Determining which way the wind blows has rarely been as important to a politician as it is to Gov. David Paterson. Paterson’s ambitious goal of increasing renewable energy to 25 percent of New York’s power by 2013 will hinge on wind turbines.

Since most of New York’s renewable energy comes from hydroelectric power plants with little capacity to grow, and the pace of growth in solar energy has gone at less than light speed, with only 15 megawatts of installed capacity to date, the wind industry will likely account for most of the desired growth in so-called clean energy.

A Newton wind-power company says it has changed its name from UPC Wind to First Wind to better reflect its approach to building, owning and running wind farms in North America.

First Wind officials said the name change, already in effect, would have no impact on the day-to-day operations, organizational structure or the ownership of the company, and the firm plans to remain focused on projects in the Northeast as well as on the West Coast and Hawaii.

Kurt Adams has resigned as chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission to join the wind-power company behind the Mars Hill and Stetson Mountain wind power projects.

Adams, who has served as chair of the PUC since 2005, will become senior vice president of transmission for First Wind, formerly known as UPC Wind, a wind development company based in Newton, Mass., according to a press release from the company.

From the Executive Summary of the report
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/subsidy2/pdf/execsum.pdf, pdf page 6 of 8. That page includes a table of subsidies paid per mwh of generation. A quick summary (subset) below:

Coal is paid $.44 per mwh
Nat. Gas: $.25 per mwh
Biomass: $.89 per mwh
Nuclear: $1.59 per mwh
Hydro: $.67 per mwh
Solar: $24.34 per mwh
Landfill gas: $1.37 per mwh
Wind: $23.37 per mwh

By the end of this month, a law regulating wind turbines in the Town of Hamlin could be passed, but not without much debate.

A public meeting this week will serve as a last ditch effort from some neighbors who say this proposed law doesn't protect them.

The debate has raged on for nearly two years in Hamlin. At stake is how to craft a local law that would protect the interests of taxpayers should wind turbines, or a wind farm, be built.

COHOCTON -- UPC Wind, developer of two Steuben County wind farms, has agreed to pay $14.5 million in lieu of taxes over the next 20 years.

The company announced the agreement with the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency on Monday.

The county agency will administer the payments, which will go to the town of Cohocton, the Wayland-Cohocton Central School District and the Avoca School District, UPC Wind said in a news release.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has launched two initiatives that will help strengthen the evolving renewable energy arena in New York. These initiatives grew out of the efforts and recommendations of Lt. Gov. David Paterson's Renewable Energy Task Force.

First, New York is initiating a $6 million clean-energy workforce training initiative. NYSERDA will invest more than $4 million in a range of clean energy sectors, including small wind and biogas energy systems. An additional $2 million is included in the governor's executive budget targeted at developing the solar workforce through programs at community colleges across New York State.

TITLE....Establishes the New York state task force on wind generating facilities siting and permitting policies

04/19/07 REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
01/09/08 REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUMMARY:

ALESI, FLANAGAN, MORAHAN, PADAVAN, RATH, SEWARD, YOUNG
Establishes the New York state task force on wind generating facilities siting and permitting policies to study the need to implement a uniform statewide policy regarding the siting and permitting of wind energy production facilities; further establishes an 18 month moratorium upon the siting and permitting of wind energy production facilities; repeals such provisions effective December 31, 2008.

January 28, 2008

Wayland-Cohocton Central School Board
2350 Rte 63 N
Wayland, NY 14572

RE: UPC SCIDA PILOT approval not required for Wayland-Cohocton School District

Dear School Board members:

Submitted this date to the Wayland-Cohocton School Board the following documents:

1) Press Release January 10, 2008 from attorney David Miller
2) List of SCIDA Board members and their home addresses

I have obtained a copy of Bethany's "final" wind report. You can download it at http://www.effierover.com/downloads/ReportFinal.pdf

Don't know at this time if the town will offer it on their website (they usually do) or what the general reaction is.