By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
The 83 turbines comprising the Alle-Catt Wind Farm in Northern Cattaraugus and Allegany counties and southern Wyoming County could start turning in the coming months.
The New York State Public Service Commission issued an approval to Alle-Catt Wind Energy’s Compliance Filing for the pre-construction noise impact statement for facility operations — with conditions.
Construction of the towers, turbines and 300-foot blades is nearing its final stages.
Before commencing operations, Alle-Catt needs to request a notice to proceed from the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES).
In January, Alle-Catt had petitioned the state Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment Siting Commission to remove the L(night) design goal of 40 dBA for not participating households and 50 dBA for participating properties.
The commission denied the Alle-Catt request, and later found the developer had not met the 40 dBA level. In subsequent revised filings in August, Alle-Catt appears to have satisfied the commission’s requirements.
The commission denied requests on Wednesday from Cattaraugus County and the Concerned Citizens Coalition for a rehearing on the sound issue.
On the same day, the commission announced its approval of the Alle-Catt Compliance Filing, which had been discussed by the PSC on Oct. 15.
“We appreciate the Siting Board’s careful review of this matter and remain committed to complying with all Certificate conditions, including the noise limits and controls, as modeled in the project’s recently approved revised Preconstruction Noise Impact Assessment and previously approved compliance filings,” said Sean Perry, lead project developer for Alle-Catt Wind Energy. “Alle-Catt Wind has undergone extensive state review and is designed to meet all noise limits and other requirements established through New York’s permitting process. Once in operation, the project will undergo real time noise monitoring to assure compliance,” Perry said in a statement to the Olean Star .
Alle-Catt will be the largest wind farm in New York, generating 340 megawatts of domestically produced energy across the three counties, enough to power 134,000 homes. Alternate energy giant Invenergy is the parent company of Alle-Catt Wind Energy LLC, has pledged $9.1 million in annual investment to local towns, schools and landowners.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the state and our project host communities to deliver the Alle-Catt Wind Project and its economic benefits to the region,” Perry said.
The Siting Board granted Alle-Catt a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need on June 3, 2020.
The Alle-Catt footprint spans 30,000 acres in the Cattaraugus County towns of Farmersville and Freedom, the towns of Centerville and Rushford in Allegany County, and the town of Arcade in Wyoming County.
Cattaraugus County Legislator Ginger Schroder of Farmersville, who has fought the wind farm from the beginning, said county officials are expected to decide soon on whether to challenge the Public Service Commission’s approval of the Alle-Catt revised pre-construction noise impact assessment.
The county had a four-point request: Order a revised preconstruction noise impact assessment (PNIA), bar commissioning of the project until PNIA is approved, address other noise issues including ground absorption of noise and confirm a full suite of enforcement — including stop operation — remains available.
The Coalition of Concerned Citizens had similar requests including answers to about 20 questions posed by County Legislator Brenda Hanson.
The Siting Board denied the dual requests for the declaratory ruling.
The county has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting the wind farm even as it agreed to millions of dollars in host community fees when it appeared the wind turbine project would proceed despite local opposition.
Schroder said the county is looking to balance the taxpayer impact of continuing to fight the 600-foot wind turbines “with the horrific project that seems to be getting everything it wants.”
Schroder, who can see several turbines from her Farmersville home, said she hopes “someone will stick up for the residents.
Some people will have to move from their homes for their health,” she said, because of unhealthy noise levels or infrasound, low frequency sound waves that are lower than human hearing can detect.
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