Friday, May 31, 2013

DANC argues that it is eligible for Cape wind project intervenor funds


CAPE VINCENT — The Development Authority of the North Country on Friday appealed the state Public Service Commission’s tentative decision to deny the organization Cape Vincent Wind Project intervenor funds.
DANC had applied for $10,000 to have its attorney Dennis G. Whelpley, with Schwerzmann & Wise P.C., assist it through the state Article X pre-application process for BP’s 124-turbine wind farm proposed in Cape incent.[Watertown Times]
 Link below to read DANC response to the Hearing Examiners Reasoning concerning their
initial determination on the Development Authority of the North Country's request for
Intervenor Funding. link here

BP Submits Cape Vincent Wind Farm Shape files Preliminary Component Layout To the Public Service Commission



Biomass facility at Fort Drum to hold grand opening event on Friday

FORT DRUM — A new biomass facility on post will have its grand opening this morning, drawing several regional business and government leaders.
The 60-megawatt generating plant, which will be operated by ReEnergy Holdings LLC, Albany, has been touted as a project that will provide the area surrounding the post with renewable power and lead to more jobs.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wind Spins

 Depending on who you talk to about wind energy and how it powers the electric grid, there’s bound to be… well, some spin. Much of the discussion centers the reliability of wind energy in terms of how it meets base load compared to the zero fuel cost and extremely low carbon emissions, as well as concerns about whether or not the wind industry can compete with other forms of energy fuels. With this new three-part series, we hope to provide a quality overview of the wind energy industry – its early development, how it operates now, and where the industry is heading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the first installment of “The Wind Bloweth where It Listeth,” we will start with the humble beginnings of the wind industry in farmers’ yards in the early 20th century and go all the way to the building of the first wind farms.

“The Wind Bloweth where it Listeth:” The Past, Present, and Future of the US Wind Energy Industry (Part 1)

In the second installment of “The Wind Bloweth where It Listeth,” we will examine how the industry came of age and some of the challenges it faces. In the later half of the 20th century, with energy prices increasing as well as a greater concern for the environment, government and business devoted more attention to renewable energy policy, including wind power development.

 “The Wind Bloweth where it Listeth”: The Past, Present, and Future of the US Wind Energy Industry (Part 2)


In the third and final installment of “The Wind Bloweth where It Listeth,” we’re going to look at the challenges the wind energy industry faces for future development, as well as to what heights the fickle winds may carry us.

“The Wind Bloweth where it Listeth”: The Past, Present, and Future of the US Wind Energy Industry (Part 3)

Cape Vincent ~ Intervenor funds awarded; Judge urges respect of local law


Alexandria Bay, NY 
  
May 29, 2013 
  
By Pamela McDowell, Staff Writer 
  
Intervenor funds awarded; Judge urges respect of local law 

Cape Vincent -- Nearly $93,000 of the funds supplied by British Petroleum to help cover the cost of experts and professionals hired to advise on wind issues was assigned to applicants during a May 21 pre-application conference held at the Cape Vincent Elementary School. 

New York State Administrative Law Judges Paul Agresta and Maria Villa held a court of sorts in the school gymnasium in front of approximately 200 residents and town officials from Cape Vincent, Clayton, Lyme, Orleans and Hammond. 

After asking a few general questions, the judges conferred briefly and awarded the funds to those who applied, except the Development Area of the North Country, which is still under consideration. 

The town of Cape Vincent was awarded $15,515 to hire Dr. Carl Phillips, Director of the Populi Health Institute, Wayne, Pa., to study health impacts. 

An additional $11,320 was awarded for Attorney Paul Curtin to help guide the town through the application process. Attorney Curtin is a partner of Shulman, Curtin & Grunder, Syracuse. 

The town was also assigned $16,410 for the expertise of Kris Dimmick of Bernier, Carr and Associates for the study of ice throw, mechanical issues and safety. 

The Wind Power Ethics Group and the town of Cape Vincent had jointly applied for and was awarded $16,855 for acoustic engineer Paul Schomer, of Schomer & Associates, Illinois. The two entities were also jointly assigned to receive $15,940 for the expertise of Michael McCann, Certified Realty Appraiser, Chicago, to study wind turbines' effects on property value. 

Ornithologist Bill Evans will be hired to lend his expertise on the wind turbines effects on bird and bat populations. The town and WPEG were allotted $6560 for those studies. 

The town of Lyme will receive $11,000, primarily for legal assistance of Attorney Mark Gebo of Hrabchek, Gebo and Langone, regarding the transmission lines that will run through the town. 

A request by Dennis Whelpley for funding on behalf of the Development Area of the North Country was temporarily denied because of a legal technicality. Mr. Whelpley explained that BP proposes that higher power transmission lines from the wind farm will run along the regional water line that supplies drinking water to north country towns, and DANC has concerns regarding the running of the lines with the water lines. 

Judge Agresta said he would like to award money to DANC, but since it is a public benefit corporation that has members that are state officers, it is not eligible under Article 10 guidelines. 

Mr. Whelpley respectfully disagreed, pointing out that DANC receives no state funding, although some of its members were appointed by the governor. 

Since the meeting, Judge Agresta informed DANC that it is not eligible for intervenor funding, since it was established to reimburse municipalities and local interests to defray costs. 

During the pre-application conference, Lyme resident Donald Metzger addressed the judges, asking for reconsideration of the temporary denial of intervenor funds. "We are talking about water. Water is the basis of life," he said in part. 

Requests of more than $151,000 were originally made for the intervenor funds. 

A request by Karen Stumpf was withdrawn, and a request by the Lyme School District was denied, because the request did not pertain to the Article 10 process. 

He asked if there were any objections to decisions made during the conference, but there were none. 
Before the close of the session, Judge Agresta stated that he hopes BP will attempt to comply with the local laws. "We'd like to see a scenario that attempts to comply with the town's zoning low to the degree possible. I'm not saying you have to comply 100%, but you should attempt to comply...," he said.  He also mentioned that the company should discuss areas where visual simulations of the proposed 124 turbine wind project should be. 

The parties involved in the intervenor funds were asked to negotiate stipulations of impact studies. 
There is no link to this story from the original source ~ 
The thousand Islands Sun is a small local newspaper.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE OF WIND IN LITTLE APPALACHIA

  
COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE OF WIND WEBINAR

  Not long ago a friend sent me a link to a webinar

The featured speaker on this webinar was Marion Trieste, Trieste Associates
wind facilitator and wind opposition buster.

Trieste works for top tier industrial wind companies such as BP and typically she is brought in to industrial wind targeted communities where the proposed development has become controversial. Trieste has a formula for making a project work for the developer. “Grassroots organization”




Trieste tells developers,


“We really have to invest in the public”. “You’re only going to increase your odds of success if you're investing in our host communities.”

In 2008 British Petroleum hired Trieste to do "outreach work” and this is when and why she established Voters for Wind (VFW).


Trieste talks about her favorite group Voters for Wind, saying,


“They actually established themselves two years ago.
 “And I worked with them with a BP wind power project here.” “BP was - is the developer that I'm - I've been working with here.”
“It’s all - it's all about the messenger, right.”
 These groups work well because the developer may be seen as having other goals in mind such as profit
Trieste Creates a pro - wind coalition or network by holding small private gatherings with landowners that are not open to the public, arming landowners with generic information about the development process, crafted to debunk the myths about Property values. Birds, Sound etc.
At these gatherings they formulate their mission to go out and educate people and to get them to show their support for the proposed wind development.

They promote the notion that they have altruistic motives in their desire to push a
developers project and not because they are gaining financially from it;

“It just warms my heart to watch what's - what evolves with connecting people to each other in a community.”

Trieste tells the developers, to distance themselves, so they don’t taint the process,
people may think they are being used by the wind developers.

“At GEOS we call ourselves like a little buffer between the wind farm developer who's our client and those on the ground who are basically those most impacted in the local communities.”
“So we can do a lot more good out there if we are seen as independent and are and acting as independent individual grassroots organizations.”

Additionally Trieste stressed the importance of the economics of wind. Money is a method used to promote the project as well. “Money talks” this is where the host benefit packages come into play as she characterized our area as little Appalachia.


Trieste used the webinar as an opportunity to engage in exploitation of community division describing the typical industrial wind opponents, as
wealthy short term summer residents, retired Wall Street attorney types from
New Jersey and New York City that do not care about the community, jobs or taxes.

“They just care about their viewshed”

In contrast to the characterization of the Anti- wind Trieste describes the pro wind, as the downtrodden silent majority, farmers struggling to survive .People who are invested in the community and have been invested in the land for generations and now their grandkids are never going to be able to live here because there’s nothing for them .


“They get it.”
Additionally, Trieste would like to educate our children about industrial wind as well.

“I can't emphasize enough that we need to be more and more in our schools.to get young people involved, Let's go and let's shame the older generation into doing this.”

BP Wind farm plan lays out options

Suzanne Adams-Ockrassa
Miner Staff Reporter

KINGMAN - Motorists driving U.S. 93 to Las Vegas may soon see turbines twirling on the horizon. 

The Bureau of Land Management announced recently that it completed a final environmental impact statement for a 500-megawatt wind turbine farm 40 miles northwest of Kingman near White Hills.

It is unknown when construction on the project will start. Calls to BP Wind Energy were not returned before press time.[Daily Miner]

A little bit of History about BP's Cape Vincent Wind Farm

In 2006 both BP Energy and Acciona Energia began the permitting process for two proposed industrial wind projects in Cape Vincent. At the time we had no provision in our zoning law to regulate or guide wind development. After two aborted attempts at drafting a wind law by previous town lawmakers, a committee convened in 2010 for a third try. The committee consisted of a representative and leader of a local wind leaseholder group ( BP's Voters for Wind)  as well as wind lease holding town officials.
At the February 5 and 6, 2010 meetings, with the assistance of the Town's consulting acoustical engineers, Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, Sudbury, MA, the noise section of the draft wind law was completed . It followed the NYSDEC guideline that no new noise source can exceed background sound by more than 6 dBA, but it also included details for measuring background sound and compliance testing that is missing in the NYSDEC policy.

Contrary to BP's assertion, they did NOT support development of our wind ordinance.
 The wind law committee had reached a consensus at the February 2010 meeting but through the efforts of BP and their leaseholders that agreement was sabotaged.

Shortly after the May 2 wind law meeting began Beth White, committee member and spokesperson for the leaseholder group, suggested picking 50 dBA for a noise limit rather than what the committee had agreed to at the previous meeting. At this point she began discussing economic impacts. White explained that a 50 dBA noise limit would have financial benefits to the community. White presented a spread sheet containing facts and figures to support her claim.
Bottom line a less protective wind law would mean bigger money for the community and lease holders. The lease holding committee members agreed with White blindsiding the other committee members.

May 5, 2010 Three days after this travesty of a meeting, BP’s Business developer, Jim Madden sent a letter to the Cape Vincent Town Board containing data prepared by BP; coincidentally it was the same spread sheet with the same data that White had claimed as her own.

In his letter Madden wrote “The Town of Cape Vincent has been working on developing a wind ordinance for almost two years now. Through this time, BP Wind has supported the development of a wind ordinance so that expectations for siting, construction and operations of wind farms can be clearly established and uniformly enforced. However, despite recent efforts, it appears that a wind ordinance will not be implemented this year, largely due to a lack of agreement on noise limits.”

Additionally Madden added “As the limits are tightened, there will be a reduction in the number of turbines and reduction in economic benefits.”

Comparing Madden’s data to that presented by White at the committee meeting, it is clear that she was acting as an agent for BP to thwart the efforts of the committee.

This is only one example of how “BP Wind Energy has been engaged with the local community for years on the Cape Vincent Wind Farm project.”

BP’s Noise Consultant Misrepresented Background Sound: Hessler Associates, Haymarket, VA was retained by BP Wind Energy to complete summertime, background sound study within the project boundaries of BP's Cape Vincent wind power project.
Because there were concerns early on among local citizens that the developer’s noise report was misleading, the Wind Power Ethics Group (WPEG) contracted Dr. Paul Schomer, of Schomer and Associates, Inc., Champagne, IL, to conduct an independent study and review of BP/ Hessler's report.

Schomer's report uncovered a number of questionable practices. One sound level meter was less than 100 ft. from a marshaling yard for heavy construction equipment being  used for a water line project.

Hessler suggested  this site is typical for residences along Rte. 12E .
Additionally, Hessler claimed that insect noise,  elevated background sound levels and would provide a natural making noise that, would minimize wind turbine noise impacts.

Schomer, however, disagreed: The presence of insect noise does nothing to mitigate the wind turbine noise; the measurement of insect noise only masks and obfuscates the truth.”

Schomer concluded by stating, ““Hessler’s BP study for the Cape Vincent Wind Power Facility appears to have selected the noisiest sites, the noisiest time of year, and the noisiest positions at each measurement site. Collectively, these choices resulted in a substantial overestimate of the A-weighted ambient sound level, 45-50 dB according to Hessler.”
 In contrast Schomer found background sound levels were 30 dBA averaged for night-time, daytime and evening. Night-time levels in Cape Vincent averaged 25dBA

BP’s sordid history began in Cape Vincent with their signing many of our town officials and their families to wind leases and good neighbor agreements, knowing this would create blatant conflicts of interest.
 This is a violation of the town’s ethics code and NY State law.
BP’ has stated lofty intentions with their Cape Vincent Wind development however the facts speak for themselves.

BAD AXE ~Wind project plans can proceed

BAD AXE — The future of zoning in Brookfield Township remains to be seen, but NextEra’s Pheasant Run Wind Energy Project can move forward.

Huron County Circuit Court Judge M. Richard Knoblock dissolved a temporary restraining order against Huron County prohibiting the county from zoning Brookfield Township and decided against an injunction Tuesday morning.[Huron Daily Tribune]

Turbines put near Lake Erie energize conservation, wind power debate

BY MATT MARKEY AND JEFF BASTING

Two factions with their foundations firmly anchored in conservation causes are engaged in a standoff along the Lake Erie shoreline.
Wind power advocates have defended the presence of several large turbines and are pressing for the installation of more units.

Read more [The Blade]

NYPA spending millions to improve Energy Highway in Northern New York

MASSENA - The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has announced that the NYPA Board of Trustees has authorized $31 million in funding to help upgrade NYPA’s transmission system in Central and Northern New York.
The May 21 trustees’ action stems from the recommendation in Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s New York Energy Highway Blueprint for accelerating construction and repair of the state’s aging transmission infrastructure. The funding includes $19.6 million and $11.7 million for refurbishment of transmission system equipment at NYPA’s Frederick R. Clark Energy Center in Marcy and Massena Substation in Massena, respectively.[Watertown Times]

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE ~ RULING ON INTERVENOR FUNDING REQUESTS

NEW YORK STATE BOARD ON ELECTRIC
GENERATION SITING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

CASE 12-F-0410 - Application of Cape Vincent Wind Power, LLC, for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to Construct an Approximately 200-285 Megawatt Wind Electric Generating Facility in

 RULING ON INTERVENOR FUNDING REQUESTS
(Issued May 28, 2013)

PAUL AGRESTA and MARIA E. VILLA, Examiners:

INTRODUCTION

The Notice of Available Intervenor Funds and Deadline for Submitting Funding Requests, issued April 10, 2013, directed eligible municipal and local parties participating in the pre-application process of this proceeding to submit their requests for pre-application phase intervenor funding by May 10, 2013. Ten requests were submitted. Six requests were submitted by the Town of Cape Vincent; three of the Town of Cape Vincent requests were co-sponsored by the Wind Power Ethics Group, LLC. Requests were also submitted by the Town of Lyme, the Development Authority of the North Country, the Lyme Central School District, and on behalf of the Farm Bureau of Jefferson County. The requests sought funding totaling $151,840 in relation to $99,750 in available funds. The request on behalf of the Farm Bureau of Jefferson County was withdrawn by the party that made the request.

On May 21, 2013, the Examiners held a public pre-application conference at the Cape Vincent Elementary School to consider the requests. Although an opportunity for objections was provided, no objections were received to any of the requests. After receiving answers to questions posed by the

CASE 12-F-0410

Examiners concerning the requests, the Examiners made an initial oral bench-ruling on the requests. No action was taken on the request of the Development Authority of the North Country. The request of the Lyme Central School District was denied. The following intervenor funding awards were made:

CASE 12-F-0410

The purpose of this ruling is to confirm the intervenor funding determinations in writing and to state the reasoning of the Examiners.

DETERMINATIONS

Lyme Central School District
We find that the Lyme Central School District is an eligible municipal or local party, on the basis that the proposed interconnection powerline and a number of the proposed wind turbines are proposed to be located within the boundaries of the Lyme Central School District. However, because the funding request is primarily for expenses associated with the potential negotiation of a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement between the Applicant and the School District, the funding request is denied as it is for an ineligible purpose. PILOT agreements are not required for Article 10 facilities and are not matters before the Siting Board. Awards of intervenor funds during the pre-application stage are limited to uses to make an effective contribution to review of the Preliminary Scoping Statement and the development of an adequate scope of the Application to be submitted, thereby increasing public participation in matters before the Siting Board. The only other purpose stated in the request is to assist the School District to become familiar with the Article 10 process. We find that to be an insufficient justification and note that there are many outreach activities performed by the Applicant and the Department of Public Service that could be utilized by the School District to gain familiarity with the Article 10 process at no cost to itself. In addition, we have also determined that the school facilities of the Lyme Central School
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12-F-0410

impacts) are all relevant in the context of review of the Preliminary Scoping Statement and the development of an adequate scope of the Application to be submitted, and that the awards have been made on an equitable basis after having examined the interests of all of the parties that made requests.

Town of Lyme
We find that the Town of Lyme is an eligible municipal or local party, on the basis that the interconnection powerline for the facility is proposed to be located within the boundaries of the Town. We find that the pre-application issues identified by the Town (transmission line issues and impacts) are all relevant in the context of review of the Preliminary Scoping Statement and the development of an adequate scope of the Application to be submitted, and that the awards have been made on an equitable basis after having examined the interests of all of the parties that made requests. In addition, we find it reasonable and equitable to make the award to the Town to defray the Town's costs of legal counsel in connection with these pre-application stage activities.
Share to Municipalities
On the basis of our substantial award of funds to the Towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme, we find that clearly at least 50% of the funds have been awarded to municipalities.

Use and Disbursement of Funds
Each party receiving an award of funds must use the awarded funds only for the purposes that have been specified in the particular award of intervenor funding. Intervenor funds can be used to pay for expert witnesses, consultants, administrative costs (such as document preparation and duplication) and legal fees. No intervenor funds may be used to pay for appeals of Siting Board decisions or other matters before a court. These pre-application stage funds are awarded
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 CASE 12-F-0410

impacts) are all relevant in the context of review of the Preliminary Scoping Statement and the development of an adequate scope of the Application to be submitted, and that the awards have been made on an equitable basis after having examined the interests of all of the parties that made requests.

Town of Lyme
We find that the Town of Lyme is an eligible municipal or local party, on the basis that the interconnection powerline for the facility is proposed to be located within the boundaries of the Town. We find that the pre-application issues identified by the Town (transmission line issues and impacts) are all relevant in the context of review of the Preliminary Scoping Statement and the development of an adequate scope of the Application to be submitted, and that the awards have been made on an equitable basis after having examined the interests of all of the parties that made requests. In addition, we find it reasonable and equitable to make the award to the Town to defray the Town's costs of legal counsel in connection with these pre-application stage activities.
Share to Municipalities

On the basis of our substantial award of funds to the Towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme, we find that clearly at least 50% of the funds have been awarded to municipalities.

Use and Disbursement of Funds
Each party receiving an award of funds must use the awarded funds only for the purposes that have been specified in the particular award of intervenor funding. Intervenor funds can be used to pay for expert witnesses, consultants, administrative costs (such as document preparation and duplication) and legal fees. No intervenor funds may be used to pay for appeals of Siting Board decisions or other matters before a court. These pre-application stage funds are awarded
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CASE 12-F-0410

to be used to make an effective contribution to review of the Preliminary Scoping Statement and the development of an adequate scope of the Application to be submitted. They are not to be used for any other purpose. In making these funding awards, we are not making any determination on the merits of the party's positions on the issues identified in the award.

A party who receives a funding award will be required by the Department of Public Service (DPS) Finance Office to sign Local Assistance Contract documents, which set forth the terms and conditions for providing intervenor funding. In the case of the co-requests made by the Town of Cape Vincent and the Wind Power Ethics Group, LLC, both parties must execute the required documents. In addition, we hereby require the Wind Power Ethics Group, LLC, to submit to the Examiners a copy of its certificate of incorporation and a copy of a corporate resolution duly adopted indicating its authorization to enter into the Local Assistance Contract and its authorization of an official of the corporation to sign such vouchers and other documents as may be necessary to obtain the disbursement of funds.

No funds will be disbursed until after the work has been performed and detailed invoices have been submitted to DPS for review by both the Examiners and the Finance Office. All disbursements from the pre-application intervenor account to any person shall be made by the DPS upon audit and warrant of the Comptroller of the State on vouchers approved by the Chairperson or a designee. All such vouchers must include a description and explanation of all expenses to be reimbursed. In the case of the co-requests made by the Town of Cape Vincent and the Wind Power Ethics Group, LLC, both parties must execute the required documents. Any monies remaining in the intervenor account after the Siting Board's jurisdiction over an Application has ceased shall be returned to the applicant.
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CASE 12-F-0410

Reporting Requirements
A party receiving an award of funds must also comply with certain reporting requirements. On a quarterly basis, unless otherwise required by the Examiners, any party receiving an award of funds shall provide an accounting of the monies that have been spent, and submit a report to the Examiners showing the results of any studies and a description of any activities conducted using such funds; whether the purpose for which the funds were awarded has been achieved; if the purpose for which the funds were awarded has not been achieved, whether reasonable progress toward the goal for which the funds were awarded is being achieved; and why further expenditures are warranted.

(SIGNED) PAUL AGRESTA

(SIGNED) MARIA E. VILLA

Monday, May 27, 2013

Article 10 Update:  Bob Dudley and BP Wind

Say To Hell With Cape's Comp Plan and Zoning Law

BP has been moving along the Article 10 path since September 17, 2012.  The initial Public Information Program lasted five months.  During that time Bob Dudley, BP's CEO, and BP produced a 50 year old map with few houses, wrong road names and 124 red dots denoting proposed turbine locations - that was the extent of the information BP provided.   BP attended meetings and hosted meetings where they were barraged by questions from the public and public officials.  True to form Bob Dudley and BP told us thank you very much for your interest, "We'll be getting back to you."  That refrain lasted five frustrating months.

On March 29, 2013 Bob Dudley and BP began the next stage on its path toward certification, it filed a Preliminary Scoping Statement (PSS).  A scoping statement outlines the issues and studies that an applicant must include in their formal application.  The full-blown application includes all the details needed by Public Service staff and the Siting Board to understand the project proposal.  It includes project layout details, various permits, equipment, construction details as well as assessing potential adverse environmental impacts, such as noise, shadow flicker, safety setbacks, projected bird and bat kills and a number of other issues.

Twenty-one days after Bob and BP's scoping statement was submitted, the public, Town and state agencies filed their reviews of the scoping statement on April 19, 2013.  The Department of Public Service, Department of Environmental Conservation and the Town provided extensive, detailed critiques of Bob Dudley and BP's statement.  Collectively the recommendations included a complete makeover of all the environmental studies they conducted in the past, with a number of new study requirements as well.  For Bob and BP to properly respond will require a year or more before a complete application could be filed.

Bob Dudley and BP were required under the rules of Article 10 to file: "Summary of Comments on the Preliminary Scoping Statement" on May 10, 2013.  For the most part Dudley and BP failed to respond to the State agency reviews.  In a remarkable display of corporate arrogance toward the Town, Bob Dudley and BP stated their proposed Cape Vincent project was "...not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan to the extent that the Project conflicts with the zoning law."  Bob Dudley appears to be saying the hell with the wishes of Cape Vincent we want our money dammit!
On Tuesday May 21, 2013 the Administrative Law Judges from the Departments of Public Service and Environmental Conservation came to Cape Vincent to award $99,750 in intervenor funds, most of which went to the Towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme.  These funds will be used to hire technical experts to further review Bob Dudley and BP's scoping document and add to the already extensive list of studies.  In addition, the experts will suggest specific methods to employ in these studies.

At the conclusion of meeting the judges outlined what is called the Stipulation Phase of the Article 10 process.  This phase has no time deadline and will end when Bob and BP and any interested parties complete negotiations to explore possible agreements on some of the issues outlined in the scoping statement and reviews.   The next step in the process after Stipulation will be a time when BP could file its formal application, however, the application can be filed no earlier than June 17, 2013.
 
So, where is Bob Dudley, BP's CEO, taking BP this summer?  Will he wait to comply with all the study recommendations put forth by the Town and state agencies?  As noted previously, this could take well over a year.  This seems unlikely, since BP has its entire North American wind operation up for sale.  Why invest in expensive, long-term studies if Bob and BP are going to sell and bail-out?

After Stipulation Bob Dudley and BP's best plan may be to do nothing.  By doing nothing they will halt any further expense on a project that is on the auction block, which makes sense.  If there are any inquiries by interested investors, BP and Bob Dudley can claim they are in the process of submitting a formal application to the New York Siting Board.  That would give the illusion that Bob and BP were actually doing something.

Another option would have Bob Dudley and BP submit an application made up of all the old, stale studies the Town and State agencies found so lacking.  Just repackage, add some lipstick and submit it and see if it flies.  However, for Bob and BP to ignore extensive recommendations by the Departments of Public Service and Environmental Conservation, whose commissioners sit on the Siting Board, would be asking for its application to be considered incomplete, inadequate and substantially lacking.  Why bother if Bob Dudley is only going to get his hand slapped by Albany bureaucrats.  I'm sure Bob wouldn't like that.

In conclusion the best bet on what Bob Dudley and BP have planned for Cape Vincent this summer is nothing.  Just sit by the side of the road, thumb out and looking for a ride and a buyer.

Richard Chandler can look for a job elsewhere, Bob Dudley can try to figure out where BP will get all the money to pay off its debts in the Gulf and we citizens of Cape Vincent can enjoy our summer in the gorgeous Thousand Islands region of New York. The Town, on the other hand, will recharge its batteries, increase its resolve, continue preparing for battle and take whatever steps are necessary to defend our beautiful little piece of God's countryFor the rest of us, maybe we can forget about wind for a summer. That would be nice.


BP finds a way to produce shovel ready work for their Cape Vincent Wind Farm


Sunday, May 26, 2013

Bill Lays Groundwork for Offshore Wind Development

Written by Bobbi Walker. Posted in Great Lakes
A bill that lays the groundwork for offshore wind development in Lake Michigan has received preliminary approval in the Illinois state senate.
The Senate Energy Committee unanimously approved Bill HB 2753, which authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to determine the best locations to site wind projects.
The Lake Michigan Wind Energy Act also entitles the department to grant offshore wind site assessment permits and leases, which later can be converted to construction and operation leases.

Farmers don't want high-voltage power lines near their farms

MARYSVILLE, Kan. (AP) A group of northeast Kansas residents is working to keep a high-voltage power line system away from their farms.

The so-called Grain Belt Express developed by Clean Line would transmit about 3,500 megawatts of electricity along 600 kilovolt lines from wind farms in southwest Kansas to Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. The project still needs state approval.[KFDi FM 103]

Saturday, May 25, 2013

NIMBY


Leno: Obama Can Close Gitmo By Making it a Government-Funded Solar Company

  It costs a million dollars a year per prisoner on Guantanamo. You know what we should do? Put them on Carnival Cruise ships. Okay? It'll be cheaper. They'll confess like that.

 Video

[News Busters]

Friday, May 24, 2013

New assistant director at New York State Fair fired for lewd comments

Syracuse, N.Y. - The newly hired assistant director at the New York State Fair was fired Wednesday for using lewd comments at the fairgrounds in Geddes, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
"He was dismissed from his position because he created a hostile work environment, for which this administration has zero tolerance," said Ag & Markets spokesman Joseph Morrissey.
 Morrissey would not expand on the types of comments or whether they were directed at other state workers. Morrissey said Gustafson's position has not been filled.[Syracuse.com]

BP Dumping Wind Energy

The falsehood of being big is the feeling of invulnerability and yet, all energy is not created equal. The sideways understanding of oil and renewable energy are not one in the same. The sale of BP‘s renewable energy assets are more of sign of recouping funds than investing in the future.   The news that  ”BP to Sell U.S. Wind Business in Retreat to Fossil Fuels“  by Bloomberg. The disposition of 16 operating wind farms across nine states will signal a sign to investors of the instability of wind energy models.

Amy Grace, a New York-based analyst at New Energy Finance said, “BP owns about 1,600 megawatts of the 2,600 megawatts in operation, according to BP. Operating wind farms are worth $1.5 million to $2 million a megawatt, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data.  Investors are seeking long-term investments in commissioned wind assets with off-take agreements, and less than 300 megawatts of BP’s assets are without such agreements[LANDsds]

Neighbors React to Town's Vote to Not Dismantle Wind Turbines

By: Brent Runyon 
In the wake of Tuesday’s vote on Question 2, neighbors said the town will either have to purchase their homes or remove the turbines, with no room for compromise.

 “Obviously the town wants to keep the turbines up and somehow deal with the abutters,” said Neil P. Andersen of Blacksmith Shop Road, who has filed a lawsuit, a nuisance complaint and been one of the most vocal opponents of the turbines since Wind 1 started turning more than three years ago.

“Well, let’s do it. Deal with us. If you’re going to buy my house, do it. Let me put an end to this hell.” His home is assessed at $525,400 by the town.[Cape News.net]

Feds give wind farm a pass if turbine blades kill endangered condors

By Louis Sahagun

Federal wildlife officials on Friday for the first time agreed not to prosecute a developer if an endangered California condor is struck and killed by turbine blades at its proposed wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.

In granting a right-of-way, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, with approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will shield Alta Windpower Development from prosecution if a condor is fatally injured at its 2,300-acre site near the high-desert town of Mojave during the projected 30-year lifetime of the project.[ LA Times ]

BP's BOB DUDLEY ~ VISIONARY

HOW MANY WIND TURBINES ARE IN  BOB DUDLEY'S BACK YARD?



Cape Vincent, NY Before and after Turbines







Photo Tibbetts Point Light Cape Vincent, NY 
credit: Rollin Hanson (before addition of Dudly's head)

EU oil pricing probe spurs lawsuit against BP, others

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago-based commodities trading firm has filed suit against three of the world's largest oil companies, accusing them of colluding to fix oil prices after European authorities opened an investigation last week.[Chicago Tribune]

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Wind turbines threaten Juno Beach

JUNO BEACH — For decades, visitors to D-Day beaches on France's northwest coast have looked out at the English Channel, taking in the journey made by Allied troops that marked a turning point in the Second World War.

The view from some of those sites, including Juno Beach, where 359 Canadians died, could soon change if a plan succeeds to build an army of wind turbines some 10 kilometres offshore. Canadians have a chance to voice their opinions on that plan as a French commission holds public consultations on the project.
The commission has made it a point to invite people from Canada, the U.S. and Britain to weigh in.[Mississauga]

Reasoning of the Examiners regarding the Eligibility of the Development Authority of the North Country for Intervenor Funding



Wind turbine reportedly struck by lightning

Wind farm technicians and officials with EDF Renewable Energy believe one wind tower, just northeast of Dexter, was struck by lightning on April 24, which mangled one of the structure’s 37-meter, 14,000-pound blades.

The blade is nearly bent in half but still attached to the structure, hundreds of feet in the air.

 View photo and continue reading via this link to the[Austin Daily Herald]

Anti-wind group accuses Clayton town board of canceling meetings because of video cameras

CLAYTON — A relatively new anti-wind organization is accusing the Town Council of canceling two scheduled meetings because the group started hiring Steve Weed Productions, Watertown, to videotape these open sessions.
However, Town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said that this is far from the truth and that the April 24 and May 22 council workshop meetings were canceled simply because of a lack of agenda items.[Watertown Times]

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Don Metzger addresses State Department of Public Service Administrative Law Judge Paul Agresta concerning not awarding DANC Intervenor funding.

Mr. Agresta initially suggested that DANC would not be eligible for Intervenor funding because it is legally deemed a state entity and not a local or municipal party.
“I will promise all of you that we will get to the bottom of the issue,” he said. “We thought it would be a good idea for us to give them funding if we could. So it purely comes down to the matter of what the law says.”
[Watertown Times]
Video  below of Don Metzger  addresses State Department of Public Service Administrative Law Judge Paul Agresta concerning the denial of Intervenor funding to DANC (Development Authority of the North Country)  





Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Pre-application Intervenor Funding conference ~ Cape Vincent town government, WPEG awarded majority of wind project intervenor funding

Update :
5:47 AM
5/22/2013
CAPE VINCENT — The town government and Wind Power Ethics Group were awarded more than $80,000 in intervenor funds Tuesday night to hire six experts to help them review the Cape Vincent Wind Farm proposal.

In a draft ruling made at a pre-application conference for BP’s proposed project, case examiner and state Department of Public Service Administrative Law Judge Paul Agresta awarded the town of Cape Vincent and WPEG a total of $82,600.
[Watertown Times]





Below is a list of requests and the funds allocated to each request.




Shomer Intervenor Fund Request  Acoustical engineer Paul D. Schomer, Schomer & Associates Inc., Champaign, Ill.
 Allocation for Schomer 16,855

McCann Intervenor Fund Request  Michael S. McCann, a real estate appraiser in Illinois, to assist the group with land use and property value issues.
 Allocation for McCann 15,940

Evans Intervenor Funding Request
Ornithologist William R. Evans, director of the nonprofit Old Bird Inc., Ithaca, for his knowledge of effects on wildlife and birds at commercial wind farms.
Allocation for Evans 6,542

Curtin Intervenor Funding Request 
Paul J. Curtin Jr., an attorney with Shulman, Curtin & Grunder, Syracuse, who has been representing the town in its dealings with the wind developer.
 Allocation for Curtin 11,320 

Dimmick Intervenor Funding Request   
 Kris D. Dimmick, engineer and vice president of operations at Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown, who would “review and critique” BP’s preliminary scoping statement for its proposed project, among other tasks.
Allocation for Dimmick ~16,410

Phillips Intervenor Funding Request
Carl V. Phillips, Director of the Populi Health Institute, Wayne, Pa., to develop a detailed list of health issues to address, along with a recommended approach and methodology for BP to follow in its studies of adverse health effects.
 Allocation for Expert Phillips ~ 15,515
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lyme Request for Intervernor Funds  legal services and get technical advice from the town’s attorney, Mark G. Gebo, with Hrabchak, Gebo & Langone, and Mr. Dimmick of Bernier, Carr & Associates.
 Allocation 11,000

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

DANC Request for Intervenor Funding  ~ decision withheld based on a legal issue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyme School Dist IV Request ~ No award request not applicable

Jefferson County Farm Bureau Request for Intervenor Funding  ~ Request withdrawn


Intervenor Fund Allocations Video

 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PSC ~ Stipulations on alternatives
  We’d like to see a case scenario that attempts to comply with the towns zoning law
to the degree possible


 

Lake Erie Energy Development

  

The Watertown Times is seeking an experienced journalist to become editor of the paper.


The Watertown (NY) Daily Times is the flagship newspaper for the Johnson family, which owns New York newspapers from Batavia to the west, Hudson to the south and Malone to the north.

 However, much of the senior management is nearing retirement, including John B. Johnson Jr., the editor and co-publisher of the paper.  

Thus, the Times is now seeking an experienced journalist to become editor of the paper. Continue ...

British Petroleum is asking the British government to intervene to help it avoid paying BP claims in the BP oil spill settlement.


Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) May 21, 2013
In a new blog post on BP Settlement News, attorney Michael J. Evans says, "BP should pay all the businesses in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and western Florida that it agreed to pay when it signed the Deepwater Horizon settlement agreement."According to a May 16, 2013 BBC report.
BP believes its financial recovery is in jeopardy because the BP settlement compensation system is "being abused." The BBC article reported that Prime Minister David Cameron was "hugely concerned" about that situation.[Watch List news]

Memorandum to the Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection


—Michael Fairneny (5/10/13)
This note is in regards to my wife’s hearing loss, the Hoosac Wind Project, and the current compliance testing done by Iberdrola.
My wife, Jo Ann, has been to an ear specialist on three different occasions within the past few months.  (She has never had ear problems!).  Her hearing has definitely been affected and deteriorating since her initial visit.
The debilitation happened so dramatically that the doctor had her have an MRI of her ears and head. The test evidently showed nothing significant, but the ringing/buzzing in her ears still persists each and every day we are home. This has caused her many sleepless nights and continues to wake her up.
 Continue reading ...[Wind Turbine Syndrome]