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Community Resources for Wind Development
This tool kit is designed to provide information on all the various aspects of wind energy development and to help communities prepare for wind development, should they so desire. The decision on whether or not to have a wind farm sited in a community resides within the locality, as New York is a "home rule" state. Therefore, it is important that local officials become familiar with all aspects of wind development.
New York State has an abundance of land suitable for wind development, and a mandate to increase our use of renewable energy, including wind. Wind may be coming to your community, if it has a good resource, at some time in the future. You can view the wind map (shows the wind resources in the state) to see if your community has a good wind resource, at: http://www.windexplorer.com/NewYork/NewYork.htm.
Using NYS's wind energy resources is desirable since wind: is inexhaustible and non-polluting; reduces our reliance on out of state energy sources; is compatible with mixed land use, such as grazing or agriculture; is not subject to price fluctuations in sale price; and, can be constructed relatively quickly and incrementally.
The reports and documents in this tool kit are intended to provide objective information necessary for everyone concerned with wind development in a community - from the farmer or landowner who want to lease their land -- to the town officials charged with zoning, planning and permitting -- to interested members of the public. This tool kit is not a policy or regulatory manual, nor is it a collection of guidelines - it is information about the process for siting wind energy facilities in localities in this state, and all the considerations that go into the decision-making effort.
We encourage you to read and download these materials and distribute them as needed. Please consult NYSERDA if additional information and assistance is required.
The tool kit is now available on CD. If you would like a copy, or you have comments or questions about wind, please contact Jeff Peterson at: jmp@nyserda.org
Topics
Comprehensive Plan
(pdf)
Wind Energy Model Ordinance Options
(pdf)
Examples of NY Local Government Laws/Zoning Provisions on Wind (pdf)
Additional current local government plans, laws and technical documents from the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
WindPower Facility Application and Regulations for the Town of Lebanon, Madison County, NY
Environmental
- Birds and Bats: Potential Impacts and Survey Techniques (pdf)
- Other Potential Environmental Impacts (pdf)
- Assessing and Mitigating Visual Impacts (pdf)
- Wind Farm Construction (pdf)
- GAO Report: Impacts on Wildlife and Government Responsibilities for Regulating Development and Protecting Wildlife (pdf)
- Environmental Compliance During Wind Farm Construction (pdf)
- Wind/Wildlife Issues
Overview of the Power Grid and Wind Power Reliability (pdf)
Information on New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) Interconnection Requirements
• The last document on the website page below, “Steps in the NYISO Interconnection Process,” summarizes the steps in the interconnection process.
http://www.nyiso.com/public/services/planning/interconnection_studies_process.jsp
• For background information on the NYISO, and information on NYISO registration, visit links below:
http://www.nyiso.com/public/company/about_us/index.jsp
http://www.nyiso.com/public/services/nyiso_registration/index.jsp
Development Scenarios (includes technical discussion)
- Wind Turbine Technology Overview (pdf)
- Wind Project Lifecycle Overview (pdf)
- Current Wind Energy Project Development in New York (pdf)
- Utility-scale
- The National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC) has released its Wind Power Facility Siting Case Studies: Community Response (pdf) via the www.nationalwind.org website.
The case studies document lessons from 9 sites that the NWCC’s Siting Workgroup examined to determine communities’ reactions to local wind development projects, with the intent of identifying circumstances that distinguish welcomed projects from projects that were not accepted by communities. The NWCC Siting Workgroup was also interested in examining the changes in community perceptions before, during and after project construction, as well as in recognizing what wind project developers can do to address the concerns that often recur at wind project sites.
Land Acquisition
- Farmers’ Guide to Wind Energy: Legal Issues in Farming the Wind. (pdf)
- Harvesting the Wind: A Legal Guidebook for Landowners (pdf)
- Lease Agreements (pdf)
- Wind Energy Project Site Identification & Land Requirements (pdf)
- Sample Annotated Land Lease Agreement (pdf)
Meteorological Poles and Towers (pdf)
Permitting and Approvals
- Government Agencies’ Role in the Approval Process (pdf)
- Overview of the SEQR Process (pdf)
- Getting to know SEQR: The SEQR Cookbook (pdf)
- Public Health and Safety (pdf)
- New FAA guidelines on aviation lighting for wind energy projects (effective 2/107) (pdf)
Economic and Socioeconomic Impacts
- Property Tax: Exemptions and PILOT (pdf)
- Economic and Socioeconomic Impacts (pdf)
- Property Values (pdf)
- Fiscal Implications of Property Tax Exemption for Wind Project Improvements on State School Aid Formula (pdf)
- Major Economic Impacts Utility-Scale Wind in New York (pdf)
General Information
- Small Wind Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Large Wind Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
- Myth Busters (pdf)
- Insurance Company Testimonials on Ice Throws (Fox, Virgil)
- How to Critically Evaluate Information (pdf)
- GE Energy Wind Information Bulletins - From time to time wind turbine manufacturers issue service bulletins in relation to their products. The link to this site contains information from GE Energy on "Ice Shedding and Ice Throw -- Risk and Mitigation," and "The Case for Wind, GE Energy's Perspective."
- The new Maple Ridge project on the Tug Hill Plateau is the largest wind farm on the east coast, involving Lewis County and the Towns of Martinsburg, Harrisburg, Lowville and Watson. As a key negotiator in reviewing, assessing, and finally seeing the project through to completion, attorney Richard Graham offers his insights, experience and thoughts about lessons learned in the process in this article. (pdf)
- Interesting Article from NRDC Website on Maple Ridge Wind Project. (Click Here)
- Experts Address Questions on Wind Energy
NYSERDA receives many inquiries about all aspects of wind energy. If we are unable to answer the questions, we ask wind energy experts to research the issue for us. In this section, we will periodically post issue papers that are responses to questions on wind that are asked on a frequent basis.
- Wind Energy and Low Frequency Noise (pdf)
- Wind Energy Construction and Ground Water Impacts (pdf)
- Wind Energy and Electromagnetic Interference (pdf)
- Wind Energy and Stray Voltage (pdf)
- Michigan Siting Guidelines for Wind Energy Systems - Guidelines developed by the Michigan Energy Office, Dept. of Labor and Economic Growth, to assist local governments in developing siting requirements for wind energy systems. The quidelines represent recommended zoning language for local governements to use if they amend their zoning ordinance to address wind energy systems.(pdf)
- The Department of State's Division of Local Government has produced publications that address land use issues and local government procedures. These documents will be helpful to localities with potential wind projects. To look at the complete list of DOS publications, access their webpages at:
http://www.dos.ny.us/lgss/publist.htm
- The New York State Historic Preservation Office has prepared the New York State Historic Preservation Office Guidelines for Wind Farm Development Cultural Resources Survey Work for use by municipal governments, wind farm project developers and their consultants. The guide is intended to provide a methodology for assessing the variety of cultural and/or historical resources that may be encountered/impacted by wind farm projects. For more information on the programs administered by the New York State Historic Preservation Office please visit their web site at:
http://www.nysparks.com/shpo/environ/forms/SurveyGuide.pdf
- Information on Community Wind
Community wind projects are locally-owned, commercial-scale projects. They are usually 10 MW or less, and may consist of a single turbine or a small group of turbines. Ownership models also vary. In some cases, a group of local investors may own the project. In other cases, the owner may be the landowner or a government entity such as a city or a school district.
While some community wind activity exists in the U.S., New York State has yet to see it happen. Minnesota and Iowa have community wind projects, and community wind activity is getting underway in Massachusetts, Illinois, Oregon and Wisconsin. It is a popular model for wind development in Europe, where 80 percent of wind is “community wind.”
Listed below are links to information resources for community wind:
www.windustry.org (all about community wind)
www.helderbergwind.org
www.energytrust.org (2 very good reports on community wind here)
- Community Wind Development: Supportive Policies, Public Financial Incentives and Best Management Practices." This report, produced on behalf of the Clean Energy States Alliance, combines policy research, interviews with industry experts and insightful analysis to provide an overview of key drivers operating at the state level. The report includes some of the best policies and practices for developing community wind. Interested parties should be able to use the information to facilitate project development. (pdf)
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