Sep 09, 2005 — The horizon on the Tug Hill Plateau has a new look. More than twenty soaring wind turbines now dot the landscape of Lewis County. Maple Ridge Wind Farms will be the largest supplier of wind energy in New York when it goes online later this fall. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Apr 20, 2005 — An influential conservation group has announced its opposition to a wind turbine farm in the town of Johnsburg. The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks says the giant towers would harm scenery and spark a wave of new tower construction. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Mar 07, 2005 — Two commercial wind farm projects are in the planning stages in the Adirondack Park. Other wind farms are moving forward in Franklin county, near Malone, and in Lewis county west of Lowville. Developers say renewable wind power could help New York state become less dependant on oil. They also say the giant windmills could generate much-needed income for rural communities. As Brian Mann reports, the projects have drawn support from pro-environment groups. But some activists worry that the wind farms will harm the region's scenic beauty and erode the quality of small town life.  Go to full article

Mar 07, 2005 — If wind power projects go forward in the North Country, they will change the visual landscape for some of the most pristine areas in the Adirondack Park. Author and activist Bill McKibben spends much of each year wandering the hills and back roads near his home in Johnsburg. McKibben says the massive windmills are a necessary evil and a symbol of hope for a world threatened by global warming. Bill McKibben is author of the End of Nature and a new book due out this spring called Wandering Home about his his trek through the Champlain Valley. He divides his time between Johnsburg, in the Adirondacks, and Middlebury, Vermont. His essay first appeared in the New York Times.  Go to full article

Jan 04, 2005 — Wind farms of huge turbines are springing up along coastlines, windy ridges and blustery farmland. Construction of one of the largest planned in the East is expected to begin this spring on the Tug Hill Plateau, where the terrain rises to catch the prevailing winds off Lake Ontario. Most of us will only see the huge turbines from a distance. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Chris Lehman recently visited some of them up close and has this report on wind energy.  Go to full article

Oct 04, 2004 — Construction of one of the largest wind farms in the East is expected to begin on the Tug Hill Plateau next spring. The project had been delayed for several years because a renewable energy tax credit was stuck in Congress. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Dec 02, 2003 — North Country energy experts are hosting a meeting in Canton Thursday to get local businesses to buy power in bulk. As David Sommerstein reports, they say a not-for-profit Energy Services Company, or ESCO, is a way to save money, and support renewable and locally produced power. The meeting is Thursday at 3-5pm at the Best Western in Canton.  Go to full article

Nov 06, 2003 — Many utilities across the country have begun so-called "green power" programs. They offer customers energy produced from renewable resources, such as wind or water - if customers agree to pay higher rates. Niagara Mohawk allows customers to choose from four mixes of wind, hydro and bioenergy. But only 7,700 of NiMo's more than half a million customers have signed on. Municipal - or public - power companies are having the same trouble, despite their smaller scale and closer relationship with their owners. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Erin Toner has more.  Go to full article

Oct 29, 2002 — Niagara Mohawk customers can now choose to buy renewable energy on their latest electric bills. But they'll have to pay more for it, about 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour more. To better understand how this new system works, David Sommerstein spoke with Ann Heidenreich, director of Community Energy Services and the North Country's state representative for energy efficiency.  Go to full article

Aug 21, 2002 — Governor Pataki has announced state funding that will help develop five wind farms in upstate New York. Jody Tosti reports.  Go to full article