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.