Wind Energy Firm Plans Two Projects By 2010
By Holly Hewitt
Horizon Wind Energy of Houston envisions completing a wind- energy project in Arkwright featuring 38 to 47 turbines by the end of 2009 and a project in Pomfret with 20 to 30 turbines by the end of 2010.
Tom Stebbins, Horizon’s local project manager, gave a project progress report Thursday night in a workshop session of the Town of Pomfret Planning Board.
Horizon still is working on final approval for the Arkwright project, called the New Grange Wind Farm.
The company is in the early stages of development with the proposed Pomfret project and hopes to receive approval from the town this summer to erect meteorological towers for wind-speed studies.
Horizon, he said, has been measuring wind in Chautauqua County since 2004 and rates the velocity and consistency as “great.”
Another company, Babcock & Brown Renewable Holdings, also of Houston, received Town Board permission earlier this month to erect a meteorological tower on land off Fredonia-Stockton Road.
The boundaries of the Pomfret area being considered by Horizon are: north, Webster Road; south, Bachellor Hill Road; east, Route 60; and west, the National Grid line. The proposed site of the New Grange Wind Farm substation is near the intersection of routes 60 and 83 in Pomfret.
The substation would be built in 2009. The New Grange substation, Stebbins said, has been approved “in principle” by National Grid to connect with the proposed Pomfret Wind Farm.
Horizon is looking at newer wind turbine technology for the two proposed projects, including 2.1-megawatt units that would be 406 feet tall. Stebbins also noted crops can be grown right up to wind tower pads and said most of the electrical cable would be buried.
Stebbins said Horizon tries to use as much local labor, services and materials as possible. He estimated the project would create about 75 construction jobs for the two-year period and perhaps 10- 12 full-time operations and maintenance jobs.
Horizon’s local office is at One Park Place.
Stebbins said Thursday the public may see details of Arkwright’s proposed New Grange Wind Farm at www.newgrangewind.com. Details of Horizon Wind Energy are at www.horizonwind.com.
Originally published by CHAUTAUQUA CORRESPONDENT.
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