Nothing is happening on Galloo wind farm

 Nothing is happening on Galloo wind farm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2011

Almost one year ago, the Jefferson County legislators passed Resolutions 46, 47 and 48 by a narrow margin of 8 to 7. These resolutions were well debated and according to Upstate NY Power, all that stood between them and the project starting spring 2011. The firm is developing the Galloo Island Wind Farm.

Since that time, we have learned that no one is willing to purchase their power, they have no definitive transmission line routes and have not created one of the promised local jobs. In fact, regarding the transmission line, Upstate NY Power continues to challenge one of the covenants the legislators requested, namely underwater transmission routing.

The payment-in-lieu-of-taxes debate was always a rush, always the vote holding up Upstate's progress, and yet one year later, nothing is happening. We sit by and watch cautiously, awaiting the next PILOT discussion, so we can debate this topic yet again — but this time with much better knowledge, and highly likely that the outcome will be a crushing defeat for renewal of a PILOT resolution.

Various towns have done research and developed standards for zoning, land planning and use, and property value guarantees all relative to wind generation along our pristine shorelines of the Golden Crescent and 1000 Islands region. Regionally we have actual data on wildlife-killing rates, as well as health issues associated with commercial wind power generation located in close proximity to humanity.


Our coalition hopes the public is not fooled again by the green-energy label and look at these projects for what they really are.

Robert E. Aliasso, Jr.

Henderson

The writer is co-chair for The Coalition for the Preservation of the Golden Crescent and 1000 Islands Region.