National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » County OKs Darien wind energy proposal

BATAVIA – The Genesee County Planning Board Thursday night recommended approval of a special use permit application by Whitecap Electric, LLC for a wind energy conversion system that would produce maximum of 5 megawatts. The system would consist of two towers of a maximum height of 450 feet. The estimated cost, according to Planning Board documents, is $6 million.

The wind energy conversion system is proposed for 2311 Bennett Rd. in Darien, the county Planning Board said.

Padma Kasthurirangan of Whitecap Electric, who spoke on behalf of the proposed project at the Planning Board meeting, said, “We are proposing to install this turbine under the Community Distributed Generation Program and use the power among the community.”

The utilities at the site will be underground, she said.

“Our proposed project will meet all the requirements of the town of Darien’s code,” Kasthurirangan said. “We’re not asking for any variances. The town has been willing to work with us and accept our explanations on things so far.”

The town is having an engineering firm review everything Whitecap submits, she said.

Modifications the town recommended include Whitecap completing a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) and obtaining a stormwater permit for construction activity from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) prior to final approval from the town of Darien. The county Planning Board recommends that Whitecap submits the application for 9-1-1 address verification to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that the addresses of the proposed sites meet Enhanced 9-1-1 standards.

If the proposal gets the needed approvals, Kasthurirangan said construction would probably be in 2023.