Syracuse, NY, Sep 28, 2011 — GLOW, the plan for offshore wind in the Great Lakes reached its final chapter yesterday. The New York Power Authority officially scrapped its plan to support offshore wind farm development in Lake Ontario or Lake Erie.

Emma Jacobs has more for the Innovation Trail.  Go to full article

Cape Vincent, NY, Jul 20, 2011 — Small communities across the North Country, from Burke in the east to Hammond in the west, have been deeply divided over wind power development.
The disputes pit neighbor against neighbor, and can go on for years.

That's the case in Cape Vincent, situated just where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River.

The picturesque town fills up in the summer with boaters, fisherman and summer residents with homes on the water. But the community's tourism and second home economy has come into conflict with the prospects for up to 137 wind turbines being built there by BP and a Spanish company called Acciona.

That's put enormous pressure on the town council and town planning board. In recent weeks, three of the Planning Board's five members have resigned.
Joanna Richards reports.  Go to full article

Ogdensburg, NY, Apr 21, 2011 — A press release from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office surprised a lot of people in the north country last Friday. The release urged support for a major wind turbine production project that would create 1200 jobs in Ogdensburg. It's an idea that had been floated for Massena a couple years ago, but the shift to Ogdensburg was news to many. North Country Public Radio's Nora Flaherty explains what happened.  Go to full article

Hartford, CT, Apr 14, 2011 — After a farmer found an injured Golden eagle in New York this winter, wildlife veterinarians in Massachusetts treated the bird. And a biologist outfitted it with a GPS tracking device before releasing it in Connecticut. The goal is to map its migration north to Canada. The data is designed to help site wind turbines in places that are safe for these birds. WNPR's Nancy Cohen reports from a windswept hilltop where Golden eagle was released into the wild.  Go to full article

Parishville, NY, Mar 28, 2011 — A skeptical public greeted wind power representatives Saturday in St. Lawrence County. Iberdrola Renewables says it's in "the earliest stages" of developing an industrial wind farm in the towns of Parishville and neighboring Hopkinton. As David Sommerstein reports, this weekend's open house puts the communities on a familiar - and contentious - path.  Go to full article

Parishville, NY, Mar 25, 2011 — The owner of the Northeast's largest wind farm - on the Tug Hill Plateau - is looking into a new project in St. Lawrence County. Iberdrola Renewables is holding an informational meeting tomorrow in Parishville. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Hammond, NY, Mar 16, 2011 — The Spanish-owned company that wants to build 75 wind turbines in the St. Lawrence County town of Hammond has put the project on hold. Iberdrola says it's waiting for Hammond to finalize its zoning laws for wind power. David Sommerstein has more.  Go to full article

Clayton, NY, Mar 03, 2011 — The North Country has the largest industrial wind farm East of the Mississippi, on the Tug Hill Plateau. There are also several in various stages of planning from Cape Vincent to Plattsburgh.

Many have been held up for years by battles over the pros- and cons- of wind power.

A new documentary sets out to warn about the potential negatives - aggressive power corporations, conflicts of interest for lawmakers, the noise, height, and setbacks of the turbines, and more.

Windfall tells the story of the little town of Meredith, near Oneonta, and how wind power divided the place. It's shown at the Toronto Film Festival and several other major festivals around the country.

Director Laura Israel brings Windfall to the Clayton Opera House this Saturday. She told David Sommerstein she bumped into the issue when she moved into a cabin in Meredith.  Go to full article

Rochester, NY, Jan 11, 2011 — WindTamer, the Rochester-based startup that makes small wind turbines, announced Monday that it's expanding in New York. The move comes with substantial taxpayer help, but as the Innovation Trail's Zack Seward reports, one analyst warns this fairy tale might not have a happy ending.  Go to full article

Hancock, MA, Nov 23, 2010 — Thanksgiving weekend marks the start of the winter ski season. At least, that's the hope among resorts in the Northeast.

Since nature doesn't always cooperate with a thick blanket of early snow, many ski areas make their own. But snow-making requires massive amounts of electricity. While artificial snow helps keep ski areas in business, making it is also the industry's biggest financial challenge as energy costs rise.

The Innovation Trail's Dan Bazile reports on a new effort to use green technology to ease the pressure on the bottom line.

(The Innovation Trail is a collaboration among five upstate media outlets, reporting about New York's innovation economy.)  Go to full article