Wind farms sprout in western New York

Aside from Wyoming County, there are 62 other wind energy projects proposed across the state, according to the New York Independent System Operator. They include plans by Massachusetts-based First Wind for two projects in Ontario County and one in Genesee County; a 120-megawatt wind farm in Orleans County by Airtricity Inc. of Ireland; and a 75-megawatt wind farm in Genesee County by Tonawanda Creek Wind LLC.

First Wind, which last week changed its name from UPC Wind, also is planning a wind farm in Prattsburgh, Yates County, and has a pair of wind farms under development in Steuben County.

And Noble is planning 67 more turbines in the Southern Tier, primarily in Allegany County. It also has wind farms under development in Cattaraugus, Franklin and Clinton counties.

Iberdrola's presence

Noble's Wethersfield towers will be a short distance from the small Wethersfield Wind farm of 10 towers owned by a Pennsylvania subsidiary of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola SA, the company that seeks to acquire the parent of Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. and New York State Electric and Gas Corp. In all, Wyoming is home to two of the six wind farms currently operating in the state. The others are in Lewis, Madison and Erie counties.

According to paperwork filed with the New York Independent System Operator, the nonprofit organization that oversees the state's electricity transmission grid, Chicago-based Invenergy LLC and Texas-based Horizon Wind Energy both have proposals for wind farms in Wyoming County.

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