam Atwater, the president of SOS.

Atwater said they’re concerned about how noise from the turbines will affect health and if the turbines will hurt property values.

“We invested in our home and are planning to be here indefinitely,” said Atwater. “If it comes to pass that we can’t live here because of the effects, it’s going to first of all be difficult to sell your property.”

Atwater said they’re also unhappy with the five year old state law Article 10, which puts the power to approve major energy projects into the hands of a state authority, which only includes two members of the public.

Republican Congressman Chris Collins has proposed a bill to curb the project. It focuses on how the wind turbines will affect the future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Apex told News 4 they haven’t decided on the size of the wind turbines, but are considering heights exceeding 600 feet.

Congressman Collins said in a press release, “I cannot condone any activity which puts the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station’s (NFARS) future operations and viability at risk. This air base employs over 2,600 people and contributes over $200 million a year to Western New York’s economy. Massive wind turbines built in such close proximity to military installations, such as the ones being proposed in Western New York, can negatively impact a base’s potential new missions and its future operations. I will do everything in my power to ensure the viability of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.”

His proposed bill would make it so any new turbines built within 40 miles of a military installation won’t be able to get renewable tax credits.

Quarles, with Apex, told News 4 they plan to move ahead with the project regardless of whether they receive tax credits.

“If that credit is available when we go to construction, we would be happy to take it just to ensure we are competitive with other projects that are being built at that time,” said Quarles. “But it’s important to note both for the state clean energy funds and the PTC funds, those tax credits are solely based on energy produced so all of the costs to develop the project and costs to build the project are borne by Apex.”

They estimate the project will cost about $300 million.

The company also told us it’s working with the Department of Defense and NFARS to resolve issues before any turbines are built.

The turbines will provide enough clean energy to power 53,000 homes in New York, according to the company.

Quarles told News 4 they picked Orleans and Niagara counties because of the good winds and because the community gave them positive feedback.

“The agriculture community, they were really interested in what the wind product could offer in terms of increasing their income security and their ability to operate their farm,” said Quarles.

He said the project will create about 300 local construction jobs and 10 full time, long term jobs.

“There’s already a strong workforce of skilled laborers, especially within a number of unions in the area, and I know that they’re eager to work on our project once we receive our permit and move into construction,” said Quarles.

They expect to submit the plan to the state during 2017, then there is a year review period. Turbines could be operational by 2019 or 2020.

Source:  By Callan Gray, News 4 Reporter | WIVB | Published: December 12, 2016 | wivb.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 Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG 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