Increasing output at hydro plant would be better than costly and unreliable turbine project

Editor:

I oppose the Apex Lighthouse Wind Project and don’t want my state taxes subsidizing a venture that will have no impact on the NYS energy supply pie chart picture. Simply put a “RATED” 200 megawatt from wind is unreliable, too expensive, can not be stored and most important is not needed in WNY.

If, at 570 feet high, the turbines see wind at a very unlikely 25 percent of the year, the rated 200 MW becomes an actual 50 MW project. Efforts like this are insignificant.

The 2,353 MW Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Power Plant operated at 69.8 percent efficiency in 2010. Just increasing Niagara Hydro Power output 2.1 percent would generate the 50 MW at less than 2 cents/kilowatt-hour. Niagara Hydro Power is clean, cheap, extremely reliable and has a water storage reservoir to meet peak hour demands.

Power is needed on the east side of the Hudson River, not here. Census figures show that Democrat Louise Slaughter’s Congressional District lost 42,522 residents from 2000 to 2010.

Apex’s application should be denied.

Sincerely,

Gregory G. Woodrich
Williamsville

Editor’s note: The towns of Yates and Somerset, where Apex wants to put 60 to 68 wind turbines, used to be in Louise Slaughter’s Congressional District before redistricting changed the boundaries. Those towns are now in a district represented by Chris Collins.