Monday, April 30, 2012

Parishville town board may soon enact wind law

   Continue reading here--  Parishville town board may soon enact wind law
By BRIAN HAYDEN
JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS
The Watertown Daily Times

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012

PARISHVILLE — The town may soon have a wind energy facilities law on the books, according to Supervisor Jerry G. Moore.

But it could still be a couple of years before any Iberdrola Renewables wind turbines pop up in Parishville, Mr. Moore said.

Champion enacts electrical transmission moratorium

   Continue reading here--  Champion enacts electrical transmission moratorium

By ELAINE M. AVALLONE
JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS
Watertown Daily Times

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012

CHAMPION — The Champion Town Council has approved a 180-day moratorium on construction of electrical transmission facilities.

Town Supervisor Terry L. Buckley said the law was enacted to give the board time to get zoning regulations in place to accommodate the proposed wind farm in Denmark.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Oswego County a step closer to officially denouncing offshore wind farms

By KEN STURTZ
Contributing Writer
  Continue reading here--  Published: in the Palladium times

From the Plladium Times

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

OSWEGO — Oswego County is a step closer to officially denouncing offshore wind farms and plans to change the way water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are regulated.

The county Legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to send resolutions to the full Legislature against offshore wind farms and altering water levels on the two local bodies of water.

Clarkson to host wind turbine testing facility

  Continue reading here--   Clarkson to host wind turbine testing facility

The Watertown Daily Times
By CHRISTOPHER ROBBINS
TIMES STAFF WRITER


FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012

POTSDAM — A campus recognized for its environmental innovation and focus on sustainability saw those efforts pay off Thursday.

Clarkson University, named one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in North America by the Princeton Review, was selected to host a wind turbine blade-testing facility, the first of its kind.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Cuomo admin announces wind turbine testing at Clarkson

  Continue reading here--  Cuomo admin announces wind turbine testing at Clarkson

From the Watertown Daily Times

BY BRIAN AMARAL

TIMES STAFF WRITER

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012


Clarkson University will be home to a state-supported wind energy testing lab, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced today.

Wind turbine blades will be tested at the Potsdam engineering school with the help of a $4.2 million grant, he said. The money will also help support a solar-power testing lab in Cortland.

Cape Vincent Wind Farm gets new project manager; tweaking layout as a “compromise” to please critics

  Continue reading here--   Cape Vincent Wind Farm gets new project manager; tweaking layout as a “compromise” to please critics
By JAEGUN LEE
TIMES STAFF WRITER


THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

CAPE VINCENT — With a new project manager at its helm, BP Wind Energy is tweaking the layout of the proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm to show that it is “willing to compromise” with critics who seek to kill the project.

Peter A. Gross said Wednesday he is leaving BP to “pursue an opportunity at another company” but that the wind farm project will move ahead with Richard F. Chandler.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Ogdensburg port road funding secured

$340 million in wind turbine components to pass over the new road this year

  Continue reading here--  Ogdensburg port road funding secured
By CHRISTOPHER ROBBINS
& AMANDA PURCELL


SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority received some good news Friday — the $630,000 funding gap for an access road to its St. Lawrence River port was filled with state and local funding.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced $450,000 for the port access road, while the St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency provided a $95,000 grant and the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency is expected to issue an $87,000 loan to cover the rest of the project’s $1.8 million cost.

Portions of Port of Ogdensburg closed to public.

 Continue reading here--   Portions of Port of Ogdensburg closed to public

By CHRISTOPHER ROBBINS
TIMES STAFF WRITER


FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

OGDENSBURG — The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority closed all of the Port of Ogdensburg below Wall Street to public access Thursday.

The authority cited security issues and safety concerns as reasons for the closure.

The port was last closed in 2008, when turbine components for the Wolfe Island Wind Farm were brought through the facility.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Village of Cape Vincent receives $2.7 mil federal loan to increase water production

  Continue reading here--     Village of Cape Vincent receives $2.7 mil federal loan to increase water production

By JAEGUN LEE
TIMES STAFF WRITER


FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

CAPE VINCENT — The village has secured a $2,695,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development office to increase water production by adding a new filter at its treatment plant.

With the funds, the village will add a fourth filter to increase its water production by nearly 60 percent — from 1.4 million gallons to about 2.2 million gallons per day — and allow for more residential and commercial hookups to the public water system.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Lyme extends wind moratorium, again

  Continue reading here--   Lyme extends wind moratorium, again
By JAEGUN LEE
TIMES STAFF WRITER


THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012

CHAUMONT — Lyme’s town board unanimously voted Wednesday night at a special meeting to extend its moratorium on wind-power projects by another six months.

The move halts all wind-power development in the town until Oct. 18 while Lyme’s Planning Board drafts a revised wind-power zoning law.

Henderson ZBA tables decision on private wind turbine

  Continue reading here--   Henderson ZBA tables decision on private wind turbine
By GORDON BLOCK
TIMES STAFF WRITER


THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012

HENDERSON — A decision on whether to allow the construction of a private wind turbine on a farm has been tabled by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Board members said the application to approve a variance for the 10-kilowatt wind turbine generator, which will be at 11375 Whitney Road, was incomplete and raised several issues that need to be resolved.

Monday, April 16, 2012

More on Galloo project

Treading water in a cold lake
Watertown Times Editorial

SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2012

Two weeks ago, Upstate New York Power Corp. told the state Public Service Commission it could not justify the additional cost of running transmission lines under Lake Ontario to Scriba, and suggested the lines should, instead, hit landfall in Hounsfield and run to the Coffeen Street substation of National Grid. The president of Upstate New York Power also suggested in his letter to the PSC that his company will try to sell its power to the Army to power Fort Drum.

Not to say I told you so, but in October 2010 I wrote that Upstate would not, in fact, ever seriously consider a lake-bottom transmission line and that it would continue its pursuit of a land line, either through Henderson and Ellisburg and Richland to a substation in the town of Mexico or to the Coffeen Street substation.


        Link here to original

Saturday, April 14, 2012

National Grid adds ‘weather charge’ on gas bills to account for mild winter

 Link here to continue reading-- National Grid adds ‘weather charge’ on gas bills to account for mild winter

By TED BOOKER
WATERTOWN TIMES
STAFF WRITER

SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2012

One would think that the unusually mild weather this winter would have lowered gas bills for residents in the north country.

But those who took a closer look at their bills from National Grid would have noticed an “adjustment for weather” line that increased fees to make up for the higher temperatures.

Friday, April 13, 2012

ICYMI: Elections have consequences -- Cape Vincent

Link here to continue reading--   ICYMI: Elections have consequences -- Cape Vincent edition

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012

By BRIAN AMARAL

Today's story by Jae Lee is a must-read for north country politics junkies.

The Cape Vincent town board believes that something improper might be happening in Water District 2. The people who connect to Water District 2 just happen to be Donny Mason, a former town board member and no friend to the current crop, and former state Sen. (and now Ag commish) Darrel Aubertine.

The town board cites potential health and sanitation issues, while Mr. Mason questions whether he's being targeted by the town board.

Parishville wind law receives conditional county approval

 Link here to continue reading--   Parishville wind law receives conditional county approval

By BRIAN HAYDEN

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012

WINTHROP - The latest version of Parishville’s proposed wind energy facilities law received conditional approval from the St. Lawrence County Planning Board Thursday night.

The town has revised its proposal several times. The law would create a “wind overlay district,” a special designated area where wind turbines could go. The Parishville town board will hold a public hearing on the law at 7 p.m. Monday.

Cape Vincent suspects illegal water hookups

Link here to continue reading--     Cape Vincent suspects illegal water hookups in Water District 2; health, sanitation concerns raised
By JAEGUN LEE
TIMES STAFF WRITER
FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012

CAPE VINCENT — The town board Thursday voted to conduct a ground survey on Cape Vincent’s Water District 2 because of a suspicion that outside users of neighboring properties were making unauthorized private hookups to the public water system.

In a 4-0 vote, with Councilman Mickey W. Orvis recusing himself, the town agreed to hire Fourth Coast Inc., Clayton, to conduct the two- to four-week survey and determine how many private connections have been made and whether there are health and sanitation issues.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Lyme reschedules wind moratorium public hearing

 Link here to continue reading--   Lyme reschedules wind moratorium public hearing; set to extend it by six months April 18
~~~
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

CHAUMONT — The public hearing on the town of Lyme’s wind moratorium has been rescheduled to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the town offices, Route 12E.

The town board is set to pass yet another six-month moratorium on wind development following the hearing to give its Planning Board more time to develop a new wind zoning law.

Galloo Island Wind Developer Hopes To Sell Power To Fort Drum

 Story Updated: Apr 12, 2012 at 3:32 PM EDT

Could Fort Drum be in the market to buy power from the the proposed Galloo Island wind farm?

It's possible, according to a document from the project's developer.
Upstate NY Power Corp recently filed an application with the state Department of Public Service.
According to the document, the developer is abandoning plans to run power lines under water.



[WNYF]

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

County committee rejects wind power agreement

  Link here to continue reading--  County committee rejects wind power agreement
By BRIAN AMARAL
TIMES STAFF WRITER
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012


Jefferson County legislators made it clear Tuesday night that they don’t want wind turbines in the waters of Lake Ontario — still.

“I think our biggest concern is trying to be proactive,” said Legislator Barry Ormsby, R-Belleville, at the Tuesday meeting of the Board of Legislators’ Planning and Development Committee. “A good defense is a strong offense.”

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Lyme to extend wind moratorium April 11

Lyme to extend wind moratorium April 11
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2012

■ CHAUMONT — The town of Lyme plans to pass another six-month moratorium on wind development Thursday night following a public hearing at 6:15 p.m. at the town offices, Route 12E.

■ The Jefferson County Planning and Development Committee will consider a resolution opposing President Barack Obama’s agreement with the state to speed wind power development along Lake Ontario at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Historic Courthouse, Arsenal Street.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Owens signals ( Pre- Election) concern about speeding up wind project approval

Link here to continue reading--    Owens signals concern about speeding up wind project approval

By BRIAN AMARAL
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
CANTON - Rep. William L. Owens is concerned that an agreement between President Obama and the state of New York to accelerate approval of wind farms in Lake Ontario could quash local input, he said Wednesday.

“I haven’t seen the detail, but obviously, what we want to make sure happens is that local folks have input into the final placement,” said Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh.

Wind turbines to come through Ogdensburg once more

 Link here to continue reading--    Wind turbines to come through Ogdensburg once more

Wind turbines to come through Ogdensburg once more

By CHRISTOPHER ROBBINS
TIMES STAFF WRITER
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012

OGDENSBURG — The winds of success were blowing through the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority board room Wednesday evening, and the board members were beaming for a good reason.

“We are very pleased to report we’ve had successful negotiations with a company for not one, but two wind turbine projects,” said Wade A. Davis, authority executive director. “This means an over $340 million project is going to move through our facility.”