Tuesday, August 22, 2017

AVANGRID WITHDRAWS HORSE CREEK FROM THE NYISO QUEUE ~ Is Horse Creek Dead?

Updated: 8/23/17
7:49 & 10:16 AM

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) manages New York’s electricity transmission grid – a 10,775-mile network of high-voltage lines that carry electricity throughout the state. The NYISO also oversees wholesale electricity markets where more than $50 billion has been transacted since 1999.

The NYISO Interconnection Queue (the spreadsheet) lists projects that are active in the NYISO interconnection process, or were active in the process but recently went into service (projects that have gone in-service eventually are removed from this list). Additionally, projects that are withdrawn from the Queue are also listed . The NYISO Queue Spreadsheet indicates that the Horse creek wind project was recently withdrawn from the Queue  7/31/2017.

Under the NYISO tariff, a Developer can withdraw their project from the Queue at any time (they don’t have to give a reason). The tariff also allows NYISO to withdraw a project from the Queue for very specific reasons/circumstances spelled out in the tariff. (NYISO cannot withdraw a project from the Queue without a reason defined in the tariff.)  An HTML version of NYISO's  Consumer Interest Liaison Weekley Summary  (Seen here) indicates the NYISO Operating Committee (OC) approved the Horse Creek System Reliability Study or (SIRS) The "SIRS"is an engineering study that evaluates the impact of the proposed Generation Facility or Merchant Transmission System.This would seem to indicate that the withdrawal of Horse Creek was a decision  made by the developer and not NYISO.



Link here to the NYISO Website   Once you are on the NYISO website  click the link that reads "View The Interconnection Queue".  Clicking this link will open the Excell Spreadsheet showing all of the Active projects in the Queue.  Down at the bottom of the page on the left you will see two tabs, one marked Active and one marked Withdrawn.  Click on the Withdrawn tab.   All of the projects that have been withdrawn from the Queue will appear. Scroll down to #375 and you will see that Horse creek was withdrawn  July 31,2017

Below is a copy of the Queue that was downloaded to my Scribd account.

NYISO Interconnection Queue by pandorasboxofrocks on Scribd


Consumer Interest Liaison Weekley Summary
Google link to NYISO -HTML document


AVANGRID / IBERDROLA ~ INDUSTRIAL WIND CONFLICT of INTEREST DISCLOSURES 3/31/2017

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Installing turbines near Air Reserve Station puts region at risk

EDWARD RATH
Erie County Legislator
Published in the Clarence Bee 
08/02/2017 Clarence Bee 
www.clarencebee.com 

The Erie County Legislature held our final session before recess on July 27 and dealt with an issue that is important to our entire region.
My colleagues unanimously approved a resolution that I sponsored in support of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. We are asking New York State to request a formal review by the Department of Defense related to a proposal by APEX Clean Energy to construct 70 wind turbines along the shores of Lake Ontario that would potentially reach 600 feet high. The proposal is concerning due to its proximity to the air base, and as such, the Niagara Military Affairs Council has expressed its opposition.
The air base is an important asset to the greater WNY community, providing 3,000 jobs in addition to critical services. The base was first established more than 60 years ago and is currently home to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 914th Airlift Wing and the 328th Air Force Reserve C-130 mission, as well as the Air National Guard’s new Remotely Piloted Aircraft mission.
The issue with the proposed turbines is that they pose a threat of interference with military radar and flight operations. Furthermore, if the turbines are erected as planned, there is a very real concern that the air base itself could be at risk of closure as a result. The base has already been subjected to multiple base closure and realignment commission reviews. My concern is that if the turbines are placed in the base’s flight path, they could be seen as impediments to future operations and could tilt the scales toward closure in the next round of reviews. Encroachment is a key factor that is considered when the federal government is reviewing military bases for potential shutdown, and 70 individual, 600-foot tall wind turbines, located on the edge of
Lake Ontario near the base, could be considered major objects of encroachment.
New York State’s rules and regulations require an application to operate an electrical generation facility, and as a part of that application, detailed information regarding potential impacts on airports and military installations and operations must be provided. The state review board, prior to approval of an application, may request a formal review be conducted by the Department of Defense.
At this point, the Erie County Legislature and the Niagara County Legislature have requested that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state review board request the Department of Defense to conduct a formal review of the Apex application. My sincere hope is that the state acts to request this review quickly. We cannot put the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station at risk.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact my office at 858-8676 or email edward.rath@erie.gov.

EDWARD RATH
Erie County Legislator
District Office:
Old Erie County Hall
92 Franklin Street
Fourth Floor
Buffalo, N.Y. 14202
Phone: (716) 858-8676
Fax: (716) 858-8895
Email: edward.rath@erie.gov