Reopen wind issue, CV Energy committee told
The Freeman's Journal|Jim Kevlin|Feb 10, 2009
The wind is picking up again. Town Supervisor Tom Garretson, worried that tax revenues will begin dropping due to the recession, has directed his Alternative Energy Committee to begin exploring what size wind farm can be accommodated on East Hill under the town's wind regulations.
The wind is picking up again. Town Supervisor Tom Garretson, worried that tax revenues will begin dropping due to the recession, has directed his Alternative Energy Committee to begin exploring what size wind farm can be accommodated on East Hill under the town's wind regulations.
Cherry Valley NY -- The wind is picking up again.
Town Supervisor Tom Garretson, worried that tax revenues will begin dropping due to the recession, has directed his Alternative Energy Committee to begin exploring what size wind farm can be accommodated on East Hill under the town's wind regulations.
In an interview Wednesday, Feb. 11, Garretson said he has sounded out Steven Eisenberg, president of Reunion Power - the regulations had foiled Reunion's plans for a 24-turbine development on East Hill - and found the Vermont-based company would still be interested in a project here.
"I also told Steve that's all I need at this point," the supervisor said. "They don't need to be coming to town. We'll call them."
In a separate …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Cherry Valley NY -- The wind is picking up again.
Town Supervisor Tom Garretson, worried that tax revenues will begin dropping due to the recession, has directed his Alternative Energy Committee to begin exploring what size wind farm can be accommodated on East Hill under the town's wind regulations.
In an interview Wednesday, Feb. 11, Garretson said he has sounded out Steven Eisenberg, president of Reunion Power - the regulations had foiled Reunion's plans for a 24-turbine development on East Hill - and found the Vermont-based company would still be interested in a project here.
"I also told Steve that's all I need at this point," the supervisor said. "They don't need to be coming to town. We'll call them."
In a separate statement, Garretson said the committee has also determined East Hill landowners' still have valid leases with Reunion, and any power produced could still be fed into the national grid through the local substation.
The committee is sending a questionnaire to adjoining landowners to determine how flexible they are in regards to the local wind regulations. "This will allow us to see the actual size of the ‘playing field' available for the project," the statement said.
And the committee is also seeing how the local law compares to other local laws on setbacks of turbines from occupied homes, setbacks from property lines and roads, and decibel levels.
The committee - Garretson laid out his plans at its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 10 - is chaired by Mark Cornwell; members include Rabbit Goody, Ed Harvey, Paul Mendelsohn, Stacey Michael and Kim Thompson.
Andy Minnig of Advocates for Cherry Valley, which formed to oppose local wind projects, was at the meeting, and said later the Advocates remain "adamantly opposed to a large-scale wind farm."
"The current wind ordinance," which he termed "a middle-of-the-road document," "makes impractical the development of such a farm without significant waivers being signed by the adjacent non-participants," Minnig said.
The turbines, he said, likely will depress land values, and thus tax revenues, defeating Garretson's purpose, he said.