Niagara Power Project Golden Anniversary

The following is a statement from National Hydropower Association Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci celebrating the contributions and benefits provided by the Niagara Power Project, owned and operated by the New York Power Authority (NYPA):

“The 50th anniversary of NYPA’s Niagara Power Project is an opportunity to recognize the remarkable impact of this crucial hydropower facility. Since 1961, the Niagara project has served Western New York businesses and helped support tens of thousands of jobs by providing some of the lowest-cost [and clean] * electricity in the country. The 2,441-megawatt project has also given the region unparalleled reliability in challenging times. It was Niagara and other NYPA hydropower projects that served as the springboard for restoring power to millions of customers following the Northeast Blackout of 2003.

“Niagara continues to be a powerful example of the hydropower industry’s capacity to stimulate local investment and create jobs. Over the past few years, companies like 3M, Yahoo! and GEICO have been lured to or have expanded operations in Western New York because of access to Niagara’s affordable power. NYPA has rededicated its efforts to maximize economic growth and support community improvements in recent years.

“The federal relicensing of the Niagara project in 2007 gives NYPA the opportunity to provide another 50 years of benefits from this exceptional facility. NYPA is committed to providing more than $1 billion in financial support and other regional benefits, including environmental and recreational improvements.

“As the Niagara project demonstrates, hydropower can improve the quality of life in area communities, especially during these trying economic times. Available, reliable and affordable hydropower resources are helping America meet its energy, economic, and environmental goals. The hydropower industry is committed to expanding this contribution through growth opportunities in every region of the country.

“National Hydropower Association commends the New York Power Authority and all of those who have kept the Niagara Power Project – and hydropower – working for America for 50 years.”

*Note: The photo, the word emphasis and the insert "[and clean]" were added by David

For more information about the Niagara Power Project, visit the NYPA website.

Meeting on Offshore Wind Power

ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE

Informational meeting set on offshore wind towers

The Erie County Legislature has set an informational meeting on the New York Power Authority’s proposal to erect wind towers off Lake Erie near Buffalo. The session will begin at 11 a. m. on Wednesday, June 9th on the fourth floor of Old County Hall, 92 Franklin St.
The Power Authority is asking for proposals to build wind towers in three offshore locations, including Lake Erie. County Legislator Daniel M. Kozub, D-Hamburg, heads the Energy and Environment Committee and encourages anyone interested in the subject to attend. Members of the public can also send written comments on the matter to Kozub as chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee, 92 Franklin St., fourth floor, Buffalo, NY 14202.

UPDATE...
From Brian Smith, Citizens Campaign for the Environment:
We are planning a press conference for Wednesday at 10:30am, outside of the County Office Building at 92 Franklin.

We will be covering two issues, which both will be discussed at the Energy and Environment committee meeting immediately following the press conference:

• Support a process that will bring offshore wind power to our Great Lakes, and oppose any effort to prematurely oppose offshore wind. Groups will ask the Legislative Committee to oppose a resolution sponsored by Legislator Lynne Dixon against offshore wind.
  

• Oppose the County Executive’s plan to “re-purpose” a Department of Energy grant previously dedicated to forming county-wide strategic plans to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create a County Green Team to advance environmentally friendly solutions within County government, and advance a food composting program.

State of Lake Erie Meeting - May 6

New York Sea Grant's

Annual State of Lake Erie Meeting

Free and open to the public

• Thursday, May 6, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

• ARMOR FIRE HALL, 4932 Clark St., Hamburg, NY [ MAP ]
  

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS

• NY Power Authority - Offshore Wind Generation - Sharon Laudisi, Lou Paonessa

• NYS DEC's Lake Erie Coldwater Program Update - Jim Markham, Senior Fishery Biologist, NYS DEC

• NYS DEC's Lake Erie Warmwater Program Update - Don Einhouse, NYS DEC, Lake Erie Unit Leader

• A Response to the Asian Carp Situation - Thomas Marks, NY Director, Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council

Sponsored by: NYS Assemblyman Jack Quinn, In Cooperation With Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY

For more information or directions, contact: Helen Domske, NY Sea Grant (716) 645-3610 or email sgbuffal@cornell.edu

===========================================

Editorial Opinion:
Those interested in offshore wind power as a source of clean, renewable energy should definitely attend this meeting.

There will be significant opposition to offshore wind at this public meeting from fishing enthusiasts, as indicated in this document.

If you have been following the news on the oil spill in the Gulf, you know what offshore oil drilling can do to harm the fish, sport fishing and the fishing industry.

Consider an alternative energy source: what would happen if there was a wind spill from an offshore wind farm? No harm, no foul...enjoy the breeze while clean energy powers your home, electric car, trolling motor battery, and just keep on fishing!

Offshore Wind Power in NY

Power Authority seeks bids for wind farm
Project off the shores of Lake Erie or Lake Ontario could generate up to 500 megawatts of electricity

The New York Power Authority took its first major step Tuesday to advance its efforts to encourage the development of a big wind farm off the shores of Lake Erie or Lake Ontario.
Terry Yonker, the U. S. co-chairman for the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative, said it is important for the Power Authority to make good choices as it proceeds with the project because it will set precedents for other offshore wind farms in the Great Lakes region. “The potential for wind power in the Great Lakes is among the best anywhere on earth,” he said.

Read the report by David Robinson in The Buffalo News.

Lake Erie Map of feasible wind sites (black areas)
Link to Lake Ontario Map is here

Great expectations for Great Lakes
State seeks proposals from private developers to provide wind power ALBANY --

The possible transformation of the Great Lakes into a major source of wind-generated electricity began Tuesday, when New York became the first state to open its share of the lakes to offers by private wind developers.
During a news conference on the shore of Lake Erie near Buffalo, Gov. David Paterson and other officials unveiled plans for the state to reach 20-year agreements with owners of selected projects by December 2010. Proposals would be due at the state Power Authority by June 2010.

Read more at TimesUnion.com.

Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project Request for Proposals
Links to NY Power Authority files are here.

And on the East Coast...
Plan Advances to Build Wind Farm Off New York City
New York area politicians and energy officials are moving ahead with what could be the nation's largest offshore wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean 13 miles from Queens.

The Long Island/New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative, a group of utilities and government agencies, said Wednesday it would request proposals next year from developers for a 350-megawatt wind farm near the Rockaway Peninsula that could cost more than $1 billion and involve more than 100 turbines.

Read more in the Wall Street Journal.

In the NEWS

Paterson's solar power plan envisions 50,000 jobs - 05/15/2009
Gov. David A. Paterson will announce today that the state’s two power authorities will purchase up to 150 megawatts of solar power through a program aiming to make the state the nation’s second-biggest solar power producer.
Paterson chose a solar power conference in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center attended by about 3,000 people from around the nation to unveil the plan, which his staff says eventually could create not only a new source of electricity but also 50,000 jobs in an entire new manufacturing industry. Read the report by Robert J. McCarthy in The Buffalo News.

Paterson backs local sharing of NYPA hydropower profits - 05/16/2009
Governor opens possibility for economic development
Western New York’s long-standing argument that profits from unused hydropower generated at Lewiston should remain in the area gained Gov. David A. Paterson’s preliminary approval Friday, setting the stage for a potentially significant influx of money for infrastructure and economic development projects.
Paterson’s promise to reassess what many Western New York officials have long considered an injustice marks a major victory for Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, who filed a bill last month requiring the Power Authority to turn over future proceeds from the sale of unused power to a locally controlled economic development corporation. That agency would use the money to fund infrastructure work and capital improvements for public facilities in Erie and Niagara counties.
The congressman said late Friday he is pleased with the new developments, but also promised to continue to monitor the situation. Read the report by Robert J. McCarthy and James Heaney in The Buffalo News.

State OKs low-cost power for Yahoo! facility - 05/20/2009
Gov. David A. Paterson announced Tuesday that Yahoo! would bring a new data center and more than 100 jobs to Western New York, but the Internet company said it is still considering other states.
Paterson said Tuesday that Yahoo!, one of the world’s best-known Web sites and search engines, will spend $150 million to set up a new East Coast regional data center here, with at least 125 new high-tech jobs. As an inducement, the company will receive low-cost hydroelectric power from New York State. No other state taxpayer dollars will be spent on the project, officials said. The company has not chosen a site, but it is looking at two locations, one in Niagara County and one in Genesee County, Paterson said. Read the report by Jonathan D. Epstein in The Buffalo News.

Power deal would save Yahoo! $101.2 million - 05/21/2009
Subsidy package is one of the richest ever offered by the NY Power Authority.
The deal state officials are offering Yahoo! to entice it to build a data center in Western New York would provide about $810,000 in power discounts over the lifetime of the subsidy for every $50,000 job created, a Buffalo News analysis has found.
The discount would save Yahoo! an estimated $53,996 per job per year over the 15-year life of its proposed contract with the New York Power Authority. The average subsidy for companies given new power allocations in recent years is less than a quarter of that—$12,446. The offer, which Yahoo! officials are considering, represents one of the richest subsidy packages ever offered by the Power Authority. Read the report by James Heaney in The Buffalo News. Post comments on his News blog at Outrages & Insights.

Renewable power mandate overcomes hurdle in Senate - 05/21/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A measure requiring utilities to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, overcame a legislative hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Thursday.
The proposed committee bill would mandate that power plants meet targets to gradually produce more renewable power, beginning with 3 percent of their output between 2011 and 2013 and rising to 15 percent between 2021 and 2039. Utilities could meet about a quarter of their renewable requirements through energy efficiency gains.The full report is here.