The Answers May be Blowin' in the Wind

Proposed wind farms in the Plattsburgh area are greeted with mixed reactions

Story by Jessica Shea
Photos Courtesy of Power Communications

According to Steve Sullivan, spokesman for the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, if a random survey was given asking people if they are for or against wind power, most would say they are for it. However, when plans for a wind farm are proposed in a community, some people adopt a "not in my backyard", or "NIMBY" attitude.

"We are not facing a situation between wind power and nothing"

"New York is at an energy crossroads," Emmett Pepper, program coordinator for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said at a public wind forum in Plattsburgh. The demand for energy is increasing at 1.2 percent a year in New York. At the same time, the price of fossil fuels is also increasing.

Pepper noted that 52 percent of New York State's electricity comes from fossil fuels, while less than one percent of electricity comes from wind power. "It is estimated that 20 percent of our electricity in New York State could come from wind power," Pepper said.

Why wind power?

According to Sullivan, we need more energy because society is consuming greater amounts of energy. "We are not facing a situation between wind power and nothing," he explained. "We have to look at it between wind power and some other form of power, like coal fire power or nuclear power."

Pepper believes the most important fact to know concerning wind power is that it's clean and non-polluting. In addition, wind power does not rely on either importing or extracting fossil fuels.

Non-renewable energy sources are just as their name implies: limited. There is a finite supply of fossil fuels on the earth. Whether or not these supplies will run out in the near future or in hundreds of years, the fact remains that there is a limited source.

At the other end of the energy spectrum, wind power is a renewable source of energy. Under the New York State Renewable Portfolio Standard, by 2013, a quarter of New York State 's electricity must come from renewable sources, including solar and hydroelectric.

"In general, the North Country is one area of the state that has given wind power a very positive reception"

Where are wind farms?

There are currently four wind farms operating in New York. The largest wind farm in New York, and also east of the Mississippi River, is Maple Ridge Farm. Maple Ridge Farm is two hours southwest of Plattsburgh. The wind farm's turbines supply enough energy to power about 90,000 homes.

There are 43 proposed wind farm sites in the state, three of which are in the Plattsburgh area. "In general, the North Country is one area of the state that has given wind power a very positive reception," Sullivan said.

He believes much of this positive reception is the result of the economic impact wind farms bring.

"They're going to lower property taxes and provide more revenue for the towns. Right now upstate New York is not seeing a ton of industry," Sullivan explained, "Wind power is one industry that is coming in and investing billions of dollars."

What's going on in the Plattsburgh area?

Two companies have plans for wind farms in three towns. Noble Environmental and Marble River Wind Farm have proposed wind farms in the towns of Clinton and Ellenburg. Noble Environmental also has proposed building a farm in Altona.

According to Ellenburg Town Supervisor, Jim McNeil, Noble Environmental has proposed building 54, 1.2 megawatt wind turbines. Marble Ridge plans to construct 20, two megawatt turbines.

Ground has not been broken on any of the wind farms, and construction is not expected to begin until spring. "They wanted to start this fall," said McNeil, "but with all the DEC permits, they didn't get all their studies done in time."

McNeil points out that the wind farms would help out greatly with his town's tax burden. He also says the farms are supposed to create 10 to 15 jobs in the area.

All three towns preformed extensive environmental studies of the areas where

the wind farms will be built. "They did all these studies," McNeil noted. "Well, these people [People for the Preservation of the North Country] still weren't happy with what they'd seen so they sued us. We don't feel that it's going to stand up in court. We're not really concerned with that at this point."

"A lot of people are focused on the visual impact"

Why don't people want the wind farms?

The main argument McNeil has heard is the issue of noise. McNeil has visited Maple Ridge wind farm, where the turbines are set back from homes at 500 feet. The proposed turbines in the Plattsburgh area have setbacks of 1000 feet. "At 500 feet you can't hear them," he explained, "At 1,000 feet they are defiantly not going to be a problem."

Another issue is aesthetics. "A lot of people are focused on the visual impact," Sullivan said. "But to me if that's all we have to put up with- the visual impact- and we don't have to put up with acid rain or global warming or our lakes becoming polluted, it's a pretty small price to pay."

Neighbors for the Preservation of the North Country is a group opposed to the proposed wind farms in the Plattsburgh area. "They don't belong in an area like this where people live," Barbara Kramer, Vice President of the group, said. "This is a very unique, beautiful area. It [wind farms] will devastate the area." The Neighbors group is most concerned with the environmental and visual impacts of wind farms.

Sullivan compared wind power to what Winston Churchill said about democracy, "It's not perfect, but it's the best thing we know."

How do you feel about wind farms in the North Country?

Bird Mortality and Wind Turbines

Some critics of wind farms point to bird mortality as a negative aspect of the facilities; however, Emmett Pepper, Program Coordinator for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, believes that high bird mortality rates stem largely from poor design of wind turbines in the past.

Turbines used to be constructed of lattice work that birds would nest in. Now, the bases of turbines consist of a solid pole. Pepper also explained that the blade speed of wind turbines has decreased. In addition, it is important to consider the location of wind farms. "So that you don't put wind mills right in the middle of a major migratory wind path," Pepper said. "It is very important to consider each wind proposal individually." Despite these improvements bird mortality rates are at seven to eight deaths per turbine each year.