What Does It Mean to Be Responsibly-Sited?

Friends of Upstate New York Wind supports responsibly-sited land-based wind power in New York State. Responsibly-sited projects are those that successfully complete the comprehensive Article 10 siting and permitting process. Article 10 involves significant public outreach and involvement; a complete assessment of environmental and community impacts (e.g. sound, wildlife, decommissioning, wetlands, agriculture); and a minimization and mitigation of all identified environmental and community impacts. Projects that are procured as part of New York’s Clean Energy Standard are required to pay prevailing wage for construction. Projects must also successfully negotiate an agreement with host towns or the local Industrial Development Agency (IDA) regarding taxation and allocation of tax revenues. Lastly, under Article 10, a wind farm must comply with all local laws or be granted a waiver after demonstrating that a local law is unreasonably burdensome. 

Organizations that sign on to join Friends of Upstate NY Wind Power are signaling that they agree with the mission statement and supporting the growth of responsibly sited wind power projects and the jobs they create. They are not endorsing any specific wind power proposal, and they recognize that each proposal should and will undergo its own environmental review, public participation, and permitting processes.