Puma 2009 in the Water at Oswego

"A" boat was coming. That much was known. The keel and mast arrived at the Port of Oswego Authority more than a month ago and word got around.

But no one knew "what" boat - and even the hundred-foot carbon fiber mast and fourteen-foot 16,300 pound bulb keel didn't really prepare locals for the real thing.

A genuine Volvo Open 70 - diguised as a sneaker: Puma, 2009.

Yes, more than a few famous boats have visited Oswego. There’s a bit of history to be had here. Due to its location at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, Oswego was the first U.S. port on the Great Lakes, and as such stood at the center of shipbuilding on the lakes well into the nineteenth century.

Times have changed. Shipbuilding no longer happens, but the city is still there. These days, by promoting its harbor, fabulous fishery, and hosting prestigious sailing events such as the 2012 LYRA Regatta, Oswego's waterfront people are making a different kind of history.

Today, June 1, 2012, a new page was turned as Puma, which circumnavigated the globe during the Volvo sponsored 2008-2009 Around the World Race, was reconnected to its keel and lowered into the Oswego River - tasting fresh water for the first time and at the same time becoming the most notable vessel to visit Oswego in recent memory.

Puma’s reported destination is the Chicago Yacht Club’s 104^th annual Mackinac Race, which begins July 21. Reportedly, and weather permitting, the team hopes to set the mast and sail off Oswego a few times to evaluate the running rig before heading west for the Welland Canal, Lake Erie and eventually Chicago.

Additional photos here.

Thermal Wind from Lake Ontario

Source: NASA

NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a gorgeous view of the lake breeze around Lakes Erie & Ontario  Wednesday afternoon. The still very chilly waters of the lakes can produce a strong and pronounced lake breeze as the late spring sunshine warms up the land. Afternoon temps. near the lake were in the low 60′s while it was in the mid to upper 70′s just a few miles inland.

Just to remind you that the physical process here is the warming land causes the air to rise and the pressure drops. The cool and dense air over the lakes then rushes toward the low pressure over the surrounding land. A return circulation develops above the ground.

WILL NYPA GET THE MESSAGE?

On February 10, 2011, the Province of Ontario officially said “no thanks for now” to the concept of offshore wind towers in Lake Ontario, sounding what opponents hope will eventually become the death knell of the controversial concept in North American fresh water settings. Five Canadian projects proposed for the lake will now be terminated, including one already contracted for, a 300 megawatt project near Kingston.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world*:

DENMARK - Stopped all wind energy factory development on land or near shore.

NORWAY - Studied the Danish experience and cancelled all wind energy factory plans

IRELAND - Placed a moratorium on all new wind farm development

SCOTLAND AND WALES - Significant impact on revenue from the tourist industry and is now rejecting 95 per cent of applications for land-based and shore-based wind energy factories. Now 8 to 40 km off shore

SPAIN - Began withdrawing subsidies for wind factories in 2002. In 2006 ended by “emergency decree” all subsidies for wind factories. When subsidies are cancelled most wind factories shut down as production of wind energy is not cost effective

SWITZERLAND - Is also cutting subsidies.  Why?  Wind energy is too expensive for the benefit.

NETHERLANDS - Decommissioned 90 turbines in 2004. Is now placing turbines 8 to 40 km offsho

JAPAN - Utilities have severely limited the wind power they will buy—effectively shutting down many wind energy factories

AUSTRALIA - Reduced the level of renewable energy the utilities must buy.

* the above information excerpted from a presentation by Dr. David Lee

The question now is, how will NYPA respond?

Since the announcement last year of the Great Lakes Offshore Wind (GLOW) initiative, the populous Rochester, NY shoreside towns of Webster, Greece and Irondequoit have all voted to reject similar proposals for the US shore.

NYPA head Bernard Kessel has stated that NYPA subsidized towers would not be put where they are not wanted but it now appears he will need to recant. Jefferson, Oswego, Wayne, Monroe and Niagara counties have also passed resolutions opposing GLOW, leaving only Cayuga and Orleans Counties unaccounted for. GLOW towers could be positioned off Cayuga County, which has only the resort village of Fair Haven on its narrow lakefront. Deeper water offshore from Orleans County should discourage development there, but the shoreline is sparsely populated and there's an old saying: "any port in a storm."

CANADA PAUSES OFFSHORE WIND

Yesterday, we simply didn't have enough time to post the news from Toronto, but as it turns out, yesterday's report of the proposed 5k offset requirement for offshore wind farms in Canada was only the small change in the Province of Ontario's Environmental Ministry's new guidelines. In response, all offshore projects have now been halted, including the multi-billion dollar turbine project slated for Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, and presumeably including the projects slated for Wolfe Island at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, until a review by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the use of Crown land on the lake bottom can be done.

Seven hundred and fifteen turbines would be erected in lakes Erie and St. Clair, most closer to shore than 5 kilometers, and over a hundred in the water north of Wolfe Island. A recent editorial by author Art Tirrell claimed that in New York, 250,000 turbines would be needed to meet the state's goal of 30% of its electricity from renewable sources.

According to the Windsor Star article today, the setback proposal is subject to comment over the next 60 days on the environmental registry, which can be accessed online at www.ebr.gov.on.ca.

 Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/Review+offshore+turbines+ordered/3204771/story.html#ixzz0s0AVsECc

WIND SITES? NEW BOARD WILL SAY

On May 24, 2010, New York State amended its Environmental Conservation Law to provide for the establishment of a Wind Siting Designation Board (WSDB).

Grannis - DECThe board will be part of the DEC, and will be composed of a six-member planning body in each of the nine DEC regions within the state. The DEC regional director for each region will serve on the region’s board, and will select three at-large members from government organizations within the region, who will serve at the director’s pleasure.

Additionally, in each region, the Chairman of NYPAKessel - NYPA will designate one member, as will the Chairman of ESDC, (both to also serve at their designator’s pleasure). With the exception of the regional directors, all members of each board will be required to be residents of the area they represent.

The WSDB will receive and consider all applications to site any windmill or windmills, and on an individual basis, approve or disapprove an individual application.

The board may also designate areas where windmills will not be permitted.

Analysis: The director of the New York State DEC, the president of the New York Power Authority, and the director of the Empire State Development Corporation will decide where the wind farms that WILL be sited in Lake Ontario, will be located.

 The full text of the bill.