Wind power in Tompkins County took another step toward becoming a reality with the completion of a wind law for Enfield.

The Enfield Town Board is still months away from adopting the law, but a draft of it was reviewed by the board and its attorney, and is now in the hands of the Tompkins County Planning Department for additional scrutiny.

Wind farm developer John Rancich has been waiting for a law for more than two years, and at the end of 2007 a law that was drafted and quickly passed by an outgoing town board nearly killed the project as it called for large setbacks from property lines. That law was repealed by the current town board after town attorney Guy Krogh determined the process the law went through was flawed.

With a new law in place, Rancich can sign a purchasing agreement for wind turbines, which have been steadily increasing in price as demand remains high. The purchasing agreement will allow Rancich to lock in a price. Two attempts to pass a developer's agreement - which would also allow Rancich to lock in turbine prices - have failed.

Now in the hands of county planning, the law will be studied to see if it properly addresses inter-municipal and wildlife concerns, said Ed Marx, director of county planning.

The Enfield law will be the first wind ordinance in the county, and Marx said he and staff recognize this law could be a model for future laws.

The Town of Newfield currently has a moratorium on wind development, and the Town of Ithaca recently approved a wind law for residential turbines.

Since taking office in January, Enfield Supervisor Frank Podufalski has voted to move deliberately regarding the wind law and follow the procedures to drafting and adopting a sound law.

"What people don't realize is no matter who does this project, whether it's John (Rancich) or somebody from out of town, those guidelines will have to be followed," he said. "They're meant to be there to protect everybody concerned. You need a law that's strong enough to support everybody. If there's a loophole, you can circumvent the whole thing and get around it."

The law itself has provisions for setbacks 450 feet from occupied structures and 100 feet from property lines. The wind law that has since been repealed required 600-foot setbacks from property lines.

It also requires a computerized photographic visual impact study, a sound pressure and noise analysis study, and study on the effect that "shadow flicker" - created by rotating blades and sunlight - would have on residents near the wind farm.

The studies weren't included in the previous law. The new draft appears to be stronger structurally as well, Krogh said.

"It does appear, just from memory, that the new law presents a more comprehensive framework than the old law," Krogh said.

Rancich said he's pleased with the new law and doesn't expect the additional studies to change the project.

"We're happy with it," he said. "The noise I don't think will be any problem and the flicker study isn't a big deal either. These are studies that have been done (previously)."

After the county planning department returns the proposed law with recommendations, the town board will hold a public hearing on the law. The town will then vote itself lead agency for the environmental impact review.