Schumer & Clinton Backing Upstate NIMBY’s Against Wind Power

Newsday reports:

A high-voltage transmission line running through Central New York could spur the creation of environmentally friendly wind farms across the state, according to Bill May, project manager for the Albany-based New York Regional Interconnect Inc., who hopes to build the line.

However, there is intense opposition coming from many upstate residents. Perhaps that is why Sen. Charles Schumer and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton have expressed doubts about the project:

Schumer has criticized NYRI for having what he calls a "my way or the highway" approach, while Clinton has criticized the proposed route. May warned that "without making some decisions now we will begin to see, you know, significant reliability shortfalls" in New York’s supply of electricity.


Photo is of Fenner Wind Farm in Central New York: tinydr/Flickr

  • mfs

    Jason- that headline is really misleading. Sorry to rain on the parade, but the lack of this transmission line isn’t what’s preventing more wind power from being done upstate. That’s just a talking point from the company that wants to build the line. And the locals aren’t against wind power, they’re against the transmission line.

    And even if they built the transmission line, NYC/Westchester is still under mandate to generate 80% of our electric load in our area.

  • JB

    It’s not that misleading actually. That section of New York was identified this summer by the DOE’s transmission congestion study as one of the major bottlenecks in the US. It specifically prevents more wind power projects from getting onto the grid. And to say the locals are only oppossed to the transmission line ignores the reality that NIMBYsm thrives in the Northeast more than anywhere else in the US. No doubt that plays a role as well.

  • kent beuchert

    It’s amusing watching politicians deal with
    technical issues they know nothing about. Wind power is many things, mostly an rather stupid, expensive and impotent way to make electricity for times when its seldom needed and never when it is needed. That is why I have to laugh at the moron who wants wind in order to take care of future energy needs. One things has become crystal clear about wind is that is can never forestall the building of new plants for greater power needs, for th erather simple and obvious reason that wind cannot be counted on to be there during peak demand periods (last year in Texas, their wind turbines ran at a
    ridiculously low 2.5% capacity during peak demand periods. maybe the first thing that the politiicans need to do is to listen to those who aren’t wind advocates. Advocates are going around claiming that windfarms that could never average over 40 Megawatts of output are “150 megawatt facilities.” That, my friends, is fraud, total unmitigated fraud.
    There are far better alternative energy solutions than wind, even if they aren’t here right this minute.

  • “many upstate residents fear it would spoil their surroundings and property values.”
    Tha sounds like NIMBY to me, what’s the point of generating electricity if you can’t deliver it to consumers?

    But I hear you mfs, the transmission line and wind power itself are not exactly the same thing.

    Kent – If you compare any alternative power source to fossil fuels, it is going to seem expensive. But I’ll tell you what is expensive, the tax on the environment. If you factor that in, wind is actually much cheaper than more polluting sources of energy.

  • Please read up a little before you post on NYRI… people are against NYRI for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the economy upstate is absolutely in the crapper and the NYRI project will cause upstate electricity rates to soar. The project will reduce their property values AND be of absolutely no economic benefit to the people in the 200 communities along that proposed line. Why on earth should they want it?

    It’s a heck of a lot more than just “NIMBY.” (Why don’t downstate residents who need this power start building some of their OWN power plants? Would it decrease THEIR property values? You bet.)

  • mfs

    NYCO- I get that, but how would it cause electric rates to soar?

  • RT

    NYCO-you hit the nail on the head. Those are the exact reasons that Upstate NY’ers are against the planned power line. In addition, both the transmission line and any future wind farms that it would supposedly attract will disturb the beauty in the western Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier and along the Delaware R. The natural surroundings are huge (and one of the few) tourist attractions in those regions. NYRI is also risking any other economic development in the Utica/Marcy region, where the line is supposed to start. That area was in the news last year, trying desparetly to attract nano-technology companies. The large sites already designated for that type of development would be directly affected by the NYRI project and hamper any hopes of reviving the local economy there.

    Maybe the NYC/Westchester region needs to look at their power problems as a sign that we have over-populated the area and over-exhausted our means of comfortable living. Americans hate to see limits on anything, so we build mega stores and jumbo planes. More is better, right? Not all the time. Accept our power limits as a sign that the local growth is too much too fast.

  • Troy

    RT hit it right on the head. Time for conservation and energy efficiency folks. People upstate are oppossed to NYRI for much more than just NIMBYism for example do you know that NYRI’s proposed route crosses several scenic byways and historic trails, affects 8 counties, 1 city, 7 villages and 30 towns. It would run through children’s camps, past schools and playgrounds and through the heart of 2 towns. It would bisect or be adjacent to 66 historic properties and 265 archeological sites, miles of farm land, 70.5 miles of forest lands, 52.4 miles of brushlands, 154 streams and rivers, 64 trout streams, 5 state regulated wet lands, 37 federal wetlands and protected Wild and Scenic River areas which contain endangered species like the American Bald Eagle and Timber Rattlesnake. The altenate route is on the banks of the Delaware River which is protected by the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The truth of the matter is the PR company, Kalston PR and NYRI are out and out lying to the public in order to shove this down upstate New York’s throat and I am shocked by their claims and I am a NYC resident!

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