Thousands of birds nest around, or migrate through, the Lake Erie shoreline near Buffalo. Just how many of them would be killed by spinning windmill blades was the dominant concern at a meeting Thursday night on the area's potential to generate wind energy.

Wind turbines are being considered as a source of some power for the town's sewage treatment facility and the village's water wells.

Time is of the essence when it comes to the proposed windmill projects in Herkimer County. At least that is what the legislators were told Wednesday night.

“You do control the fate of your town and the your development through zoning,” Sigurdson said.

LYONS — The town and the village both plan to pursue zoning laws to regulate where and how wind farms and windmills could operate.

Two separate wind farms proposed for Prattsburgh, Steuben County, are now being reviewed by the same local development agency.

BATH - A new Steuben County law approved by legislators Monday will allow the county to tax wind- and solar-energy developments in the county.

What this basically means, he said, is that a final project application and plan cannot be submitted to the Adirondack Park Agency until the research is done and the company knows exactly where windmills would need to go and why.

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.

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.

Critics argued the combined 140 megawatts the turbines would produce at peak capacity represented a fraction of the Island's current 6,100 megawatt availability, at a price equivalent to or higher than oil or gas-based power. They voiced concerns over turbine noise, obstructed views and impacted property values, and noted that low wind velocities during the summer season could mean the wind farm is least productive when needed most.

The talk of wind turbines continues to blow through Steuben and Livingston counties. Three towns are currently in different stages of the proposed projects.

Representatives from several environmental advocacy groups are celebrating the fact that Maple Ridge wind farm in Lewis County recently went on line. But a vocal group of citizens opposed to the use of wind turbines say the state should focus on other energy sources.

He [Golisano] said if windmills can be positioned so that they don't impact people negatively, then he supports them.

CHATEAUGAY -- A 120-foot wind tower may be erected at the State Department of Environmental Conservation Fish Hatchery here to generate electricity to power the operation.

"It's like putting lipstick on a pig," said Larry Newhart, a challenger of the turbine projects. "You can dress it up however you want but it's still a pig."

That the towns have accepted applications doesn't mean the wind farms will be built, Spitzer emphasized. "This is just the very first step. The towns won't make decisions for many, many months. "In no way is this indication of approval of the project."

The town of Perry is putting off action on approving a major wind turbine project.

HARTSVILLE - Members of the Hartsville town board have been accused of back-door politics and not notifying the public of its intentions toward wind turbine construction on Call and Hartsville hills.

Reunion's announcement comes just ahead of a call for a state-wide moratorium on siting wind turbines from Otsego 2000, an environmental advocacy organization based in Cooperstown.