Seaway gives city port award for increased cargo in 2012

By BRIAN KIDWELL

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

Business was good at the Port of Ogdensburg in 2012; just ask the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Steel, iron ore, salt, wind energy components, grain, aluminum and other commodities passed through the Seaway ports last year in greater numbers than in 2011.

Wind energy components were at the center of the Ogdensburg port’s busy year.[Watertown Times]

Indian River may build new elementary school, solar field

By REENA SINGH
TIMES STAFF WRITER

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2013

PHILADELPHIA — Indian River Central School District may have several years’ worth of projects ahead.

At the Board of Education meeting Thursday, Business Manager James R. Koch said that in addition to the solar and wind projects being considered, the district may have to build another primary school or add up to 12 classrooms to an existing school to prepare for a possible surge in enrollment in the next two years.

[Watertown Times]

SUNY Canton shows turbine plans to public

By JACOB TIERNEY

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2013

CANTON — Construction on a wind turbine at SUNY Canton may be underway by this time next year.
The college held its first public informational meeting about the project Tuesday, to provide updates on the project that has been discussed since 2005 and is now close to becoming a reality.

[Watertown Times]

Going Green: free state-funded audits reap farmers savings on cutting-edge equipment

By TED BOOKER
TIMES STAFF WRITER

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

Because they’re busy with daily chores, farmers often can’t find time to research the latest energy-efficient technology on the market.

Now, they have access to someone who has done that work for them. Community energy auditor Gerald K. Loch visits farms in the north country to slash energy costs. The expert from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County has started conducting free energy audits at farms this spring, thanks to $6.2 million in state funding awarded this year to the Agriculture Energy Efficiency Program from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Along with providing farms free audits, the program funds up to 75 percent of energy-efficient equipment for which farmers qualify. Up to $250,000 can be awarded per farm.[Watertown Times]

Ogdensburg’s yard waste will become renewable energy

By BRIAN KIDWELL
JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

OGDENSBURG — The city’s broken tree limbs and branches and shrubbery no longer will be piled up and buried in the former municipal landfill on outer Champlain Street.

Instead, an Albany-area renewable energy company will haul the public works-collected yard waste at no charge to its newly acquired cogeneration plant, where it will be converted to wood chips.[Watertown Times]

Wind energy pits neighbor against neighbor

MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013
What is happening to our country? Is it the whole country, or just in this area? When I was growing up here, people had respect for their neighbors and other people. They helped their neighbors in whatever way they could. Nowadays, people are squealing on their neighbors and hoping to get them in trouble by splashing it all over the Internet and in the newspapers. This is mean and vindictive. People seem to be thinking only of themselves and how they can get someone in trouble.[Watertown Times]

SUNY Canton sets wind turbine discussion

MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013

CANTON — SUNY Canton will host the first of three public information sessions on a proposed wind turbine on campus at 6 p.m. April 16 in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center’s intramural gym.

The college, in consultation with the New York Power Authority and Sustainable Energy Developments, is considering construction of a wind turbine that would provide electricity on campus along with support for academic programming, including alternative and renewable energy systems and electrical engineering technology.[Watertown Times]

JCC wants to be “carbon neutral”

By REENA SINGH
TIMES STAFF WRITER

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2013

Jefferson Community College is making a long-term commitment to the environment: becoming carbon neutral within 86 years.

Director of Facilities Bruce Alexander has measured five years’ worth of JCC’s carbon emissions to try to comply with the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which was signed several years ago.[Watertown Times]

Deception in Clayton on Iberdola project

SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2013

Many of us have closely followed the nearly decade-long history of proposed wind development in the Thousand Islands region and hated what we have seen.

People on the lakeshore with views of the Galloos and residents of Lyme, Cape Vincent and Hammond have been put through hell trying to beat back ill-conceived wind projects in their towns.[Watertown Times]

Electric-vehicle charging station planned at Tops in Seaway Plaza

By TED BOOKER TIMES STAFF WRITER THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 The Tops grocery store in the Seaway Plaza off Route 11 will offer an electric-vehicle charging station in a project with National Grid that received approval Wednesday by the Pamelia Planning Board.[Watertown Times]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!! BP puts U.S. wind farm arm up for sale

LONDON (Reuters) - BP has put its U.S. wind farm operation, one of the largest in the country, up for sale, marking the continued retreat of big oil companies from renewable energy investments while oil and gas projects offer them better returns.

The British oil company has already sold or earmarked for sale some $38 billion worth of assets, partly to raise funds to pay for its 2010 U.S. oil spill liabilities, but also to reposition itself as a smaller, leaner company with an emphasis on high-margin oil production and exploration. Reports said the sale could raise a further $1.5 billion.[Reuters]

BP Wind Energy will hold a public workshop

THREE MILE BAY — BP Wind Energy will hold a public workshop to explain the preliminary scoping statement process for the Cape Vincent Wind Farm at 6 p.m. April 9 at the Three Mile Bay Fire Hall on Route 12E.

Fort Drum biomass RFP delayed until April 12

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013
FORT DRUM — The deadline for submissions to an Army request for proposals on supplying the post with electricity from a biomass facility was extended until April 12.[Watertown Times]