Never mind the presidential election in 2008. For town of Pomfret residents ,the main focus may be on 2010.

With the New Grange Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) project moving along well in the town of Arkwright, Horizon Wind Energy will now begin the process to connect with it the town of Pomfret, and a proposed 20-30 wind turbine farm.

Horizon Wind Energy Project Manager Tom Stebbins was on hand to present to Pomfret officials Thursday night the updated plans of the Arkwright project and the proposed plans for the town of Pomfret.

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.

Just how tax payments from a windfarm development in Prattsburgh should be divided was argued last week before state Supreme Court Judge Peter Bradstreet.

No decision was made in a lawsuit filed by the Prattsburgh and Naples school districts against a payment-in-lieu of taxes agreement approved by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA) in January. Bradstreet’s office said there is no timetable on when a ruling will be made.

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.

The company building two wind farms in Cohocton will contribute $50,000 for restoration work at Memorial Town Hall in Naples.

The Town Board voted unanimously last week to accept the cash; otherwise, it would go back to Cohocton for historic preservation projects there.

The $50,000 is part of $200,000 UPC Wind agreed to set aside to compensate for the effect modern wind towers would have on the historic character of the area. Naples qualified for a share because one of the Cohocton turbines is visible when driving south through Naples on Main Street.

Residential very-low-density areas in Hamlin.

Has the controversy over wind power blown away in Howard?

Fewer than 20 residents came out to a Steuben County Industrial Development Agency hearing Thursday evening on a proposed Payment In Lieu of Taxes Agreement with EverPower Renewables, a New York-based company planning to build 25 wind turbines south of Howard. Two people made comments to SCIDA Executive Director James Sherron.

By comparison, a similar hearing in Cohocton Jan. 18, a Friday morning meeting, was attended by more than 50 residents, with 20 making comments to SCIDA.

‘Worth nothing’: Questions concerning distance of turbines from waterfront, village are criticized

LYME — In August, the Lyme Planning Board asked residents to fill out a survey to help them write a zoning law amendment for wind turbines. Now questions on that survey are being challenged as not valid.

Two questions on the survey ask residents how far from the waterfront, village of Chaumont and hamlets turbines should be placed. Their options were: 1,500 feet, 3,000 feet, 4,500 feet and “Turbines should not be near the waterfront” or “Turbines should not be near any area of population such as a hamlet and/or village.”

Town officials have discussed erecting a tower to measure the wind coming off the St. Lawrence River.

Town Supervisor Frank L. Putman said the town’s wind power committee believes the data could reveal that Morristown has a good wind source and that a wind farm is viable here. A cost estimate for the tower wasn’t available.

Wind power developers haven’t really focused their attention on Morristown, town officials said. Good readings from the tower could entice companies to build here. The economic benefits of a wind farm have caught the attention of town leaders.