By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
Alle-Catt Wind Energy received approval Monday from the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) to proceed with construction of the wind farm that stretches across three counties.
Alle-Catt hopes the $618 million wind farm will be producing 340 megawatts of power at 83 wind turbine sites across 30,000 acres in Cattaraugus, Allegany and Wyoming counties by the end of the year. The turbines will sit atop a tower with the height from blade tip to the ground about 600 feet.
The DPS did not consider a request for a hearing from the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, which opposes the wind farm, to require specific pre-construction noise modeling.
“Alle-Catt Wind Energy is hereby authorized to commence full construction of the Project, including construction of the Project’s collection substation and installation of noise generating equipment within the collection substation,” the DPS ruling states.
Concerned Citizens attorney Gary Abraham said the project “will have a significant impact on night noise” in the area, and suggests Alle-Catt petitioned to eliminate long-term noise modeling “because it cannot demonstrate the project will satisfy the night noise goal without unauthorized adjustments to its model.
The project’s goal is for a nighttime limit of 40 dBA, a measurement of noise intensity, which Abraham said Alle-Catt’s request to remove “the night noise goal will predictably expose non-participating residents to chronic noise exceeding the goal, threatening their health.”
Abraham said, “Its most recent Preconstruction Noise Impact Assessment (PNIA), filed on Dec. 3, 2025, predicts that noise at most receptors will exceed the 40 dBA Lnight goal and the 65 dB limit for the lowest frequency noise (16 Hz).”
Responding to a request for comment, an Alle-Catt Wind representative said, “On April 6, the New York Department of Public Service issued a Notice to Proceed that authorizes the completion of Alle-Catt Wind’s collection substation.
“As required by the State, the substation’s operational noise level will fall below the required 40 decibel limit for non-participating residences. Alle-Catt Wind remains committed to adhering to all noise limit requirements throughout construction and operations.
“We look forward to continuing construction of Alle-Catt Wind, which will deliver reliable, locally generated power to the equivalent of 134,000 homes and invest $9.1 million each year in the local community,” the Alle-Catt Wind representative stated.
Alle-Catt Wind said the DPS is currently considering an amendment to its certificate “to update an outdated technical noise modeling requirement in its state-issued permit, originally approved in 2020, to align with current New York State regulations.”
Abraham argued in a filing to the DPS that Alle-Catt’s request to amend the certificate regarding long-term sound modeling represented a revision, which would require a hearing.
The Alle-Catt representative said State’s current siting rules “no longer include this metric because there is no consistent or reliable method to accurately model long-term average noise from a wind facility. This amendment only requests the removal of the noise modeling requirement and does not change the noise limit requirements of the project during construction and operations.”
The Alle-Catt spokesman said, “What matters most to nearby residents is noise during specific, short-term conditions when sounds are potentially noticeable.”
The spokesman added: “Alle-Catt Wind will still be required to meet strict short-term noise limits for all noise-generating equipment, conduct noise monitoring during operations, implement noise reduction measures if limits are exceeded, and log and respond to any noise complaints.”
