AUBURN - With the ever increasing costs both economically and environmentally of the use of fossils fuels, there has been an increasing focus on renewable energy.
Wednesday evening at the Cayuga/Onondaga BOCES facility, Fran Clark, a program coordinator with the New York Public Interest Research Group, gave a power point presentation discussing wind power, looking at concerns and misconceptions about this energy resource.
Clark said that these kinds of forums are taking place all over the state, made possible in conjunction with NYPIRG as well as the Pace University Law School Energy Project and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Clark stressed that the purpose of these forums is not to sway residents one way or the other, but simply to present the most recent and up-to-date information about wind power.
“There is a lot of confusion and outdated information out there,” Clark said. “Our goal is to help people understand and separate the facts from the myths by providing them with a broader energy context so they know what questions to ask.”
Clark said that the project approaches this goal through three main objectives: educating the public, dispelling myths and addressing concerns as a means of facilitating public discussion on the issue of wind power, and striving to ensure that those who take part in these discussions are well informed.
Clark began his presentation with a few facts.
“There is a greater dependence on fossil fuels,” Clark said. “And our demand for electricity is going up. Our demand for electricity has increased 1.2 percent a year between 1996 and 2006.”
This increased demand and usage of fossil fuels has had a variety of impacts on the land, contributing to concerns like global warming as well as increased mining and drilling, transportation pipes across the landscape and health impacts to human and wildlife populations.
Clark said that in New York state the government has set a goal to increase energy efficiency by 15 percent and to increase the state's renewable portfolio by 24 percent by 2013.
Currently New York state uses between 19 and 20 percent renewable resources.
In New York, Clark said, nuclear energy creates the bulk of energy usage, while natural gas is second and hydro electric is third.
Wind power may be a means to accomplish the goal for the usage of more renewable resources.
Clark said that the resource has its advantages.
“It is a cash crop,” Clark said. ”Wind farms can produce anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 per turbine,” Clark said. “There are also benefits to the local economy by creating jobs, as well as the environmental and public health benefits.”
Some of the common concerns associated with wind power and wind turbines, Clark said are largely unfounded.
Noise has been a long standing issue.
But as the technology has grown, it has improved.
“These are 750 to 1,000 feet away,” Clark said. “Really there is no more noise than a new refrigerator running.”
Another concern with wind energy has been reliability.
There is a misconception that if the wind isn't blowing there will be brownouts and even blackouts.
Clark said that even with wind energy there are still means to compensate.
He said that if the wind is calm in one area, power will be drawn from another area to make up for the difference.
After Clark's presentation, former Cayuga County Planner and Shell Wind Energy Consultant, David Miller, Farm Bureau Field Advisor, Skip Jensen and residential wind installer Dakota Potenza of Renovus Energy in Ithaca, held an informal panel discussion addressing comments about wind power.
Miller said that Shell has expressed an interest in creating a wind farm in Scipio, east of Route 34.
This is still in the early phase of discussion.
Among the concerns voiced were issues concerning what would happen to the energy created by the wind farm.
Presently there is no plan in place to keep the energy from being moved downstate or to keep the resources generated in the area.
Miller said that as the project develops, finding a means to keep the energy that could potentially be generated in Scipio in the area would be a top priority.
Miller said that the idea of using the Cayuga County Utility Agency as a utility to keep the energy in the area, for use at the schools for example, was an idea that has been discussed.
Miller also encouraged anyone interested in looking into wind energy for personal use to begin by finding out about their local zoning laws through the local code office to find out what requirements might have to be met to use this resource on a personal level.
For more information
Visit: www.nypirg.org
Clark said that these kinds of forums are taking place all over the state, made possible in conjunction with NYPIRG as well as the Pace University Law School Energy Project and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Clark stressed that the purpose of these forums is not to sway residents one way or the other, but simply to present the most recent and up-to-date information about wind power.
“There is a lot of confusion and outdated information out there,” Clark said. “Our goal is to help people understand and separate the facts from the myths by providing them with a broader energy context so they know what questions to ask.”
Clark said that the project approaches this goal through three main objectives: educating the public, dispelling myths and addressing concerns as a means of facilitating public discussion on the issue of wind power, and striving to ensure that those who take part in these discussions are well informed.
Clark began his presentation with a few facts.
“There is a greater dependence on fossil fuels,” Clark said. “And our demand for electricity is going up. Our demand for electricity has increased 1.2 percent a year between 1996 and 2006.”
This increased demand and usage of fossil fuels has had a variety of impacts on the land, contributing to concerns like global warming as well as increased mining and drilling, transportation pipes across the landscape and health impacts to human and wildlife populations.
Clark said that in New York state the government has set a goal to increase energy efficiency by 15 percent and to increase the state's renewable portfolio by 24 percent by 2013.
Currently New York state uses between 19 and 20 percent renewable resources.
In New York, Clark said, nuclear energy creates the bulk of energy usage, while natural gas is second and hydro electric is third.
Wind power may be a means to accomplish the goal for the usage of more renewable resources.
Clark said that the resource has its advantages.
“It is a cash crop,” Clark said. ”Wind farms can produce anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 per turbine,” Clark said. “There are also benefits to the local economy by creating jobs, as well as the environmental and public health benefits.”
Some of the common concerns associated with wind power and wind turbines, Clark said are largely unfounded.
Noise has been a long standing issue.
But as the technology has grown, it has improved.
“These are 750 to 1,000 feet away,” Clark said. “Really there is no more noise than a new refrigerator running.”
Another concern with wind energy has been reliability.
There is a misconception that if the wind isn't blowing there will be brownouts and even blackouts.
Clark said that even with wind energy there are still means to compensate.
He said that if the wind is calm in one area, power will be drawn from another area to make up for the difference.
After Clark's presentation, former Cayuga County Planner and Shell Wind Energy Consultant, David Miller, Farm Bureau Field Advisor, Skip Jensen and residential wind installer Dakota Potenza of Renovus Energy in Ithaca, held an informal panel discussion addressing comments about wind power.
Miller said that Shell has expressed an interest in creating a wind farm in Scipio, east of Route 34.
This is still in the early phase of discussion.
Among the concerns voiced were issues concerning what would happen to the energy created by the wind farm.
Presently there is no plan in place to keep the energy from being moved downstate or to keep the resources generated in the area.
Miller said that as the project develops, finding a means to keep the energy that could potentially be generated in Scipio in the area would be a top priority.
Miller said that the idea of using the Cayuga County Utility Agency as a utility to keep the energy in the area, for use at the schools for example, was an idea that has been discussed.
Miller also encouraged anyone interested in looking into wind energy for personal use to begin by finding out about their local zoning laws through the local code office to find out what requirements might have to be met to use this resource on a personal level.
For more information
Visit: www.nypirg.org
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Post your comment - click hereThere are 4 comment(s)
Farmer's Gal wrote on Aug 1, 2008 9:41 AM:
Low-level noise pollution is more than just an annoying "sound" to which you can get accustomed. It is a pulsation which interferes with your body's natural rhythms, like heart beat, which disrupts sleep bringing on all the health problems of sleep deprivation, which aggravates and agitates, and causes your body to build up physical thickening inside as it tries to protect itself against the steady pulsations.
Huge industrial turbines are aq danger if they fall or set themselves on fire, which has happened -- and often the installing companies will find ways to take shortcuts on the set-backs, putting them dangerously close to people's homes, farms and businesses.
Plus they kill bats and birds in fairly high numbers.
Wind energy SHOULD be a better way, but it's not when it is generated on an industrial level. Keep it small for your own personal use if you truly want safe, "green" energy. "
LisaLinowes wrote on Aug 1, 2008 7:46 AM:
-- www.windaction.org "
Blue Energy wrote on Jul 31, 2008 7:14 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Jul 31, 2008 1:17 PM: