Proposals for Connecticut's 1st Wind Power Projects Face Hurdles
HARTFORD,
Conn. — Proposals for Connecticut's first wind power projects are facing a
hurdle in the capital as legislators seek to delay any construction until the
state develops more detailed turbine standards.
A
lawmaker whose district would host a project planned for Prospect said her
committee's proposed legislation aims to give planners time to draft new rules.
Rep.
Vickie Nardello, the House chairwoman of the legislature's Energy and
Technology Committee, said she doesn't necessarily oppose the project in
Prospect, but worries the turbines would be too close to homes.
"If
we're going to do wind, we're going to do it well," Nardello said.
BNE
Energy Inc. of West Hartford is proposing wind projects that include two
turbines in Prospect and six in Colebrook. Its chairman, Paul Corey, said a
moratorium doesn't make sense when demand is rising for alternatives to oil.
"How
much can you keep drilling and using fossil fuels?" he said. "We
don't need additional roadblocks and moratoriums."
The
proposals for the two projects have been awaiting approval from the Connecticut
Siting Council since late last year. The agency is responsible for ruling on
sites for power facilities, transmission lines and hazardous waste facilities.
The
Prospect project would be located near watershed land and a mix of commercial,
industrial and residential properties, the company said in its filing.
In
Colebrook, one site is adjacent to undeveloped land and residential properties.
The other site is largely undeveloped, with a small portion home to a golf
driving range.
Some
opponents in Prospect say the project is a threat to public safety, wildlife
and real estate values. They say the wind turbines are noisy and cause what is
called a "shadow flicker" with the spinning blades.
Tim
Reilly, a Prospect resident who opposes the wind project, said a local group
reached out to Nardello and other elected officials in December seeking strict
regulations on wind power.
"That's
how the bill came about," he said.
The state
does have some regulations already in place. Barbara Currier Bell, a member of
the Connecticut Siting Council, told the energy committee at a hearing in
February that the agency's regulations for wind turbines and other projects are
"extensive and detailed."
Nardello
said the proposed legislation gives the state time to draft standards on
factors such as noise, blade shear, property setbacks and impact on natural
resources.
The
turbines, which each have a generating capacity of 1.6 megawatts, are the only
wind projects proposed for Connecticut. But wind advocates say there's
potential in Connecticut despite the lack of high elevations, vast flatlands or
"wind corridors" from open oceans that whip up powerful gusts.
"Just
because it's not the best doesn't mean it can't work here," said Francis
Pullaro, executive director of Renewable Energy New England, a trade group that
represents predominantly large energy developers.
BNE's
Corey said studies on sound and wildlife show that the impacts are minimal.
"In
my view, people just don't want to look at them" he said. "That's the
main opposition."
The
Connecticut Siting Council will make a decision on BNE Energy's Prospect
project by May 16. Nardello said her committee's legislation could be passed
and signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy before mid-May, and it could take up to 18
months to write new regulations.
Malloy
was noncommittal when asked about the issue Thursday, saying he hasn't given
the legislation much thought.
His
environmental commissioner, Daniel C. Esty, said through a spokesman that Esty
does not believe a moratorium is the correct approach.
"He
does feel, however, that there may be a need for regulations that establish
general parameters and guidelines to help bring more clarity and consistency to
siting decisions," spokesman Dennis Schain said
Corey
said the law would be a setback for his project and wind development in
Connecticut.
"I
think when you look overall at the big picture and what we need to do as a
society to move to green energy, having wind in Connecticut and across the
country is necessary and it's a good thing," he said.


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