Many obstacles for Apex, large-scale renewable energy projects in NY
Editor:
It is impossible to conceive of the necessity for the Apex Lighthouse Wind Project. WNY is blessed with the Niagara Hydroelectric Power Plant at 2704 MW and the Somerset Power Plant at 675 MW. Together they total 3,379 MW.
APEX nameplate of 201 MW is incorrect. With NYS wind capacity factors of 26%, APEX is only 52 MW. Adding 52 MW to an existing 3,379 MW is meaningless.
Drawbacks to wind begin with transmission bottlenecks, the transmission interconnection process and inadequate transmission capacity. Without storage – use it or lose it – to connect towers, many miles of underground cable must be buried crossing streams, roads and farms, threat to bird wildlife, rotor blade frequency vibration noise, negative visual impact, Section 487 Real Property Tax Law, and, finally, wind plantations cannot be located near population centers where the power is consumed.
The Nature Conservancy and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York provided a chart which details subsidies ($ tax $ dollars) to 11 corporations.
Chart titled: “Subsidies and Loan Guarantees Received by Members of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York”
Federal Subsidies Received (Grants & Tax Credits) $8,400,585,616
Federal Loans or Loan Guarantees $6,528,257,588
State Subsidies Received $3,806,915,019 Billions
Grand Total $18,735,758,223 Billions not Millions
Of the $18.735 Billion $5.509 Billion went to foreign corporations. None to Somerset and Yates.
Governor Cuomo’s Clean Energy Standard of 50% Renewable Sources by 2030 is beginning to unravel due to the number of large-scale renewable projects required to meet the goal 12 years hence and required new and upgraded transmission lines needed to transport the power hundreds of miles to high consumption regions of southeastern New York.
Search “ACENY_Member_Subsidy_Totals” for Chart
Gregory G. Woodrich
Williamsville
