Geothermal wells, solar panels and maybe a wind turbine, too. Indian River Central School District's use of alternative energy sources to cut costs was a big topic of discussion at Thursday night's Board of Education meeting. The district is conducting a solar energy feasibility study, Business Manager James R. Koch announced. The board also committed $2,500 to pursue a wind energy feasibility study.

Angered by a Town Board vote in Italy, Yates County, to kill a turbine proposal, a wind-energy company is asking a judge to override the elected board members and allow the project to go forward. Ecogen Wind LLC, which had been seeking permission to erect 17 wind turbines, each standing 415 feet, said in court papers filed Wednesday that town leaders had dodged and delayed a decision on the proposal since 2002.

In a Oct. 22 letter from Nixon Peabody LLP, Rochester, which represents developer United Wind Energy, Mahwah, N.J., the law firm told the town they were pulling out of the development. "Based on the town's serial re-enactments of a moratorium prohibiting wind energy projects, stony wind has decided to direct its resources to other prospective projects elsewhere in the state," the letter states.

After attending his share of town meetings, Steven Moultrup felt the need to serve its residents. ...Among other issues, he cited how the town's comprehensive plan addresses wind turbines. "It was very clear in the comprehensive plan that the town board would specify the locations of wind turbines," he said. "But what's specified in the comprehensive plan was never done, and I question that. I had some concerns about that."

Roseanna Cherrington became nervous when she received a letter from the Bonneville Power Administration asking permission to dig holes in her land. The federal BPA, the Pacific Northwest's largest power marketer, is exploring a plan to build a 500-kilovolt transmission line running about 70 miles from Castle Rock to Troutdale, Ore., to meet growing power demand in the area. The BPA is looking to string the line between a series of steel towers, each about 80 to 150 feet tall.

Gov. David Paterson has ambitious renewable energy goals for New York state -- most of which he is trying to meet by encouraging the construction of large wind turbines. But wind farm advocates say that a new regulation adopted less than two weeks ago by the state Public Service Commission may severely curtail future construction of large-scale commercial wind farms in upstate New York. The rule requires that developers of new renewable energy projects in New York study whether there is enough transmission line capacity to handle the additional power their projects will create.

This week, developer Upstate NY Power Corp. submitted the site plan application for the wind farm to the town of Hounsfield Planning Board. Before the site plan can be approved, the state environmental quality review process must be completed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Earlier this month, Upstate NY Power Corp. received approval from the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency for a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement separate from the uniform tax-exempt policy in development for wind projects across the county.

Could there be a lawsuit in the tea leaves over a proposed wind law in Hartsville? For the second meeting in a row, discussions at Wednesday night's town board meeting focused on a newly-unveiled wind regulatory law. And again, discussions of legal action by those benefiting from the project have been discussed. This time, the reference came from the developer. According to Jackie Murray, an attorney for German-owned E.ON Climate and Renewables - the company planning to build around 51 megawatts worth of industrial wind turbines in the town - a proposed law would block wind development because of overly-strict guidelines in the legislation, and could cause problems for the town.

Iberdrola Renewables Inc., the wind company developing the Stone Church Wind Farm Project, has released a list of municipal officers and their relatives the company is paying to use their property. The four people named in the public notice are Hammond Town Councilman James C. Pitcher; John Mitchell, whose wife, Ann, was Hammond town clerk from 1988 to 2005; Hammond Planning Board member Steven S. Demick; and town of Oswegatchie Councilman Kenneth A. Wilson. The public notice was in compliance with state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo's Wind Energy Ethics Code.

As wind energy sweeps through the county, Sheridan officials are looking to adopt legislation to regulate potential wind energy conversion system (WECS) projects within the town. ...Due to the topography of Sheridan - no vast open spaces or rolling hills, but a busy airport - Farnham explained the township is unique, making their focus on small, private WECS projects rather than commercial prospects.

The 39-turbine Roaring Brook wind farm project in the town of Martinsburg received little public comment Wednesday. And the four people who did speak at the town Planning Board public hearing on the project expressed mixed opinions. "There is insufficient evidence to suggest that birds won't be displaced by Roaring Brook Wind Farm," said Chris K. Lajewski, the Northern New York land steward for the Nature Conservancy.

A memo from a lobbying company has some lawmakers concerned that Niagara County's lawsuit against the New York State Power Authority may be impacting its ability to secure the rights to assist in the development of a new wind energy project in Western New York.

Opponents of the proposed industrial wind development in the town have formed a group called Heart of Henderson. The group, which has more than a dozen members so far, is made up of both seasonal and full-time residents of the town. They have become more vocal as the details of the possible Stony Point Wind Farm become clear. ...Deborah L. Fargo started the group a few weeks ago after receiving a letter saying a meteorological test tower would be erected on a neighboring property.

Horizon Wind Energy has put its plans for a commercial windmill farm in Perry on hold, Town Supervisor Jim Brick said this morning. Brick said he wasn't sure why. "They didn't come right out and say specifically," he said. ...Asked if this mean the project has been definitely abandoned, Brick said that was not the case. "We kind of agreed it's gone to sleep for awhile," he said.

Horizon Wind Energy has suspended its plans for a windmill farm in Perry, Town Clerk Sarah Ballinger said Thursday morning. "We just made the announcement yesterday," she said, referring to Wednesday night's Town Board meeting. Ballinger did not have any other details about Horizon's decision.

A state Supreme Court judge likely will decide whether a town of Cape Vincent man can keep a personal wind turbine on his property. Roger D. Alexander, of 35157 County Route 7, filed an Article 78 action Tuesday at the Jefferson County Clerk's office against the town's Zoning Board of Appeals, asking that a judge reverse and annul a Sept. 14 decision by the board revoking a permit for the construction of a 92-foot turbine.

No parking and no turbines. Lyme's Town Council extended the moratorium on wind energy development for a year and enacted a parking ban along County Route 125 at its meeting Wednesday night. The moratorium, which was proposed as a three-month period, was passed through Oct. 15, 2010. An appeals court decision on a lawsuit against the zoning law passed May 6 will be announced in January or February. Then the law would be "tweaked," Supervisor Scott G. Aubertine said.

Bayshore environmental group the Hazlet Area Quality of Life Alliance (HAQLA) is opposing a proposal that would place a 380-foot-tall windmill near a residential area along the coastline. HAQLA President John M. Curran III has written to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Monmouth County Freeholders in opposition to the wind turbine project proposed for Union Beach ...Curran calls for a countywide moratorium on wind towers/turbines "until the county and towns establish effective, controlling ordinances and regulations" governing renewable energy projects.

The Denmark Town Council on Monday night heard further comments on a proposed wind power zoning law but postponed any action until the full board could discuss it. "It'll be up for discussion when our supervisor is back," Deputy Supervisor David W. Thoma said. ...The Town Council has held previous public hearings on the proposed law but was required to hold another one due to several changes to the draft.

A transformer at the Maple Ridge Wind Farm's substation off Rector Road was destroyed by fire late Monday afternoon. Martinsburg firefighters were dispatched to the substation about 5 p.m. but had to wait until the facility was shut down before extinguishing the blaze, said Lewis County Fire Coordinator James M. Martin. ...The Columbus Day fire was the second transformer fire at the site, with a similar incident occurring July 4, 2007. In that case, 491 gallons of mineral oil leaked from the damaged transformer