Gov. David Paterson met with four other governors of Mid-Atlantic states who joined together to announce on Thursday, June 5 the formation of a bureaucracy that will serve as infrastructure for future conservation and alternative energy projects in the Atlantic Ocean. The newly created Governors Mid-Atlantic Council on Oceans has the dual focus of preserving the natural habitats in and around the Atlantic Ocean while promoting "offshore renewable energy."

In a letter to Town Council members dated May 29, ECCO's attorney, Gary A. Abraham, argued against a letter from Iberdrola to the town dated May 20. "Specifically, ECCO seeks by these comments to avoid town board action that might rubber stamp the most vacuous statements paraded before you by Iberdrola as findings of fact," Mr. Abraham wrote.

The Wind Energy Committee proposed on Wednesday increasing setbacks for existing structures, but allowing residents to build within 600 feet of a turbine. "If the tower is 600 feet from the property line and you have to be 1,200 feet away from an off-site residence, you just stopped me from being able to do anything on that part of my land," wind committee member L. Kay Davis said. "It gives people a chance to use their land more."

Businesses ranging from Menter, Rudin & Trivelpiece law firm, Watertown, to Erie Boulevard Hydropower, Potsdam, likely will lose their Empire Zone tax benefits following Empire State Development Corp.'s announcement on the status of the 8,000-plus businesses enrolled in program. In the north country, the biggest losers are Erie Boulevard Hydropower in Potsdam's Empire Development Zone, which filed for about $9,035,000 in benefits. Maple Ridge Wind Farm, in Lewis County's zone, would lose $7,197,197 in tax benefits.

Iberdrola Renewables told town officials the recommendations from the town's wind committee would effectively eliminate Horse Creek Wind Farm. At the Town Council's meeting Wednesday night, the council, Planning Board and committee discussed the committee's recommendations. ...Iberdrola has proposed 54 turbines for Clayton and an additional eight for Orleans.

The Orleans Wind Committee will give the Town Council a rundown on its thoughts on flicker, setbacks and noise at a meeting Monday night. The committee, meeting Tuesday night, discussed how technical to be and what form to present its possible recommendations in. "I think they understand the issues but don't understand the technical lingo involved," member William DiTrinco said.

Iberdrola Renewables Inc. is paying for part of a forested wetland restoration project along the Deer River in the town of Montague. Iberdrola is the owner of Maple Ridge Wind Farm and developer of the proposed Roaring Brook Wind Farm. "We were made aware of the project and we consider the restoration project important to the area and recreation and tourism in the community so we wanted to be a part of it," Iberdrola spokeswoman Jan Johnson said.

The conditional-use permit allowing a 13-turbine wind development here surpassed its latest obstacle Wednesday night. The permit, granted by Beekmantown Zoning Board of Appeals to Windhorse Power, LLC, has been an object of controversy and litigation since it was first issued on Jan. 31, 2007.

With construction ramping up again unexpectedly in Cohocton, town officials are looking at their legal options in keeping the work by developer First Wind in line with agreements signed between the parties - even if it means a court date. Town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus announced at Monday night's town board meeting major work is being performed on the 50-turbine wind-powered electricity generation project on Pine, Lent and Dutch hills.

New owners have taken over the reins for a proposed wind-turbine project in Beekmantown and have met with the town to show why they feel the project should move forward. Penn Energy Trust, which first became involved as the land-purchasing agent for Windhorse Power in the summer of 2007, has bought sole control of the project and is attempting to move forward despite several setbacks the former company faced.

An informal public session for town of Hammond residents with Iberdrola Renewables, a commercial wind-farm developer, left at least some residents complaining that their questions were not answered. About 100 people came to the meeting, most armed with a list of questions and data sheets. Many said they were disappointed by the one-on-one format, with no formal presentation and participants approaching the panel to ask questions one at a time. Several who attended the meeting said a town hall-style forum would have been more successful.

Members of the public asked Monday that the construction of Galloo Island Wind Farm include attempts at increasing public access and preserving history on the island. The comments came during two public hearings on the project at the Hounsfield Public Safety Building. Upstate NY Power Corp., backed by Babcock & Brown Ltd., plans to build an 84-turbine wind farm on the island rated at 252 megawatts.

More than 90,000 households could be powered by the proposed Hounsfield Wind Farm on Galloo Island in Jefferson County. "This is a real opportunity for renewable energy in New York State. It's a very unique site. There are not too many islands that, I think, in the New York waters that would be suitable for a wind farm," said Jack Nasca, Department of Environmental Conservation.

Members of the public were of a divided mind Saturday - calling for more studies and saying the time for studying is over on the St. Lawrence Wind Farm. About 150 people attended a public hearing at Cape Vincent Recreation Park and 36 made comments on the supplemental environmental impact statement, an update of the draft environmental impact statement the Planning Board required on June 28, 2007. Acciona is looking to build the 53-turbine project in the northern agricultural district of the town.

It's either a great blessing or a total mess, depending which side you talk to. For every argument supporting or against local wind energy development, there's seemingly an equally strident counterpoint. It's been no different over the past four years regarding the High Sheldon Wind Farm. The sparring included vocal debate and a failed lawsuit by some residents opposing the project.

A three-member subcommittee of the Bath town board will begin a review of other municipalities' laws regarding the siting of wind turbines in preparation for the drafting of a local law regulating wind farm developments.

The town will create an ad hoc committee to gather community input for a new law on non-commercial renewable energy development. Town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said the new law would separate "big wind," or commercial wind development, from residential alternative energy projects including non-commercial wind, solar, hydro and geothermal power.

Members of the Orleans Wind Committee discussed possible enforcement mechanisms at their meeting Tuesday night. One aspect is noise level enforcement. The committee agreed April 28 that audible and low-frequency noise should not exceed five decibels above ambient noise at nonparticipating property lines. The members asked if there could be an automatic monitoring system.

New Windsor's proposed local law regulating residential and commercial wind energy conversion systems will get a public hearing in July. ...Although George Chaleff found a lot of points to agree with as he got his first look at the law Monday, several sticking points led him to suggest the law could severely limit the number of people who could tap the alternative energy source.

A Bath Town Board committee will study other municipalities' wind turbine laws in preparation of drafting a local law regarding wind farm developments. ...Last month, Lattimer said wind turbine technology is improving, thereby increasing the odds a wind farm developer may someday be attracted to the Bath area. To date, wind patterns in the town have not distinguished it as a candidate for wind turbine developments.