The New York Legislature ended its regular session Friday without passing legislation that would allow expedited siting of power plants. Utilities, power producers and the New York Independent System Operator have said the measure is needed to attract investment in plants and avoid electricity shortages.

The legislature could possibly take up the matter again as early as July, when he expects lawmakers will reconvene for a limited, special session. At issue is the Article X law, which provided a single process for obtaining all permits, and guaranteed a one-year limit to the review process. Article X also gave the state authority to override local objections to plants.

WASHINGTON The landmark U.S. law to fight water pollution will now apply only to bodies of water large enough for boats to use, and their adjacent wetlands, and will not automatically protect streams, the U.S. government said on Tuesday.

Environmental groups said they fear the new policy will muddy the purpose of the federal Clean Water Act and put many smaller bodies of water at risk. Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation mandating protection of creeks, estuaries and other watersheds.

Disgruntled citizens and state utility regulators urged the U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday to halt a plan to make it easier for companies to build long-distance power lines through communities that don't want them.

Their ire, vented at a public hearing in Manhattan, was aimed the Energy Department's announcement that it intended to designate two large sections of the Northeast and Southwest as "National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors."

Somewhere along the way we read about turbines and eminent domain. Eminent domain, of course, is where a government entity can take your land and use it for the public good, such as a road.

Does turbine construction equate to "eminent domain?" Well, in a word, "no." Or is it "yes?"

No one “takes” your land to build turbines. Turbines are built on land under a contract that pays the landholder for that right. The turbine host may make $7000 or more per turbine per year. Pretty good for him. Such contracts reward the landholder under terms that can be as long as 30 years. No eminent domain there.

(Disclaimer: I speak for myself in this op-ed article, not anyone else).

The Bethany Open House passed without incident last night. Very few residents showed up to view the available report, so there are many copies left at the Town Hall (hint, hint, go get one while they're free).

TAXES

I will say I was unhappy with the cover letter that accompanied the reports last night -- it listed the tax inflation over the next twenty years as being 50%. Well, sure, but due to inflation EVERYTHING will go up 50% over the next twenty years. That does not necessarily mean that we need turbines to survive.

Trucks rumble by one Eagle family's home as the turbines begin to go up. May, 2007

/PRNewswire/-- Noble Environmental Power, one of the nation's leading wind energy developers, announced today that it has been selected by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to provide renewable energy to New York State consumers in the second competitive solicitation under the Renewable Portfolio Standard program (RPS).

By virtue of its selection, Noble has contracted with NYSERDA to receive production incentives over the next 10 years in exchange for the environmental attributes (often referred to as renewable energy credits) produced by Noble's Altona, Clinton and Ellenburg Windparks in Clinton County, NY, as well as the Chateaugay Windpark in Franklin County, NY and the Bliss Windpark in Wyoming County, NY. These five new windparks represent 511 megawatts of clean, renewable energy and are expected to be completed in 2007.