HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008 June 25 memo enfield energy to planning board and town board.pdf ow f
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To members of the Enfield Town Board
Enfield Planning Board
We have all read.attorney Guy Krogh's response to the proposed developer's agreement with the
Town of Enfield for the Black Oak Wind Farm. We have concerns that there are several mis-
conceptions/statements within the response to the proposed agreement, and that some of the facts
may have been taken out of context. Our goal is and has always been to design an agreement that
works in the best interests for both the town and the wind farm.
In absence of zoning or wind law(a type of zoning)within the Town and in the interest of all
involved,Enfield Energy proposed the preliminary Developer's Agreement,based on many of
the stated concerns listed in the repealed illegal wind law, in order to keep everyone safe while
providing as much]benefit within the town as much as possible. This stems from Enfield
Energy's primary owner being a 35 year resident of Enfield,who wants to see more for Enfield,
rather than for`outside' concerns. The proposed payments to the Town from the Black Oak
Wind Farm's production/sales of power are intended as"Payments in Lieu of Taxes"(PILOT)
and are meant to limit the tax liabilities of any landowners on-which the turbines are located,
making the Farm pay for the increase of tax due to `improvement value'- These payments run
concurrent with the existence of the wind farm and its productivity and cease once the wind farm
is removed.
Enfield Energy currently has a very unique opportunity to purchase and receive our specific
choice of`state of the art' Wind Turbine generators in a 14 to 16 month time frame. This is
indeed rare in the current wind industry due to the high demand for products. This unusual event
is predicated on several things:
• There was a cancellation of order leaving a`hole'in the manufacturer's production for
about 3 times the number of turbines we require. The manufacturer cannot move up
production due to the limited number of turbines and complex schedules and logistics of
construction for their clients' projects.
• if this limited time opportunity is missed by Enfield Energy, once this window is filled by
other orders, the delivery schedule apparently will shift dramatically to a minimum of 44
months and possibly as long as 48 months from time of order, at higher costs.
• With last week's over-turn by both the Senate and House of Representatives of the
President Bush's veto of the Farm/Energy bill, which provides the funding for the
continuation of the Production Tax Credits for wind (a critical finance component for all
wind farms), demand on equipment is expected to dramatically increase even more in the
next few months.
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Additionally, delays in the Black Oak Wind Farm iii general will increase costs (construction,
equipment, etc.), creating lower net revenues, potentially making the project less attractive to
participants/investors.
There are obviously several more control steps and levels of approvals required from the Town
and others before construction can actually begin,however, Enfield Energy will not place the
order for turbines, which requires significant full payment deposits, without the firm backing of
the Town of Enfield for the project.Although the current Board seems much more supportive of
utilizing the non-carbon emitting local wind energy resource for public good with virtually NO
pollution, there has to date only been casual discussion towards that point
We are seeking a strong commitment from the Town of Enfield to support the creation of the
Wind Farm, and not block its progress. This is essential to create a base level of comfort for
Enfield Energy and its investors,in continuing on with the very expensive tasks that are about to
begin. These tasks include.
• Engineering
• Order of Turbines (requires FULL payment)
• Environmental Studies
We do expect that a law concerning wind turbine will be forth coming within the Town, unless
the state passes Article 10 first,however there are concerns about the potential law:
• Timeframe of completion(will effect ordering and construction schedules)
• Prohibitive language rather than supportive (making the process more difficult than it
already has been)
We do ask that if the Developers Agreement is something as a document that cannot be modified
to become acceptable for adoption by the Town of Enfield,that the Boards of Enfield consider
other options of creating committed support for the Black Oak Wind Farm.
Sincerely,
Ranc_:C-h'Pres.
Steven Bauman
Enfield Energy, 11c Enfield Energy,I]c
PO Box 547, PO Box 547,
Ithaca, NY 14851 Ithaca, NY 14851
Jr3.ac2ch,2htva.net baun.an.stevec£s.'LFrn-ail com
607.279.0604 607.592.5181
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