Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tired of privileged thinking in Cape

Picture of three wind lesae holders running for town Council
~~~~~~~~~~~
This letter was written by a citizen of Cape Vincent almost two years ago but it could have been written yesterday.


Watertown Daily Times Tired of privileged thinking in Cape
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2009

It is so inconceivable to me that people are willing to accept illegal and unethical behavior in their elected officials. Where in the Constitution does it say if you are second, third, fourth or fifth-generation resident that you can do anything you want, that our laws do not apply to you?

I don't care how many years you have owned property in Cape Vincent. I am sick to death of people who think they are more privileged than others because their great-grandfather was here first. Just because it has always been, doesn't mean it will continue to be.

Thank heaven we are people who are finally questioning how things are done in Cape Vincent. Thank heaven we have people who are willing and courageous enough to stand up against unethical and illegal behavior. Lining their pockets and hiring your sisters, your wives and brothers is not acceptable nor ethical behavior. Some in Cape Vincent might be willing to ignore the same type of Madoff madness that has gotten this country in the mess it is in. I am not. It is time this kind of greed is recognized for what it is and nipped in the bud.

There are a lot of good, honest, decent people who live in the Cape, not related to anyone with wind contracts who are eligible to serve with honor and dignity. Those with conflicts should not have run for re-election. They have brought this upon themselves. Re-election does not excuse them from illegal conflicts of interest. Even nice people do very bad things, and really bad things are happening in Cape Vincent to a lot of really nice people.

Just look at Wolfe Island. You no longer see an island on the beautiful St. Lawrence River. You now see an industrial development as a gateway to the Thousand Islands and Cape Vincent. Bad decisions by nice people are still bad decisions

Barbara M. Steinhouse

Cape Vincent

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Betwixed & Between the Lines

This post is a series of letters between Whiteman Osterman and Hanna lawyer Michael Sterthous , British Petroleum’s project manager Peter Gross and Planning Board member Richard MacSherry.
Letter number one ,is from Whiteman Osterman and Hanna (WOH) to BP lawyer John S. Harris, Esq.
Regarding the BP wind project in Cape Vincent.

March 16, 2011
Michael G. Sterthous from Whiteman Osterman and Hanna advised Bp that the Cape Vincent’s Planning Board review of their project is “ongoing”.
Comments on the status of the completeness of the SDEIS will be delivered to BP Wind Energy‘s technical consultants over the coming months and ultimately lead to iteration of the document.
The planning board’s technical consultants have already issued a letter to BP Wind Energy advising it that the noise analysis presented in the SDEIS should be conformed to the noise analysis presented by St. Lawrence Windpower, LLC as part of its most recent submissions to the Planning Board.
Since an iteration of the current version of the SDEIS is expected, the planning Board has cancelled next week’s meeting…
It may be helpful for BP Wind Energy’s representative to schedule a time to present the project and the reports and analysis contained in the SDEIS to the Planning Board, as many members are new to the board.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sterthous is assuring BP that things are going along smoothly. However, are them it was right around this time that Todd Mathis was removed from the Cape Vincent project additionally BP’s senior project manager Jim Madden left the scene as well. The planning board meeting scheduled for March 23 was cancelled
The SDEIS was submitted to the planning board Feb. 10, 2011 however, it has not been formally accepted by the board. In late February of 2011, BP’s former senior project manager Madden said in a newspaper interview that he expected the SDEIS to be accepted by the end of March. Then a public comment period would begin followed by a hearing.
However, the Cape Vincent Town Planning Board meeting scheduled for March 23, 2011 was canceled. Planning Board members were to consider the supplemental draft environmental impact statement for British Petroleum's Cape Vincent industrial wind complex.






~~~~~~~~~~~~

August 2, 2011
Letter number two, is from British Petroleum’s project manager Peter Gross to planning Board member Richard MacSherry.
This letter explains to Mr. MacSherry that they are anxiously awaiting the anticipated comments from the Planning Board on their Cape Wind SDEIS.
Additionally Gross states that BP would like to advance their project in a timely efficient manner.
Gross also requests that the Planning Board schedule a review of the SDEIS with the Planning Board and asks for a schedule ( deadline?) for the submission of any further comments so BP can receive a determination from the Planning Board that the doc is complete as soon as reasonably possible.
~~~~~~
In other words, we have waited long enough hurry up with your positive determination.

The third and final letter in this series, is a letter from Planning Board member Richard MacSherry to Mr. Peter Gross Project manager Bp Wind Energy.
Mr. MacSherry informs Mr. Gross that he has no knowledge of any dialogue that Mr. Edsall could have possibly had with Whiteman Osterman and Hanna, which would have led them to indicate that any review was active and that comments regarding the SDEIS would be forthcoming under any time frame.
Additionally, Mr. MacSherry states that the primary obstacles are the time it will take to fill the Planning Board vacancies and a reasonable period for all members to become familiar with BP draft and supplemental EIS documents.
And an opportunity for the Planning Board to meet with our consultants to share and compare our findings
I cannot speculate as to when all of the above-mentioned matters will be concluded; I will commit only to keeping you informed as to our progress.

Teletubbies ,Turbines

& Sex,

Oh my!

Wind companies are getting pretty desperate these days to push their wind agenda. But the question is how desperate will their future be?
Some wind companies use slick media campaigns. Some campaigns are not so slick.

The wind industry is a tough business after all promoting a product that is based on faulty technology. Is not an easy task and corruption may not be enough to facilitate your development… What do you do?
This is where "creativity" takes over.
One industrial wind company used the teletubbies, yes the teletubbies ,


A Wind Developer exploits children to gain acceptance of Wind Development scheme
A controversial wind farm in the Welsh countryside brought in a secret weapon - The Teletubbies.
BBC chiefs have given permission for the children's favorites to be used as the face of a scheme to provide electricity for more than 1,500 homes in west Wales.
Tinky-Winky, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po stand in front of a spinning windmill in their TV shows.
The company behind the scheme hopes their image will help win over opponents against the wind farm.
Awel Aman Tawe, a company developing the scheme, said the Teletubbies brainwave came when it took children to visit another wind farm. "As they approached the wind farm, all the children looked out of the window and shouted: "Look it's the Teletubbies'."
"They all know that the program often features windmills in the background."
Postcards of the Teletubbies were handed out at displays and exhibitions promoting the project at Mynydd Uchaf near at Tairgwaith, near Ammanford.
Western Wind energy ran a tacky video promotion

SEX SELLS EVERYTHING ~
Western Wind Energy's Wind Blows Viral Video Contest was offering $10,000 for the creation of the best video about wind power for this developer and promoter of wind energy generation projects. They put up a tacky promotional video as an example of what they were looking for.
Western Wind was apparently going for name recognition, but it's hard to see how this contest, would reach their target audience of investors, legislators and media. This contest is now over. This was a promotion for, 2006.

I WONDER IF THEY HAVE An Escrow account or a "SLUSH FUND"?




Wind companies use many tactics to push their wind agenda.
The question is how low will they go?
~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, August 29, 2011

John Byrne on Hannity MP3

John Byrne was on the Sean Hanity show today
the mp3 player below has the excerpted segment

GREEN WASH, WHITE WASH ,HOG WASH

Big event coming to Cape Vincent August 31, 2011
Location: Cape Vincent Rec Park
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Brought to you by the New York Wind Education Collaborative:
Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY), Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), and PACE Energy and Climate Center
Date: Wednesday, August 31
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: Cape Vincent Rec Park
602 South James St.
Cape Vincent, NY 13618
Opportunity for Questions and Answers will follow.

FREE PIZZA AND DRINKS AVAILABLE!
Contact Brian Smith at bsmith@citizenscampaign.org for more info.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the early years October 2007, there was trouble with the proposed wind developments in Cape Vincent and Lyme . The fierce debate began in Cape Vincent.
In the face of British Petroleum’ s bringing wind development to Lyme the war over wind began raging, discontent was brewing .

Lyme was in a dispute with the town of Cape Vincent over control of the environmental review for the portion of the British Petroleum’s wind development that would be in their borders.
They enacted a moratorium on wind farm development while it drafts zoning regulations for wind turbines.
The split in the community over wind development ran deep.
Protesters began to stand up to anyone who supported the idea of wind development, and property owners who wanted to reap the financial rewards of wind were not standing down.
BP had to take action to prevent the community from galvanizing any more than it already had.
Bp scheduled an informational open house to educate and inform the community about wind development.
Jim Madden BP' Project Manager for the proposed Cape Vincent wind farm stated that BP hired community organizer Marrion Trieste’s to handle “Public Relations and do "outreach" work. It was at this meeting that Trieste introduced Voters For Wind a “grass roots” organization that she helped launch.
In reaction to the many protesters marching outside this meeting Trieste said
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion and their own concerns,” said Marion Trieste, of Green Energy Outreach Services. “This is America.”

It has been over four years since Voters for Wind was born from a need to promote wind development in Cape Vincent and Lyme. Over the years, wind development has had its ups and downs, however now we are at a crucial point. Cape Vincent is poised to elect town board members that do not have conflicts of interest this will severely cripple the wind projects because we will have board members that will put the community first. The protection of our citizens through proper setbacks and property protection plans is something that is financially unacceptable to the wind companies. They must take action with a primary just two weeks away they have decided to bring in the big guns to try to regain control.


One of the representatives that will be speaking at this event is Carol Murphy; she became first executive director of the Alliance for Clean energy (ACE) May 11, 2006 .

Coincidentally at this same time, Marion Trieste and Steve Sullivan were publicists for ACE.
Trieste was there in the beginning to usher in the wind projects. Will she be in Cape Vincent this Wednesday with all her “Green” “Grass Roots” friends to usher the wind projects out as well?
Read the press release here

Jeffersons Leaning Left has also done an excellent post about this wind developers sponsored event link here to read about Another pro-wind public relations attempt in Cape Vincent.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene, Versus Wind Turbines

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind

Weather approaching Over Yonder Cay from on top of one of the two 100' wind turbines


 

Reminiscence

Luck of the Draw

April 25, 2000

"LUCKY' BURGLAR STRIKES CAPE VINCENT LEGION POST

- A burglar "got lucky" during the weekend, entering the American Legion post here on a rare occasion that a night deposit was not made at a bank, a state police investigator said.
Approximately $2,300 in cash and checks was stolen in a burglary discovered at 8 a.m. Monday at the Legion post, police said. Club steward Marvin Votra said about $600 was cash, and the balance was in checks, which were already stamped "for deposit only."
Investigator Judy A. Paduano said entry is believed to have occurred Sunday night or early Monday through an unlocked restroom window. She said she thinks the intruder might have been surprised to find more than a small amount of money retained for use as change.
Because the Legion, at 248 E. Broadway, was closed for Easter, Mr. Votra said, he had not had a chance to make a bank deposit.
The intruder "broke down" a steel door to enter the room where the money was hidden, Mr. Votra said. There was no ransacking. It is not believed that anything else, including beer or liquor, was stolen, Mr. Votra said.
Since tourist season has not begun, Investigator Paduano said, the burglar is likely a local person.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Arguments against wind power are faulty

Watertown Daily Times | Arguments against wind power are faulty
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2011


I have read with amusement the comments of Rob Aliasso from Henderson. He claims that wind farms will destroy the pristine beauty of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. He’s too young to realize that his idealized image vanished when the St. Lawrence Seaway was created and when the numerous trailer parks along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River developed more than 50 years ago. He can’t see the polluted beaches, the damage invasive species have caused and the sewage draining into these waters.

Mr. Aliasso also claims that the wind companies have run roughshod over communities. If he talked with many wind-farm township supervisors, township assessors in wind-farm areas, or the superintendents of schools receiving monies from the wind farms, he would not say that about these thriving communities. He would also have a very different impression if he talked with many of the more than 55,000 residents living in the 14 wind farms covering more than 25 townships in New York state.

Since Mr. Aliasso can’t see beyond more than a couple thousand feet of the shorelines, he has no idea how much once-viable farmland has gone to scrub brush in Cape Vincent. Lands that once produced crops for the dairy industry have become wastelands as one after another dairy farm has ceased operation. Even though the farmer no longer sustains a dairy or raises the crops necessary for milk production, he still pays taxes on the land. As the income to farmers dwindled, so did the economy of the village of Cape Vincent. Many who have lived in Cape Vincent for only a decade or two have no idea what the village was like in an earlier era when dairy farms were numerous.

Times have changed, and the future requires alternative methods of energy production. The farmland beyond the village of Cape Vincent could once again become viable. The income the farmers received through turbine leases could once again benefit and strengthen the economy of the village. All who own property, especially seasonal landowners who pay taxes on more than one property, would benefit from reduced property taxes.


Despite the many falsehoods propagated by the anti-wind faction, wind energy is the cleanest and most ecologically sound form of energy. The blowing wind is free, and its extraction does not pollute.

Karen L. Stumpf

Cape Vincent

Monday, August 22, 2011

Article X Streamlines Corruption

Article X of the Public Service Law, which is designed to streamline the siting review and approval process for major electric generating facilities.
From the beginning, there have been problems with wind development in New York State.
Article X is back, is it an attempt to fast track wind energy development? The reason that wind development is slow in New York is not because the process needs streamlining.
What is slowing the process is not procedural it is the corruption.
Communities are having monster wind projects shoved down their throats and as a result, citizens have found it necessary to go to court to protect their homes and health. Because of the corruption surrounding wind development, Cuomo established his optional code of conduct for wind development in New York State unfortunately for the citizens in our state this code is nothing more than window dressing, a politician’s way to address the problem without having to do anything about it. Not only is Cuomo’s Wind ethics code optional but apparently, the Attorney Generals task force sees enforcement of the ethics code optional as well.

The problem with our lawmakers in Albany is that they are so entrenched in corruption that when decent honest people in communities need protection from corruption Albany sees it as a technical process eliminating the human element.
As long as we keep feeding the bureaucratic pig, it will continue to devour all sense morality in our state.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Green Jobs Fall Short of Expectations


The NY TIMES
reports
Green Jobs Fall Short of Expectations Number of Green Jobs Fails to Live Up to Promises


California: In the Bay Area as in much of the country, the green economy is not proving to be the job-creation engine that many politicians envisioned.
President Obama once pledged to create five million green jobs over 10 years. Gov. Jerry Brown promised 500,000 clean-technology jobs statewide by the end of the decade. However, the results so far suggest such numbers are a pipe dream.
~~~
“I won’t say I’m not frustrated,” said Van Jones, a communist and the founder and president of Green For All,and board member of the Apollo Alliance, who served briefly as Mr. Obama’s green-jobs czar before resigning under fire after conservative critics said he had signed a petition accusing the Bush administration of deliberately allowing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a claim Mr. Jones denies.

The Green Jobs Green Homes movement is a sham. The implantation of the Green Energy economy has helped bring our country to its knees. If this continues, we may someday be transformed into a third world country. Perhaps this is the intention…

New york has a green jobs agenda as well.

October 2009 Gov. David Paterson signed the Green Jobs/Green New York Act of 2009 into law.
“New York is on the way to becoming a global green leader,” said Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party (WFP). “Using today’s technology, this program will save millions of homeowners on their utility bills, reduce New York’s carbon footprint, and create thousands of badly needed jobs.”

The Green Jobs/Green New York Act of 2009 Was the product of two years of work by a coalition of multiple stakeholders, led by the Center for working families (CWF) and the WFP, with active engagement by the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), the New York Apollo Alliance, and many others. The coalition worked in cooperation with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who authored the bill and carried it through unanimous passage in the Assembly.

APOLLO ALLIANCE The San Francisco based Apollo Alliance is a very powerful coalition, comprised of radical environmental groups, organized labor unions such as the SEIU, the AFL- CIO ,UAW, and the United Steel workers, the IBEW, and the LIUA partnered with “Social Justice” groups like ACORN and its myriad of underlings… (This is the single largest radical group in America, with more than 400,000 dues-paying member families, and more than 1,200 chapters in 110 U.S. cities.)
The Apollo Alliance has ADMITTED that they wrote the Stimulus Bill AND the Cap and Trade Bill.
The Apollo Alliance network is an incestuous, tangle of interwoven organizations and political activist groups, coming together to reshape our American values and ideals. Under the guise of promoting a clean energy economy.
Acorn a member of the Apollo Alliance coalition (reportedly Acorn Declared Bankruptcy Nov 2010)

Darrel Aubertine was closely aligned with the Working Families party; The Working Families Party (WFP) was a front group for the radical cult ACORN. The Working Family party functioned as a political party in New York State and Connecticut, promoting ACORN-friendly candidates.

ACORN an active member of the interwoven organizations and political activist groups, with the goal of reshaping our American values and ideals. Under the guise of promoting a clean energy economny
The director of New York Apollo Alliance, Jeff Jones is former member of a deadly, domestic terrorist organization the Weatherman he is quoted as saying, “To this day, we still think it was the right thing to do.” This is a comment he made about his former terrorist activities [The Days of Rage] The Apollo Alliance helped construct New York State’s Energy Policy.

I might add that this policy contains a section concerned with, environmental justice; apparently, there must be a typo. It should read selective environmental justice. As any one that has been in the path of the rampant lust for wind development in New York State can attest to. There isn’t any justice for us.

Candidates know that when they're on our line, they're committed to certain things,”

Acorn CEO. Bertha Lewis was quoted in the above statement saying that candidates are committed to "certain things" did she mean things like the Green jobs bill?
Another affiliate of Apollo participated in writing the Green Jobs Bill as well, Lawyers for Green Jobs.
Lawyers for Green Jobs were formed in 2008 by a group of young environmental attorneys who met while attending the New York City Environmental Law Leadership Institute (NYCELLI). Since that time, L4GJ has been engaging national and New York-based green jobs advocacy organizations, such as Green for All, the New York Apollo Alliance, and several environmental justice groups, to foster a statewide policy for green jobs in New York.

Senator Darrel Aubertine, Lead sponsor of the Green Jobs bill in the Senate.
This bill Provided $112 million of capital funding from the Regional Greenhouse
Gas Initiative (RGGI),
$70 million of which will be for a Green
Jobs-Green New York revolving loan fund designed to commit resources
fully during this phase with no less than 50 percent of capital monies
going to residential retrofits.

Additionally it provided $2-4 million of RGGI funds to be used to establish green job
training throughout the state to establish a green workforce for the
2151 century and requires the NYS Department of Labor to work with
NYSERDA to development additional training resources.

There will be tight control on these funds. The legislation calls for an advisory board to monitor all of the projects and how the cash is being distributed.

There were a number of places in the legislation where ACORN, SEIU, and their affiliates stood to gain access to this green slush fund. Hundreds of millions of your tax dollars.

This bill Provided $112 million of capital funding from the Regional Greenhouse
Gas Initiative (RGGI), $70 million for the Green
Jobs-Green New York revolving loan fund designed to commit resources
fully during this phase with no less than 50 percent of capital monies
going to residential retrofits. In addition, $2-4 million of RGGI funds to be used to establish green job
training throughout the state to establish a green workforce for the
2151 century and requires the NYS Department of Labor to work with
NYSERDA to development additional training resources.

The legislation called for an advisory board to monitor all of the projects and how the cash is being distributed.

The names of the advisory board members are listed below, WFP members are in red:
Introduced by Sens. HUNTLEY, C. JOHNSON ONORATO, LAVALLE AUBERTINE, BRESLIN, FOLEY, MAZIARZ, MONSERRATE, MORAHAN, OPPENHEIMER, PARKER, PERKINS, SAMPSON, SAVINO, SCHNEIDERMAN, SERRANO, STACHOWSKI, STEWART-COUSINS, THOMPSON, VALESKY, VOLKER, WINNER

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

And Turbines Became Utilities


At the planning Board meeting of November 8, 2006 Wind leaseholder Chairman Edsall asked for a motion to determine if a wind turbine farm is an acceptable site plan use in the Agricultural, residential district. T Ingersoll made a motion to the above site plan use and was seconded by A. Binsley. All in favor. Vote 5 in favor, 0 opposed 0 absent. Therefore, the motion was carried.

Todd hopper Acciona’s St. Lawrence Wind’s project manager submitted their site plan application.

The Chairman advised SLW that we will be following existing zoning laws.

Interestingly enough St. Lawrence Wind Farm Site plan application lists the projects zoning classification as Light Industrial, commercial, and Utilities.

Additionally SLW's application requests that the Town find that the Wind Energy Facility is permitted as a site plan use within the Agricultural Residential district.

Just minutes before SLW submitted their application Edsall and his Planning Board had made the determination that turbines are an acceptable site plan use.

Immediately after Acciona submitted their application T. Ingersoll made the motion for the Cape Vincent to be lead agency and G. Mingle seconded the motion. All in favor. Vote: 5 in favor, 0 opposed 0 absent. Therefore, the motion carried.

St. Lawrence wind’s application submitted before the board voted to be lead agency already identified the Cape Vincent Planning Board as lead agency.

Section 315 of Cape Vincent’s zoning law provides eight specific permitted uses for the Agricultural Residential (AR) district, and twelve specific uses which are permitted by site plan review, the PB did not identify under which of the twelve authorized site plan uses a large, commercial wind power project would fall, nor did the board provide a basis for their determination.
Consequently, without explanation their actions make it impossible to determine the legality of their actions.
A Large scale Commercial Wind Project is not eligible for site plan review under Cape Vincent’s zoning law.
The fact that the Planning Board made no determination as to which of the twelve site plan review uses were applicable is understandable, since none are clearly identified as a site plan use in the zoning law.

The Planning Board acted beyond its authority when it made the determination concerning project eligibility for site plan review.
NY Town Law does not give the PB the power to interpret zoning law.

Interpretation of zoning law is the responsibility of Cape Vincent’s Wind conflicted Zoning Enforcement Officer Alan Wood .

Edsall was doing what any obedient wind lease holder is expected to do . Working hard to fulfill his wind lease loyalty agreement. It does not matter that his lease is with British Petroleum his actions in this matter concerned both Acciona and British Petroleum’s projects . The determination that a wind turbine farm is an acceptable site plan use in the Agricultural, residential district. Set the foundation for wind development in Cape Vincent.


Sources Correspondence between WPEG attorney Judy Drabicki
Planning Board minutes Nov. 8 2006
Acciona’s site plan application



Saturday, August 6, 2011

Press Release ~ Governor Cuomo Signs Power NY Legislation



Governor Cuomo Signs Power NY Legislation

New Energy Law Provides Streamlined Permitting Process for Power Plants for the First Time in Nearly a Decade; Encourages New Investments in Clean Power Plants



Albany, NY (August 4, 2011)

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed The Power NY Act of 2011, an omnibus energy package that encourages new investments in electric generating facilities across New York and creates the nation's first statewide "on-bill" recovery program to increase energy efficiency for homeowners and businesses.

The new law will create thousands of jobs and set the state on a course of reliable, cleaner energy while strengthening environmental protections.

"We must rebuild and expand New York's energy infrastructure to meet the demands of the 21st century and grow our economy," Governor Cuomo said. "This law will lead to new investment and create tens of thousands of jobs across the state. The act gives community members a voice in the siting process and will maintain New York's position as a leader in environmental protection. I thank the legislature for their support of this legislation."

The Power NY Act establishes a new process for the siting of electric generating facilities and repowering projects. The new law encourages investments in clean power plants and affords communities more opportunities to meaningfully participate in the siting process. After years of gridlock, the measure passed with support from industry, environmental advocates, consumer groups, labor and community organizations.

Additionally, Power NY includes the creation of a historic "on-bill" recovery program that will encourage homeowners and businesses to invest in energy efficiency under the "Green Jobs/Green New York" program. New York is the first state in the nation to create a statewide program of this scale. "On-bill" allows homeowners to take out low-interest loans from NYSERDA for energy efficiency measures, to be paid back on their utility bills. It will help create thousands of green jobs, result in greater energy efficiencies and lower energy bills for homeowners and businesses across the state.

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy said, "Today's signing shows that New York State is a leader in embracing policies that foster economic growth and job creation. Thousands of businesses across the state depend on a reliable supply of electricity and Power NY will ensure that companies looking to invest in New York can be certain that they will have access to an affordable and adequate source of electricity. Governor Cuomo has repeatedly promoted measures that will lead to new jobs and economic development, and this new law will strengthen New York's power producing sector and contribute to the rebuilding of our state's economy."

Gavin J. Donohue, President & CEO of Independent Power Producers of New York, said, "The establishment of this law is long overdue and important for New York State. A new siting law is vital to New York's future. The comprehensive power plant review process under this new statute will bring infrastructure investment, jobs, and increased reliability for the electric system. This legislation sends the message that New York recognizes the need for affordable and reliable electricity. As the review and construction of power facilities can take several years, the enactment of this law now provides a clear framework to site and repower facilities to meet increasing electricity demands. IPPNY thanks Governor Andrew Cuomo for his leadership, as well as the legislature for their hard work to make this law possible."

Edward Malloy, President of NYC and NYS Building and Construction Trade Councils, said, "New investments in clean power will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs across New York. The innovative 'on-bill' recovery program will lead to fresh demand for energy retrofits in homes and businesses across the state, invigorating the many businesses that provide such services and leading to new hiring and job creation. I thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership in implementing policies that allow for new business expansion and most importantly create jobs for New Yorkers."

Carol E. Murphy, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York, said, "From the beginning, Governor Cuomo has emphasized that any investment in new power production must uphold New York's strong environmental protections, and I commend the Governor today for signing a bill that reinvigorates the energy industry while ensuring robust safeguards for the environment. By providing resources for communities to have a voice in the siting process, and a clear, timely path for decision-making, the Power NY Act recognizes the importance of involving all stakeholders in the decisions about new power plant facilities. The law will help New York lead the nation in clean energy production and green jobs."

The Power NY Act of 2011:

•Enacts a new permanent streamlined permitting process for power plants greater than 25 megawatts by creating a "one-stop" multi-agency siting board that will make siting decisions

•Empowers communities to participate in the process by requiring power plant applicants to provide "intervener funding" for the community affected by the proposed plant to hire experts and lawyers

•Improves the environment and public health by requiring the siting board to determine whether a proposed facility will create a disproportionate environmental impact in a community and, if so, requires applicant to minimize or avoid those impacts

•Directs the Department of Environmental Conservation to promulgate emissions standards for carbon dioxide, furthering New York's efforts to address climate change

•Reduces energy demand by allowing homeowners and businesses to pay back loans for energy efficiency upgrades using a surcharge on local utility bills

•Creates jobs by encouraging investment in new power plants and energy efficiency retrofits

•Directs NYSERDA to study potential policy approaches to increasing solar energy development in New York

###
Contact Information:
Governor's Press Office
NYC Press Office: 212.681.4640
Albany Press Office: 518.474.8418
press.office@exec.ny.gov