NYS Bureaucrats That Support Offshore Turbines

Here are some of the bureaucrats that would trash Lakes Ontario and Erie for the sake of low quality, volatile, unreliable, erratic, expensive electricity to be sent down state to NYC or Long Island while foreigners enjoy all the rewards. In the meantime lake shore property owners have had the value of their biggest dream/investment permanently stripped out forever and then suffer the turbine noise, loss of view shed, loss of darkness and many other turbine related nuisances through no fault of their own. How many of the charlatans listed below did you elect or can you vote out of office? How many of them would welcome turbines in their neighborhood? Do you think they believe in the golden rule?

Governor David A. Paterson said: “We have an opportunity to ensure that New York is the national leader in the growth of the clean energy economy, which will create thousands of jobs across the state. To get there, we must take full advantage of our natural resources, including hydropower, solar, and wind. I have set the goal for New York to meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by 2015. Harnessing the power of wind is critical to achieving that goal and the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project will help us reach it.”

Reported 12/1/09 Gov. Paterson said "The development of a wind energy project in the Great Lakes off the shores of New York will bring us another step towards my goal to meet 30 percent of the State's electricity needs from renewable resources by 2015, help demonstrate the significantly untapped potential of offshore wind, and bring new clean energy jobs to Western New York," Governor Paterson said.

"I commend the New York Power Authority for helping transition New York to a clean energy economy, and for maintaining New York's leadership position in developing renewable energy resources."

“Today we reach a milestone in New York’s energy history by seeking the development of a wind energy project in the New York waters of the Great Lakes."
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"We have to be very sensitive to the environment of the Great Lakes, whether it's the fish or the birds or bats, or the water itself," is what NYPA President Richie Kessel said on 12/1/09 at the Niagara Power Project. (Gee Richie – didn’t you leave out one other segment of the environment we should be sensitive to?)

‘New York City needs renewable energy sources, such as offshore wind, to meet the ambitious greenhouse gas reductions in PlaNYC, our long term vision for a greener, greater New York,’ said Mayor Michael R Bloomberg. ‘ We hope that working with the Collaborative will be the best way to implement large-scale, offshore wind, and I look forward to working with ConEd, LIPA, NYPA and the other partners to make this project a reality.’

Michael J. Townsend, chairman of NYPA’s board of trustees, said: “With over 70 percent of NYPA’s electricity generated by clean renewable hydropower, the Power Authority has always been at the forefront of the development of clean energy sources. The magnitude of the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project has the potential to not only provide power but also many green collar jobs for the construction, operation and maintenance of wind power facilities.” On 12/1/09 Townsend is quoted “Hand in hand with the development of renewable energy sources like the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project, are the potential of jobs and manufacturing opportunities that could help make the Upstate economy the leader in green industry initiatives through the efforts of the region’s talented entrepreneurs and skilled workforce,”

Jonathan F. Foster, vice chairman of NYPA's board of trustees, said: “In late 2008, the United States became the world leader in wind energy production. Our state, New York, was one of the leading states in adding wind capacity last year. With the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project, the Power Authority will pursue additional opportunities to give Western New York a competitive edge in developing workforce training and other assets to attract the growing wind power industry.”

Elise Cusack, NYPA trustee, said: “Through the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project, Western New York should be confident that the Power Authority and its supporters will do their due diligence to ensure the right wind projects go forward, which meet the environmental and economic concerns of our communities and our region.”

D. Patrick Curley, NYPA trustee, said: “Since the New York Power Authority gleans so much of its inertia from the earth’s predominant component, water, it is fitting that the Power Authority be part of today’s Earth Day Celebration and I am personally delighted with our participation.”

Paul A. Dyster, mayor, City of Niagara Falls, said: “While the 21st Century holds challenges for us in this region, it clearly holds enormous opportunity as well. If we are successful in harnessing wind power without compromising the quality of our environment, we will become a national leader in advancing green employment. Developing this new source of renewable energy can and should deliver tangible long-term economic benefits to the region.”

State Senator Antoine M. Thompson said: “I am dedicated to making Western New York a leader for ‘green’ initiatives and the green economy. The potential for offshore wind in the Great Lakes is enormous and should be used to our environmental and economic advantage.”

State Senator William T. Stachowski said: “We believe the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project has tremendous energy potential for upstate New York. This initiative is particularly exciting because science has shown us the ways that properly harnessed wind power can cut energy costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect public health and the environment by reducing pollution. In addition, this growing industry has the potential to create thousands of jobs in New York. My colleagues and I will continue to make this important project a priority.”

Said Kevin Cahill, Paterson's energy advisor - "I look forward to building upon this new era by working with Governor Paterson and President Kessel to further even more policy initiatives to restore the Power Authority to its rightful place as the preeminent public utility in the nation,” said Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee.

Tom King, president of National Grid in the U.S., said: “Addressing climate change and fostering a diversity of energy supply will require looking at all options to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. National Grid is pleased to join the New York Power Authority in supporting this comprehensive information gathering initiative to explore the potential of wind energy along the Great Lakes.”

Pete Grannis, commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said: “Wind is a low-carbon, renewable fuel source that will play a significant role in New York's push for a clean energy economy. We look forward to working with the Power Authority as this initiative goes forward to ensure that any Great Lakes wind projects are carried out in an environmentally-sound way.”

Ashok Gupta, senior energy economist, Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “NRDC strongly supports increased use of wind energy and commends NYPA for its announcement today. The technology for producing electricity from wind energy has improved greatly over the past twenty years, and wind on- and offshore—now represents one of the most promising sources of emissions free electricity. Indeed, offshore wind power is probably the region’s largest untapped renewable energy resource. Developing this resource is essential to help reduce pollution that threatens public health and our climate.”

Brian Smith, WNY program director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said: “The Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project sends the critical message that large scale energy production doesn't have to come from polluting fossil fuels but rather it can be obtained from renewable, clean, homegrown sources such as wind. Our nation's wind-rich Great Lakes have the potential to generate renewable energy that will help combat climate change, drive economic development and promote energy independence. Now the Great Lakes can be great for one more reason. Congratulations to NYPA and Governor Paterson for thinking outside the barrel.”

Terry L. Yonker, current chair of the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative Steering Committee, said: “The announcement by NYPA is a clear sign that the development of wind power offshore is becoming attractive as a way to meet future green energy demands in the Great Lakes region. NYPA is positioned to strategically move such a project forward and has the capacity within its system to balance the wind power output. The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative is a U.S.-Canadian group that works to further its collective understanding to resolve environmental, capacity, transmission, and sustainability issues surrounding the development of wind power all across the Great Lakes region. The membership of the GLWC is drawn from U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, all eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces, as well as municipal, environmental, and industry sectors. The potential for wind power development in the Great Lakes is very large and could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the entire region, the world's third largest economy. But we also need to work cooperatively to insure that wind power development on the Great Lakes is environmentally sound and economically sustainable.”

Carol E. Murphy, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, said: “Offshore wind energy would bring much-needed local jobs and economic activity to communities from Buffalo to Watertown, and it would further solidify New York's place as a clean energy leader. We commend NYPA for launching this bold initiative and look forward to working with leaders across the state to make it a reality.”

In June 2009, the NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION ON ASSET MAXIMIZATION recommended to Gov. Paterson the placing of privately owned wind turbines on offshore state property, generating clean, low cost energy while raising revenue for the state. Offshore turbine generated wind is hardly low cost - in fact - its the most expensive generated electric but who could overlook the other commission recommended motivation - revenues for NYS from this fiasco!

SOMEBODY HELP NEW YORK STATE - WE CAN'T WAIT TILL 2010 ELECTIONS!