Wind Turbines (Buffalo, Catskill, Ontario: how much, homes, transfer)

[braylee]

I am not from NY, but am looking to move there.

I have read a lot of contreversary about them. What is the real deal with them? Do residents hate them/love them?
What are the real benefits/negatives?

[JustSayNo]

Do a search in the NY and Maine forums and you will find a seemingly never-ending supply of information and discussion. There is a lot to know, so take your time and good luck. They are cropping up all over the state, and creating many problems amoung neighbors and residents and government.

Choose wisely.

[oktaren]

I know in Chautauqua County, in most areas they are not wanted. There are a few small towns who have been brainwhashed into believing they will help the area, but other than that they are not being allowed around here, even though the area has been attacked by wind developers.

[BuffaloTransplant]

Take it all with a grain of salt when you see posts relating to wind turbines. Many posts I have seen are simply griping by people who bought a few acres of land looking out on a valley owned by someone else... and when the owner of the land they look on changed the view ( by allowing turbines or otherwise), they go ballistic.

It is all part of the NIMBY syndrome.

[JustSayNo]

Well, I beg to differ. I think everyone needs to know as much as possible regarding this latest boondoggle. If one is interested in making an informed decision on something, they read between the lines, dig up research and opinion from all sides, and look into the amount of money these private, LLCs are making off the backs of residents.

So I counter your pro-turbine, anti-anyone who objects to turbines post. I think it is up to individuals to make their own decisions whether they support turbines or not. In my opinion, if one does the proper research it is a no brainer with all the new information coming to the surface regarding the newer installations. The installations, as well as the LLCs making millions, are half-assed and running to the finish line before all the subsidies dry up, and the public, and governement, smartens up to their scheme.

The ugly truth is coming out. Lies are being uncovered, shady local-government back-door deals are being noticed, and the public is finally standing up. And the pro-turbine excuse and defense of "simple NIMBYism" is generally being ignored as this point, since the Truth and Facts of just how much is wrong with current turbines and installations far outweigh an opinion.

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by BuffaloTransplant

Take it all with a grain of salt when you see posts relating to wind turbines. Many posts I have seen are simply griping by people who bought a few acres of land looking out on a valley owned by someone else... and when the owner of the land they look on changed the view ( by allowing turbines or otherwise), they go ballistic.

It is all part of the NIMBY syndrome.

You might want to check all the facts about wind turbines. In the southern tier, many of the towns and villages have totally dissallowed them. And these are people who have lived there their entire lives. Not a whole lot of newcomers come to the area looking to buy land.

And yes, it is because of nimby-ism. We don't want industrial wind turbines that do nothing for us. There are alot of negative consequences to them. They are industrial power plants, and the power wouldn't even be used in our area, it would be shipped to some city. I say **** the cities. Put the power plants downtown if you need them so bad, stay out of our pristine area.

Stop being greenwashed. Industrial wind power plants aren't even good for the environment. And not a single conventional power plant has ever been closed because wind power turbines have been put in place.

Want to save the environment? STOP USING SO MUCH ELECTRICITY.

[GoldenCrow]

Originally Posted by oktaren

I know in Chautauqua County, in most areas they are not wanted. There are a few small towns who have been brainwhashed into believing they will help the area, but other than that they are not being allowed around here, even though the area has been attacked by wind developers.

I have to disagree with you there, Oktaren. Chautauqua County is one of the WNY counties that will be COVERED with wind turbines in the not too distant future. Here's the list of towns, so far, where people have signed contracts with wind developers: Westfield, Ripley, Pomfret, Villenova, Arkwright, Sheridan, Stockton, Brockton, and Charlotte. There are at least 4 companies (not one is an American company) at work here, and they're just getting warmed up. The developers are out in huge numbers in both Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, and parts of Erie county - all along the Lake Erie shoreline.

Towns are passing developer-friendly laws that allow the large industrial turbines (over 450 feet tall) right next to the homes and property lines of neighbors who are not participating in the developments.

If you're looking for a home in rural NYS -- buyer beware. The wind developers say that property values won't plummet, but they really have no clue. Here's why: there is no history on the development of large industrial wind energy developments in areas that have as many homes and as many small, individually owned land parcels. These developments are typically on large tracts of land with just a couple of owners and few homes.

[keith talent]

Would you like to be out on your deck in the lovely countryside and have a panorama of 400-foot wind towers staring you in the face? And that ridge you liked to hike up to, scorched with roads, pavement, fences? And all for a questionable benefit, quite possibly only sending power to distant surburbanites?

From my experience opposing them in Delaware County in the Catskills, where we've got a house, the only folks who wanted them were GOP political insiders, the classic smokestack-loving "smells like money" crowd. Fortunately they were banned from our hollow, but they're trying again in neighboring towns all around. Yes, beware.

I realize that sounds NIMBY ... but, why no more talk of putting these suckers well off-shore, away from where the vast majority of folks (aside from some boaters) would ever see them? Could be out in Lake Ontario, or off the South Shore of L.I., but not visible from the shore. Just a notion ... realize it would cost more, but some things are worth paying for.

[honeychrome]

Originally Posted by keith talent

why no more talk of putting these suckers well off-shore, away from where the vast majority of folks (aside from some boaters) would ever see them? Could be out in Lake Ontario, or off the South Shore of L.I., but not visible from the shore. Just a notion ... realize it would cost more, but some things are worth paying for.

It's that 'cost more' part. Making a profit on the majority of industrial wind development in this country is not dependent on generating and selling electricity, it is dependent on subsidies and tax benefits/offsets (often transferable to another subsidiary of the parent company), so the developer wants to buy the cheapest possible turbines and put them up in the cheapest way in the cheapest place where there is enough 'potential' wind to calculate a subsidy that makes them money. There are cases where the development could never go online and the developer would still get the subsidy. While building off-shore would still get subsidy money, and actually might produce some meaningful power, the initial outlay, grid interconnect building, risk and ongoing maintenance makes it far less attractive than targeting rural areas (existing grid, infrastructure, ability to externalize expenses such as infrastructure maintenance and accident response, etc.). Maybe you thought it was all about actually generating clean, renewable energy?

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by GoldenCrow

I have to disagree with you there, Oktaren. Chautauqua County is one of the WNY counties that will be COVERED with wind turbines in the not too distant future. Here's the list of towns, so far, where people have signed contracts with wind developers: Westfield, Ripley, Pomfret, Villenova, Arkwright, Sheridan, Stockton, Brockton, and Charlotte. There are at least 4 companies (not one is an American company) at work here, and they're just getting warmed up. The developers are out in huge numbers in both Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, and parts of Erie county - all along the Lake Erie shoreline.

Towns are passing developer-friendly laws that allow the large industrial turbines (over 450 feet tall) right next to the homes and property lines of neighbors who are not participating in the developments.

If you're looking for a home in rural NYS -- buyer beware. The wind developers say that property values won't plummet, but they really have no clue. Here's why: there is no history on the development of large industrial wind energy developments in areas that have as many homes and as many small, individually owned land parcels. These developments are typically on large tracts of land with just a couple of owners and few homes.

They are being attacked, but very few of the towns and villages have accepted anything. Take a drive around the Westfield/Ripley area, there are tons of good idea/bad location signs, among others as well.

I did my final project for one of my environmental policy classes at fredonia on the proposed industrial wind power project and the public opinion of it. More than 90% were against the power project in ANY way.

I also worked on the environmental impact statement for the project in pomfret and arkwright, and this too was littered with problems.

I would be very suprised if many of these projects ever get under way.

The wind power companies like to get the rosy articles printed in the paper, but we have seen that for the past 10 or so years. Doesn't mean much to me.

the only way i see one coming to westfield is if the power is actually utilized in the town. some sort of community power plant. other than that, and im sorry but these tremendously conservative residents won't allow it.