According to a council representative, the new law limits the height of wind towers to 500 feet (from ground to blade tip), and sets noise levels at 50 decibels. The law creates a zoning district overlay that includes the west side of NYS Route 12 to Depauville and County Route 179, and Depauville to 1,500 feet north of County Route 12 on the east side of NYS Route 12 from just south of Gunns Corners. The application fee is now $50 per MW.

The Wind Power Ethics Group and the state Department of Environmental Conservation say the town Planning Board should not have accepted a draft environmental impact statement for the St. Lawrence Wind Farm. Judy Drabicki, a Dexter attorney representing the ethics group, a citizens' organization that has opposed wind farm development, said the developer has not sufficiently identified impacts because studies listed as part of the review have not been completed, including those for wetlands.

A recent state Supreme Court ruling could finally lead to wind turbines being erected in the town of Prattsburgh. But opponents to a plan to have 53 energy generating wind turbines constructed along hilltops in northern Steuben County aren’t giving up the fight.

Two wind energy developers are vying for property in the town of Arkwright, according to Chris Cannon, who has taken on the responsibility of chairing the Local Landowners’ Association organized to respond to this operation. “We’ve formed this group as a means of protecting the landowers who have been approached by Horizon Wind Energy and Noble Environmental Power development companies seeking contracts,” Cannon said.

In other town news, the board approved extending its wind farm moratorium for another six months while the Planning Board continues to work on its law. Burns said the Planning Board has obtained a number of other municipalities wind laws and is using those as a guide for developing Fremont’s law.

Wind turbine plans spur interest and concern in Arkwright The controversy in Arkwright over commercial wind energy generators has been going on for at least two years.

More than three dozen Hamlin residents are suing the town over a new law regulating the development of wind farms. The Hamlin Preservation Group and 39 town residents filed a lawsuit Tuesday in state Supreme Court against the law, claiming it will allow electricity-generating wind turbines that will ruin Hamlin's rural nature and environment. The Hamlin Town Board unanimously approved the law at a contentious meeting April 24. One board member abstained because he had signed a lease agreement with a wind energy firm.

The Jordanville Wind Project’s 68 proposed wind turbines, which would stand nearly 400 feet tall, could have a visual impact on southern Herkimer County and as far away as Cooperstown. A debate is emerging among residents about how the sight of the turbines would affect the beauty of the landscape, land values and tourism. Some think the impact will be small or nonexistent, while others believe there could be many downsides. People visit the Cooperstown area not just for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, other museums and tourist attractions, but also for the scenic views, said Harry Levine of a citizens’ group called Advocates for Springfield. “I think we have to be very careful how we treat this background landscape because it could have a long-term effect on tourism,” Levine said.

St. Lawrence Wind Farm developer Acciona has shrunk its proposal from 96 turbines to 53. Acciona showed off the new maps for the wind power development at a public forum at the village fire hall Thursday afternoon and evening. Project manager Pete Zedick said the winnowing was a result of the environmental studies and feedback from its draft environmental impact statements. "We've done a lot of work to comply with the requirements of the town and take environmental and land constraints into account," he said.

Arkwright Landowners’ Association president Chris Cannon is concerned about the increased requirements the Arkwright Town Board approved for the draft local law on industrial wind turbines. “The revisions to the proposed local law have increased setbacks from 1,200 to 1,400 feet from the nearest off-site residence and 750 feet from the nearest site boundary property line or nearest public road. (They) are the most stringent in New York State,” Cannon said. He said these restrictions have placed Arkwright’s industrial wind turbine development project in jeopardy.

Armed with books, studies, facts and figures, several proponents of windmill projects addressed members of the county legislature during last night’s meeting. Fairfield resident Dennis Kaczeroski urged the county to accept Community Energy’s reported offer of $7,500 per megawatt for the 136-megawatt Jordanville Wind Farm for a payment in lieu of taxes agreement. The money would be split among the taxing entities involved - the county, the towns, and school district. The county has been seeking a higher figure, based on a consultant’s estimate of $40,000 per megawatt that they said the county should be able to expect. “Get what you can get; the market is the market. Don’t be short-sighted and derail this,” said Kaczeroski. “Your responsibility is to get the best deal for all of us.”

More than 150 lawyers and interested citizens showed up Friday for Albany Law School's day-long discussion on windpower in New York.

By adopting a new local law, the Albion Town Board will be able to form advisory committees on an "as need basis," Supervisor Eugene Christopher said Monday evening. The first committee formed will look into all aspects of wind energy, from its legalities of it to the aesthetics, said committee member William Coxeter. "We're going to look at the whole gamut," he said. "Aside from that, I really don't have any comment because we haven't met yet."

The Town of Albion Wind Advisory Committee discussed a proposed 24-page local law outlining the rules and procedures for wind turbines at Thursday evening's meeting. Town officials have yet to decide, however, whether 400-foot turbines are in the best interest of the community. The draft will be presented to the Town Board with the committee's final recommendations. ...Advisory committee members expressed concern about the visual impact along the Erie Canal corridor, as well as the rest of the community, due to the relatively flat landscape. The public's concerns echoed many of the ongoing issues surrounding the turbines - including a 4,000-foot shadow flicker effect caused by the sun, as well as property values, taxes, noise and the need for tower repairs. Other issues include the efficiency of the turbines and environmental and aesthetic impact.

After an unsuccessful Wind Advisory Committee, the Town Board has a plan that is expected to yield a decision about wind energy by July. Phase 1 of the project involves education and research, said Councilman Douglas Bloom. The board will host a series of forums, separate from the town meetings, to inform the public and allow them to voice their opinions. In an effort to involve community youth in the wind energy debate, students from the Albion Central School District will help administer the forums, Bloom said. Students in the technology department may be enlisted to create digital simulations of what the proposed 400-foot towers would look like against the Orleans County skyline. ...The Albion Wind Advisory Committee was formed last spring under Town Supervisor Eugene Christopher with the purpose of making a recommendation. The committee was disbanded in late November before it made a decision. The Gaines Wind Advisory Committee was more successful and, in a majority 6-2 vote, decided wind energy is not in the best interest of Gaines. Both Gaines and Albion have one-year moratoriums in place before any official decisions will be made.

ALTONA -- Altona Town Council didn't vote last week on the proposed local law that would allow companies to apply to build wind-energy projects.

ALTONA -- The Town of Altona now has a wind-energy law in place, and Noble Environmental has submitted a wind-farm application there.

Tonight, a public hearing in Altona invites comment on a proposed wind-energy law there, which would regulate such projects as one Noble Environmental Power wants to build.

After the recommendations of the town’s planning board, the Andes Town Board on Thursday approved a six-month extension of the moratorium on wind-turbine development, Supervisor Martin Donnelly said.

The Andes Planning Board has delayed voting on whether to recommend to the town board a proposed law that would ban commercial wind turbines. The board received minor changes to the draft law on Monday evening from the Andes Alliance, a citizens’ group that wants the town to ban commercial wind turbines. The changes were based on input received at a public meeting several weeks ago. The planners agreed that they would like additional time to review the changes before voting whether to send the proposal to the Andes Town Board with the recommendation that it be adopted as a town law.