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Wind Power News: New York
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Wind turbine near Greenwood NY catches fire
Fire crews watch as turbine burns 400 feet above West Union, Rexville NY. Fire crews are on site of a wind turbine fire just over the Allegany-Steuben County line in Greenwood. Debris is being extinguished as it falls from the tower but crews are helpless to put out the blaze which is well above the reach. We are assuming this is an electrical fire. Images will be updated if necessary. (((( o )))) Complete story »
Wind farm filings call attention to potential impacts on sea mammals
As developers prepare to deploy legions of wind-energy turbines off the coast of Long Island, new applications for survey and construction work are bringing new scrutiny to the impacts on sea mammals, including the potential “incidental take” of whales, dolphins and seals. That scrutiny comes amid unusual numbers of whale deaths this winter, including 11 on New York and New Jersey shores alone since December, with another Humpback whale found dead in New Jersey on Monday. Federal regulators administering wind-farm . . . Complete story »
US offshore wind farms raise concerns across fishing industry
It is not just the low-frequency radar noises from the survey boats that are disrupting the ecosystem. Cables and other construction needs are creating changes in the marine environment, which can be particularly harmful to bottom-feeding species like scallops, clams and flounder. Complete story »
NYSERDA is right to decide against wind turbines
After almost two years of anticipation, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recently released its Great Lakes Wind Feasibility Study, which concluded “that now is not the right time to prioritize Great Lakes Wind projects in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario.” Citizens Against Wind Turbines in Lake Erie (CAWTILE), a grassroots organization of concerned citizens, has advocated tirelessly against installing industrial wind turbines in Lake Erie since it was announced over two years ago as a . . . Complete story »
Glenmont residents challenge environmental review of wind project again
One of the most outspoken Glenmont residents challenging the town of Bethlehem’s approval of the Beacon Island wind turbine manufacturing project asserts that the town planning board didn’t properly follow state environmental review regulations. But both the town planning board attorney and the Department of Environmental Conservation say that the claim is just flat wrong and relies on a misinterpretation of SEQR, otherwise known as the State Environmental Quality Act. Sylvia Rowlands, one of about 30 Glenmont residents who have . . . Complete story »
Study, amid groundswell of opposition, shelves idea of wind turbines in Lake Erie
Opponents of wind turbines in Lake Erie have put flyers in mailboxes from Lackawanna to Dunkirk and taken to social media to voice their concerns about the idea – work, that for now at least, has paid off. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has determined this isn’t the right time to put the turbines in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. NYSERDA concluded the turbines would cost more than other renewable energy options, and wouldn’t offer a feasible contribution to . . . Complete story »
Statement by Senator George Borrello on NYSERDA Feasibility Study
Albany – Senator George Borrello heralded a recently released report by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on the feasibility of placing wind turbines in the Great Lakes. The report found a lack of benefits to these potential projects, noting, “Great Lakes Wind currently does not offer a unique, critical or cost-effective contribution toward the achievement of New York State’s Climate Act goals beyond what more cost-competitive programs are expected to deliver …” In response to . . . Complete story »
US ignored own scientists’ warning in backing Atlantic wind farm
US government scientists warned federal regulators the South Fork offshore wind farm near the Rhode Island coast threatened the Southern New England Cod, a species so ingrained in regional lore that a wooden carving of it hangs in the Massachusetts state house. The Interior Department approved the project anyway. The warnings were delivered in unpublished correspondence weeks before Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management authorized the 12-turbine South Fork plan in November 2021. And they serve to underscore the potential . . . Complete story »
Wind resistance
There’s no shortage of wind blowing across the Great Lakes. Turning that wind into energy could be a big step towards lowering carbon emissions in the region. And despite plenty of studies showing vast energy potential, the Great Lakes still don’t have any offshore turbines. That could soon change. A first-of-its-kind project has been approved for Lake Erie: six turbines, eight miles from the Cleveland shoreline. But it hasn’t come easy. Public opposition is the biggest barrier to building wind . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines are a dangerous idea for Lake Erie
Exposing the inherent flaws of a dangerous idea is best done early. The idea of utilizing wind energy above the waters of Lake Erie is again a focus of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in their soon-to-be published second feasibility study. The first report by NYSERDA (in 2011) lists many concerns about placing wind turbines and their infrastructure in one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems and drinking water sources. Since then, threats to drinking . . . Complete story »
