Wind Energy Meeting Notes   11 11 07

Attending 11/11/07:

Joe Armstrong, Ken Briggs, Karin Busch, Stan Busch, Gerry Chartier, Winnie Chartier, John Elberfeld,   Andrea Fortuin, Ken Fortuin, Doug Gallup, Sandy Gordon, Vernon Husek, Jane McLean, Tim Lippert, Nora Logan, Amy Pokorny, Russ Pokorny, Peter Polukort, Bob Price, Loren Pruskowski, Al Raymond, Doug Roether, Sharon Spies, Paul Willing, Carol Willsey, Warren Willsey

1.  Deliverables

C. More analysis needs to be done on the data that has been collected for the bat study.  The impact on bats is likely to be small, but it is too early to quantify.  In other installations, no endangered species of bats have been adversely impacted.

F. We don’t have a date when Sarah will be finished with her turbine visibility map or photomontage (for master’s program at UVM).  A minimum of about 50 acres is needed for each turbine.   Two potential sites will be proposed; a field on the Busch farm and the site where the met tower is now.  They would be about ¾ mile apart.

2.  Additional development efforts necessary to construct project

C. Bob Price provided an update from the Town of Knox Planning Board:

• The Town of Knox has an annual report on this project from SED which Bob will forward to Amy to pass on to the group.  Wind speeds appear to be adequate.
• Ordinance language has been written by professionals for the towns of Jefferson and Meredith.  Knox has been able to make use of their experience and should have language finished by February. 
• Planning Board would be amenable to extending term for met tower installation for another 18 months.  Loren thinks the additional time to gather more data would benefit the project.  Loren’s group owns the tower and would continue to support its operations.  He will give us cost information; his rough estimate was about $7,500 for an additional year, or $11,250 for 18 months.  We need to figure out where funding would come from.  The Town could ask NYSERDA or Albany County for funding to cover this cost.  An application will need to be made to the Planning Board to extend the term of the met tower.  The initial 18 month variance will expire April 11 or 12, 2008.
• The prospectus will include a list of recommended next steps and cost estimates.
• Some question how much public support there is for a wind farm in Knox; a year or so ago a survey was sent home with school children; responses were almost all positive. 
• Schoharie County website has data on local development efforts.
• Albany County Development folks have held meetings with the Planning Board to address questions about where a new power line could be placed.  A study is needed; could cost about $50,000.  Planning Board is trying to get funding through them from NYSERDA.
• There is activity in Knox to plan for construction of cell towers. 
• Issue in county and state legislature is governor’s initiative to give State control of permitting for wind and other energy projects.  Developers are supportive but the Association of New York State Towns is not. 

3.  General Concerns

4.  Process

• The group has decided to continue to have monthly meetings, although Loren and the NYSERDA study group has enough input from us now to finish their work to prepare the prospectus report for delivery. 
• We would welcome new leadership of this group if anyone is inclined to help in that way.
• A public meeting will be scheduled in late February to present the prospectus document.
• The prospectus will be a user friendly business model for community owned (vs. developer owned) projects of 10 MW or less, focused on the Town of Knox that can be adapted to other places outside Knox. 
• This group is interested in supporting efforts of wind energy development in the four Hilltowns and also in other neighboring towns.
• Carol Willsey offered to arrange for use of the BKW school for the presentation to the public.  Elected and selected (Planning Boards, etc.) public officials from surrounding towns, including Duanesburg and Wright will be encouraged to attend.
• Funding issues will be included as a topic in the presentation.
• A preliminary meeting will be scheduled for the workgroup and town Planning Board members to practice the presentation.  We will look into the possibility of holding it at the Knox Town Hall, the Reformed Church or another public place (around February 10, if the work is complete by then?)
• Use of New York Wind Energy CD – since it is so positive about wind energy, we should point out negatives and address them – such as the change to the visual landscape.  Photos should be taken to illustrate grid infrastructure that people are already used to seeing.  Wires in Altamont, red lights on towers near Camp Pinnacle.
• We need a campaign to get stakeholders engaged – door to door talking, kiosk, we need to brainstorm how to identify them and get them to the table to voice their concerns.  They would include local people such as the caving community, environmentalists, neighbors, opposition, …
• We should ask for opposition to come forward, and address their concerns.  Richmondville has a survey completed by students, hoping to achieve anonymity and frank responses. 
• We need a talking points campaign.  It should point out sources of income infusion into the local economy, and ways in which a wind project would benefit the Hilltowns.  Give examples of how PILOTS would impact local coffers – give estimates.
• A typical income in PILOTS is $5,000 per MW per year per turbine.  What income sources compare?
• Town of Martinsburg at Tug Hill Plateau has had a large (over $1M/year) infusion of PILOT income; have reduced property taxes and are improving roads.

5.  Agreement

• Another substation (e.g. New Scotland) could handle some additional power supply from turbines located in other areas of the Hilltowns.
• Maple Ridge (Tug Hill) has new power transmission lines that are on Southern Yellow Pine poles that carry two lines on one side and a third line on the other side.  There’s one of this type in Westerlo, crossing County Route 405.  Maintenance of above ground lines is more costly than buried lines.  Leakage of voltage has to be measured and factored in.

6.  Assignments

• Carol Willsey will ask the former Supervisor of the Town of Fenner to come speak to the Knox Town Board.
• Carol will arrange for meeting earlier in day with Town of Fenner’s former Supervisor for 12/9 – will let Amy know. 
• Need to assign someone to write a letter to National Grid to request a study to determine where new power lines could be placed to accommodate additional turbines if this project is successful.

Next meeting will be at X? AM/PM on Sunday December 9 at the Octagon Barn.