Town of Allegany board members were told that they will have to put more zoning laws into effect if they are going to have control over wind-turbine companies that may try to move into the community. During a special meeting Monday at Allegany Town Hall, board members heard comments from Dan Spitzer, an attorney with Hodgson Russ LLP in Buffalo who is advising the town board on wind-turbine issues. The small town-hall meeting room was filled with residents who were concerned with the possibility of a wind-turbine farm moving into the Chipmonk area. ..."It's a very complicated topic and the one thing I say, whether I'm representing the community or representing the developer, is that it will change your community for a generation, at least," Mr. Spitzer said of a wind-turbine farm.

The second set of recommendations from the town of Orleans Wind Committee includes requirements for fences around turbines, an earthquake preparedness manual and fire department training. The recommendations were submitted to the Town Council at Thursday night's meeting. These recommendations addressed a wide range of health and safety issues unrelated to noise concerns, which were addressed in the first set of recommendations. The new issues also included stray voltage, well water and radon.

Supervisor Patrick Eaton said a recent ban on wind turbine farms by the Yorkshire Town Board has caused Allegany Town Board members to rethink its position regarding proposed wind turbines in the Chipmunk area. Another issue expected to have an impact on the proposed 32-turbine Everpower wind farm in the Chipmunk area in the southwest portion of the town of Allegany is the town's portion of PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) payments negotiated by the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

The Orleans Town Council canceled a wind power comment meeting that had been set for Oct. 21. The council had agreed to host the meeting after Horse Creek Wind Farm proponents balked at the recommendations from the town's Wind Committee for more restrictive zoning for commercial wind farms in the town. The council and committee discussed the recommendations at a meeting Sept. 17.

Roger D. Alexander can keep his 92-foot wind turbine, for now. Alan N. Wood, the town's zoning enforcement officer, said Mr. Alexander will be given another chance to appeal his case to the town's Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Wood said that he notified Mr. Alexander of his violation by mail last month and that a written response from Mr. Alexander's attorney, David B. Guertsen, arrived last week.

At Thursday's Orleans Town Council meeting, the town's Wind Committee submitted its second set of recommendations for wind turbine zoning. The first set had recommendations for noise rules and setbacks to avoid ice throw, turbine failure and flicker. These recommendations deal with other concerns, including well water disruption and radon exposure because of rock blasting.

Invenergy has formally submitted its application for a 59-turbine wind farm within the town. The Chicago-based company applied this past Friday to the town for a special use permit. ...The project -- much like the neighboring High Sheldon Wind Farm -- has already generated its share of controversy among town residents. Opponents and supporters are offering vocal opinions for and against the proposed development.

The Italy Town Board voted last night to deny an application from a company that wanted to build an 18-turbine wind farm in the picturesque Yates County town. "We're all very pleased, and surprised. All of us who have been fighting for so long - our jaws were on the floor. We couldn't believe what we were hearing from our town board," said Kathy Johnstone, a town resident and a vice president of the Finger Lakes Preservation Association, which opposes the project.

The Italy Town Board took three actions Monday night to stop the development of a wind farm in the town. Ecogen LLC applied to develop up to 24 turbines in 2007. Since then, the project was adjusted to 18 turbines ...As a group of steadfast town residents watched, the board carefully reviewed and made minor revisions to a six-page resolution denying the application for a special use permit to build and operate a wind farm on Emerson Road. The board agreed unanimously to adopt the resolution denying the application.

The Indian River Central School District is looking into putting a wind turbine on one of its campuses to decrease the district's energy costs and carbon footprint. ..."We are proposing a study to assess the wind we have," district Business Manager James R. Koch said, at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday night.

To meet a developer's request for speed, the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency will begin laying out a property tax relief program for the proposed Galloo Island Wind Farm. While the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement will follow the formula developed for a uniform tax-exempt policy, JCIDA will not seek approval of the uniform policy now. That would require all affected taxing jurisdictions from the four proposed wind projects to sign on, which officials believe would take too long.

The owners of a defunct mine in St. Lawrence County are looking into the feasibility of building what would be the second commercial wind farm ever proposed in the Adirondack Park. Representatives of Benson Mines Inc. have been meeting with the state Adirondack Park Agency to discuss a plan to build as many as six to 10 wind turbines on the company's 3,000-plus acres in the town of Clifton. Bernard Melewski, the company's lawyer, stressed that the project is in its infancy.

With wind turbines literally on the horizon, Naples officials are again calling on state leaders to make sure the power-generating machines are farther away from the town's borders. ...Turbines on the hills near Naples became operational earlier this year. Plans for more turbines in Prattsburgh in Steuben County and Italy in Yates County give new urgency to the call for re-siting, said Naples Supervisor Frank Duserick

The Prattsburgh Town Board appears to be in no hurry to act on a road use agreement with wind farm developer Ecogen, despite a written request by the firm to pass it this month. Board members decided last week to instead rely on the advice of town Highway Superintendent Chris Jensen, who told the board he wanted the agreement to be reviewed by Hunt Engineering before any formal action is taken.

While hopeful that the Maple Ridge Wind Farm will retain Empire Zone benefits, local leaders are preparing for the worst-case scenario: a $6.3 million drop in combined wind-farm revenue for area governments. While Lewis County projected $2.16 million from the wind farm in this year's budget, the proposed 2010 budget likely will include only about $600,000, the amount the county would receive if Empire Zone benefits are revoked, County Manager David H. Pendergast said. That's nearly a $1.6 million reduction.

Every state in the northeast has set a target for increasing the amount of renewable energy it produces. Wind power is a big part of this push. Those towers and turbine blades can pose dangers to birds and bats. With more interest nationally in developing wind power, scientists are searching for more answers about the impacts, and how to minimize them.

A public forum hosted Wednesday night by the Town Council on proposed changes to the zoning law became an outlet for many residents' fears about a wind energy project still in its infancy. People packed the hall of the Henderson Fire Department and Free Library building for the forum, organized to gather input from the public as the council ponders changes to the town zoning law that would make regulations more friendly to a possible wind project. Many residents directed questions squarely at developer Sherret E. Chase, vice president of development for United Wind Energy

The Lewis County Planning Board on Monday night signed off on plans for the 39-turbine Roaring Brook wind farm project in the town of Martinsburg. Board members voted 4-0 to approve the proposed 78-megawatt project, with several recommendations to the Martinsburg town Planning Board. County Planning Board member and Legislator Richard C. Lucas, R-Barnes Corners, abstained.

A crane operator reportedly escaped injury late Monday morning when the crane he was using to maintain First Wind turbines collapsed. Wayland State Police reported the work-related accident occurred around noon Monday on South Wheaton Road in the town of Cohocton. The operator - who was not identified - suffered minor injuries.

Vocal opposition to changing a wind power development zoning law in Clayton and Orleans has begun to solidify. Those who support the proposed Horse Creek Wind Farm, including many leaseholders, have balked at the changes that, according to developer Iberdrola Renewables, would eliminate the project. Iberdrola's 126-megawatt project would raise 56 turbines in Clayton and eight in Orleans.