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Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Licensed Microwave Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Prepared on Behalf of
Enfield Energy LLC
October 26, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Licensed Microwave Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Table of Contents
1. Introduction - 1 -
2. Summary of Results - 2 -
3. Tables and Figures - 4 -
4. Contact Us - 8 -
Comsearch Proprietary - 0 - October 26, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Licensed Microwave Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
1. Introduction
The use of wind energy, one of the oldest forms of harnessing a natural energy source, is now
one of the world’s fastest growing alternative energy sources. The United States is committed to
the use of wind energy, and over the next several years billions of dollars will be spent on wind
power projects. However, as new wind turbine generators are installed around the country, it is
important to note that they may pose an interference threat to existing microwave systems and
broadcast stations licensed to operate in the United States.
Wind turbines can interfere with microwave paths by physically blocking the line-of-sight
between two microwave transmitters. Additionally, wind turbines have the potential to cause
blockage and reflections (“ghosting”) to television reception. Blockage is caused by the physical
presence of the turbines between the television station and the reception points. Ghosting is
caused by multipath interference that occurs when a broadcast signal reflects off of a large
reflective object—in this case a wind turbine—and arrives at a television receiver delayed in
time from the signal that arrives via direct path.
Many states and other jurisdictions recognize the need for regulations addressing interference
to radio signal transmissions from the wind turbine installations. Specifically, local planning
authorities typically require project developers to ensure wind turbines will not cause
interference. In some cases they require developers to notify the telecommunication operators
in the area of the proposed wind turbine installation. Other factors prompting developers to
undertake proactive investigation into potential interference include the need to prevent legal
and regulatory problems and the desire to promote goodwill within the community—a good
neighbor approach.
Comsearch has developed and maintains comprehensive technical databases containing
information on licensed microwave networks throughout the United States. Microwave bands
that may be affected by the installation of wind turbine facilities operate over a wide frequency
range (900 MHz – 23 GHz). These systems are the telecommunication backbone of the country,
providing long-distance and local telephone service, backhaul for cellular and personal
communication service, data interconnects for mainframe computers and the Internet, network
controls for utilities and railroads, and various video services.
This report focuses on the potential impact of wind turbines on licensed non-federal government
microwave systems. Comsearch provides additional wind energy services, a description of
which is available upon request.
Comsearch Proprietary - 1 - October 26, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Licensed Microwave Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
2. Summary of Results
An overall summary of results appears below.
Project Information
Name: Black Oak Wind Farm
County: Tompkins
State: New York
Total Microwave
Paths
Paths with
Obstructions Total Turbines Turbine
Obstructions
2 N/A N/A N/A
Methodology
Our obstruction analysis was performed using Comsearch’s proprietary microwave database,
which contains all non-government licensed paths from 0.9 - 23 GHz 1 . First, we determined all
microwave paths that intersect the area of interest2 . The area of interest was defined by the
client and encompasses the planned turbine locations. Next, for each microwave path that
intersected the project area, we calculated a Worst Case Fresnel Zone (WCFZ). The mid-point
of a full microwave path is the location where the widest (or worst case) Fresnel zone occurs.
Fresnel zones were calculated for each path using the following formula.
⎟⎠
⎞⎜⎝
⎛
+≅
21
2117.3 dd
dd
F
nRn
GHz
Where,
Rn = Fresnel Zone radius at a specific point in the microwave path, meters
n = Fresnel Zone number, 1
FGHz = Frequency of microwave system, GHz
d1 = Distance from antenna 1 to a specific point in the microwave path, kilometers
d2 = Distance from antenna 2 to a specific point in the microwave path, kilometers
For worst case Fresnel zone calculations, d1 = d2
1 Please note that this analysis does not include unlicensed microwave paths or federal government paths that are
not registered with the FCC.
2 We use FCC-licensed coordinates to determine which paths intersect the area of interest. It is possible that as-built
coordinates may differ slightly from those on the FCC license.
Comsearch Proprietary - 2 - October 26, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Licensed Microwave Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 3 - October 26, 2011
The calculated WCFZ radius, giving the linear path an area or swath, buffers each microwave
path in the project area. See the Tables and Figures section for a summary of paths and WCFZ
distances. In general, this is the two-dimensional area where the planned wind turbines should
be avoided, if possible. A depiction of the WCFZ can be found in the Tables and Figures
section, and is also included on the enclosed spreadsheet and shapefiles 3 ,4 .
Discussion of Potential Obstructions
For this project, turbine locations were not provided; thus we could not determine if any potential
obstructions exist between the planned wind turbines and the incumbent microwave paths. If
the latitude and longitude values for turbine locations are provided, Comsearch can identify
where a potential conflict might exist.
3 The ESRI® shapefiles enclosed are in NAD 83 UTM Zone 18 projected coordinate system.
4 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report.
The data provided in this report is governed by Comsearch’s data license notification and agreement
located at http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf.
Enfield Energy LLC Wind Power GeoPlanner™ Licensed Microwave Report Black Oak Wind Farm 3. Tables and Figures Figure 1: Area of Interest Comsearch Proprietary - 4 - October 26, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC Wind Power GeoPlanner™ Licensed Microwave Report Black Oak Wind Farm Figure 2: Microwave Paths that Intersect the Area of Interest Comsearch Proprietary - 5 - October 26, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC Wind Power GeoPlanner™ Licensed Microwave Report Black Oak Wind Farm Comsearch Proprietary - 6 - October 26, 2011 Figure 3: Microwave Paths with WCFZ Buffers
Enfield Energy LLC Wind Power GeoPlanner™ Licensed Microwave Report Black Oak Wind Farm Comsearch Proprietary - 7 - October 26, 2011 ID Site Name 1 Site Name 2 Callsign 1 Callsign 2 Band Licensee WCFZ (m) 1 TRUMANBURG NEWFIELD WNEQ391 WEH471 2.1 GHz Tompkins, County Dept of Emergency Respo 24.18 2 CONNECT HILL 911 DISP CNT WPYT889 WPYT882 Upper 6 GHz Tompkins, County Dept of Emergency Respo 15.18 Table 1: Microwave Paths that Intersect the Area of Interest (See enclosed mw_geopl.xls for more information and GP_dict_matrix_description.xls for detailed field descriptions)
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Licensed Microwave Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
4. Contact Us
For questions or information regarding the Licensed Microwave Report, contact:
Contact person: Denise Finney
Title: Account Manager
Company: Comsearch
Address: 19700 Janelia Farm Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147
Telephone: 703-726-5650
Fax: 703-726-5595
Email: dfinney@comsearch.com
Web site: www.comsearch.com
Comsearch Proprietary - 8 - October 26, 2011
Prepared on Behalf of
Enfield Energy, LLC
December 29, 2011
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air TV Analysis
Black Oak Wind Farm
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 0 - December 29, 2011
Table of Contents
1. Introduction - 1 -
2. Summary of Results - 1 -
3. Impact Assessment - 5 -
4. Recommendations - 6 -
5. Contact Us - 6 -
Appendix A - 7 -
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 1 - December 29, 2011
1. Introduction
In this report, Comsearch analyzed the off-air television stations whose service could potentially
be affected by the proposed Black Oak Wind Farm wind energy project in Tompkins County,
New York. Off-air stations are television broadcasters that transmit signals that can be received
directly on a television receiver from terrestrially located broadcast facilities. Comsearch
examined the coverage of the off-air TV stations and the communities in the area that could
potentially have degraded television reception because of the location of the proposed wind
energy project.
2. Summary of Results
The proposed wind energy project area and local communities are depicted in Figure 1, below.
Figure 1: Wind Farm Project Area and Local Communities
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 2 - December 29, 2011
To begin the analysis, Comsearch compiled all off-air television stations1 within 150 kilometers
of the wind project area of interest (AOI). Appendix A contains a tabular summary of these
stations. A plot depicting their locations appears in Figure 2, below.
Figure 2: Plot of Off-Air TV Stations within 150 Kilometers of Project Area
TV stations at a distance of 65 kilometers or less are the most likely to provide off-air coverage
to the project areas and their neighboring communities. These stations are listed in Table 1,
below, and a plot depicting these locations is provided in Figure 3. There are a total of thirty-
three database records for stations within approximately 65 kilometers of the wind energy
project. Of these stations, eighteen are currently licensed and operating, fourteen of which are
1 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report.
The data presented in this report is derived from the TV station’s FCC license and governed by Comsearch’s data
license notification and agreement located at http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf.
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 3 - December 29, 2011
low-power digital stations or translators. Translator stations are low-power stations that receive
signals from distant broadcasters and retransmit the signal to a local audience. These low-
power stations serve local audiences and have limited range, which is a function of their
transmit power and the height of their transmit antenna. The remaining four stations in Table 1
operate at full power and are licensed under call signs WETM-TV, WENY-TV, WSKA and
WYDC.
Figure 3: Plot of Off-Air TV Stations within 65 Kilometers of Project Area
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 4 - December 29, 2011
ID Call Sign Status Service2 Channel City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
1 W16AX APP DC 51 ITHACA NY 14.90
2 W16AX LIC CA 16 ITHACA NY 14.90
3 W07BJ LIC TX 7 ITHACA NY 20.18
4 NEW APP LD 27 ITHACA NY 22.68
5 W20BT LIC TX 20 ITHACA NY 22.68
6 W26BF LIC TX 26 ELMIRA NY 31.07
7 WETM-TV LIC DT 18 ELMIRA NY 36.22
8 W59DG CP LD 32 ELMIRA NY 36.85
9 W59DG LIC TX 59 ELMIRA NY 36.85
10 WMYH-LP LIC TX 6 ELMIRA NY 39.88
11 W21BW CP LD 28 ELMIRA NY 41.55
12 W21BW LIC TX 21 ELMIRA NY 41.55
13 NEW APP LD 16 ELMIRA NY 43.81
14 NEW APP LD 22 CORNING NY 43.81
15 NEW APP LD 45 ELMIRA NY 43.81
16 NEW APP LD 46 ELMIRA NY 43.81
17 NEW APP LD 50 ELMIRA NY 43.81
18 NEW APP LD 51 ELMIRA NY 43.81
19 WENY-TV LIC DT 36 ELMIRA NY 43.81
20 WJKP-LD LIC LD 39 CORNING NY 43.81
21 W41DB LIC TX 41 CORNING NY 43.81
22 WSKA LIC DT 30 CORNING NY 43.82
23 WYDC LIC DT 48 CORNING NY 43.81
24 WFBT APP DT 14 BATH NY 46.26
25 WFBT CP MOD DT 14 BATH NY 46.26
26 W20BL LIC TX 20 BATH NY 46.26
27 W60AD LIC TX 60 SAVONA NY 46.32
28 WNNY-LP LIC TX 52 MORAVIA NY 48.91
29 NEW APP LD 38 LINDLEY NY 55.17
30 W69AN LIC TX 69 UNION SPRINGS NY 56.33
31 W48AO LIC TX 48 AUBURN NY 59.77
32 NEW APP LD 31 AUBURN NY 62.02
33 WNNY-LP CP TX 6 AUBURN NY 62.02
Table 1: Off-Air TV Stations within 65 Kilometers of Project Area
2 Definitions of service and status codes:
TV – Analog television broadcast station
DT – Digital television broadcast station
LD – Low power digital television broadcast station
TX – Translator station
DX – Digital translator station
LIC – Licensed and operational station
CP – Construction permit granted
APP – Application for construction permit, not yet operational
CP MOD – Modification of construction permit
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 5 - December 29, 2011
3. Impact Assessment
The coverage areas of the fourteen low-power digital stations or translators do not overlap the
proposed project area. Figure 4 shows the coverage areas of the licensed low-power stations
within 40 km of the project area relative to the project area. Therefore, these stations should not
have their reception disrupted by the Black Oak Wind Farm project.
Figure 4: Coverage Areas of Low-Power TV Stations within 40 Kilometers of Project Area
The four full-power digital stations (WETM-TV, WENY-TV, WSKA and WYDC) may have their
reception disrupted in and around the Black Oak Wind Farm project, primarily in locations on the
opposite side of the project area, relative to the station antennae. Communities and homes
directly to the north and east of the project may have degraded reception of the Elmira and
Bath-based stations to the south and west after the wind turbines are installed. However, based
on the low number of full-power TV channels available in the immediate vicinity of the project
area, it is unlikely that off-air television stations are the primary mode of television service for the
local communities. TV cable service, where available, and direct broadcast satellite service
(DBS) are more likely the dominant modes of service delivery.
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 6 - December 29, 2011
4. Recommendations
Both cable service and direct broadcast satellite service will be unaffected by the presence of
the wind turbine facility and may be offered to those residents who can show that their off-air TV
reception has been disrupted by the presence of the wind turbines after they are installed.
5. Contact Us
For questions or information regarding the Off-Air TV Analysis, please contact:
Contact person: Lester Polisky
Title: Senior Principal Engineer
Company: Comsearch
Address: 19700 Janelia Farm Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147
Telephone: 703-726-5860
Fax: 703-726-5595
Email: llpolisky@comsearch.com
Web site: www.comsearch.com
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 7 - December 29, 2011
Appendix A
ID Call Sign Status Service3 Channel City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
1 W16AX APP DC 51 ITHACA NY 14.90
2 W16AX LIC CA 16 ITHACA NY 14.90
3 W07BJ LIC TX 7 ITHACA NY 20.18
4 NEW APP LD 27 ITHACA NY 22.68
5 W20BT LIC TX 20 ITHACA NY 22.68
6 W26BF LIC TX 26 ELMIRA NY 31.07
7 WETM-TV LIC DT 18 ELMIRA NY 36.22
8 W59DG CP LD 32 ELMIRA NY 36.85
9 W59DG LIC TX 59 ELMIRA NY 36.85
10 WMYH-LP LIC TX 6 ELMIRA NY 39.88
11 W21BW CP LD 28 ELMIRA NY 41.55
12 W21BW LIC TX 21 ELMIRA NY 41.55
13 NEW APP LD 16 ELMIRA NY 43.81
14 NEW APP LD 22 CORNING NY 43.81
15 NEW APP LD 45 ELMIRA NY 43.81
16 NEW APP LD 46 ELMIRA NY 43.81
17 NEW APP LD 50 ELMIRA NY 43.81
18 NEW APP LD 51 ELMIRA NY 43.81
19 WENY-TV LIC DT 36 ELMIRA NY 43.81
20 WJKP-LD LIC LD 39 CORNING NY 43.81
21 W41DB LIC TX 41 CORNING NY 43.81
22 WSKA LIC DT 30 CORNING NY 43.82
23 WYDC LIC DT 48 CORNING NY 43.81
24 WFBT APP DT 14 BATH NY 46.26
25 WFBT CP MOD DT 14 BATH NY 46.26
26 W20BL LIC TX 20 BATH NY 46.26
27 W60AD LIC TX 60 SAVONA NY 46.32
28 WNNY-LP LIC TX 52 MORAVIA NY 48.91
3 Definitions of service and status codes :
TV – Analog television broadcast station
DT – Digital television broadcast station
DS – Digital special temporary authority (STA)
LP – Low power analog television broadcast station
LD – Low power digital television broadcast station
CA – Class A analog television broadcast station
DC – Class A digital television broadcast station
TX – Translator station
LIC – Licensed and operational station
CP – Construction permit granted
CP MOD – Modification of construction permit
APP – Application for construction permit, not yet operational
STA – Special transmit authorization, usually granted by FCC for temporary operation
Enfield Energy, LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 8 - December 29, 2011
ID Call Sign Status Service3 Channel City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
29 NEW APP LD 38 LINDLEY NY 55.17
30 W69AN LIC TX 69 UNION SPRINGS NY 56.33
31 W48AO LIC TX 48 AUBURN NY 59.77
32 NEW APP LD 31 AUBURN NY 62.02
33 WNNY-LP CP TX 6 AUBURN NY 62.02
34 WNYI CP MOD DT 20 ITHACA NY 65.21
35 WNYI LIC DT 20 ITHACA NY 65.21
36 WSYT LIC DT 19 SYRACUSE NY 66.24
37 WNYS-TV LIC DT 44 SYRACUSE NY 66.24
38 WBNG-TV LIC DT 7 BINGHAMTON NY 70.35
39 WSKG-TV LIC DT 42 BINGHAMTON NY 70.61
40 WBGH-CA LIC CA 20 BINGHAMTON NY 70.80
41 WIVT LIC DT 34 BINGHAMTON NY 70.80
42 WBPN-LD CP LD 23 BINGHAMTON NY 71.02
43 WICZ-TV LIC DT 8 BINGHAMTON NY 71.02
44 W26BS LIC TX 26 BINGHAMTON NY 71.02
45 WBPN-LP LIC TX 10 MORRIS NY 71.04
46 WXXW-LP LIC TX 6 BINGHAMTON NY 71.10
47 W20CP-D LIC LD 20 MANSFIELD PA 73.81
48 W26CV-D LIC LD 26 MANSFIELD PA 73.81
49 WSTM-TV LIC DT 24 SYRACUSE NY 75.93
50 WCNY-TV LIC DT 25 SYRACUSE NY 75.94
51 WDSS-LP CP LD 38 SYRACUSE NY 76.70
52 WDSS-LP APP LD 38 SYRACUSE NY 76.72
53 WDSS-LP LIC TX 38 SYRACUSE NY 76.72
54 WTVH LIC DT 47 SYRACUSE NY 77.30
55 W07BA LIC TX 7 SYRACUSE NY 79.78
56 W16BE LIC TX 16 HORNELL NY 80.28
57 WSYR-TV LIC DT 17 SYRACUSE NY 80.79
58 W25AQ-D LIC LD 25 TOWANDA PA 80.79
59 WNDR-LP CP LD 49 SYRACUSE NY 80.88
60 WNDR-LP LIC TX 49 SYRACUSE NY 80.88
61 W10CP-D LIC LD 10 TOWANDA PA 81.02
62 W15CO-D LIC LD 15 TOWANDA PA 81.02
63 WIXT-CA CP DC 40 DEWITT NY 82.69
64 WIXT-CA LIC CA 40 DEWITT NY 82.69
65 W16BE CP LD 16 HORNELL NY 83.36
66 W06AR LIC TX 6 HORNELL NY 83.36
67 W42EB-D APP LD 42 SYRACUSE NY 84.18
68 W42EB-D CP TX 31 SYRACUSE NY 84.18
69 W42EB-D LIC LD 42 SYRACUSE NY 84.18
70 WTVU-LP APP CA 22 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
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Off-Air Television Report
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Comsearch Proprietary - 9 - December 29, 2011
ID Call Sign Status Service3 Channel City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
71 WTVU-LP APP DC 22 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
72 NEW APP LD 34 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
73 WTVU-LP CP DC 22 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
74 WHSU-CA CP DC 51 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
75 WMBO-LP CP TX 6 WESTVALE NY 84.34
76 WONO-CA LIC CA 11 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
77 WBLZ-LP LIC CA 13 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
78 WTVU-LP LIC CA 22 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
79 WHSU-CA LIC CA 51 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
80 WMBO-LP LIC TX 6 WESTVALE NY 84.34
81 WSTQ-LP LIC TX 14 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
82 WOBX-LP LIC TX 35 SYRACUSE NY 84.34
83 W26BZ LIC TX 26 VICTOR NY 93.92
84 WCUL-CA LIC CA 13 ONEIDA NY 110.85
85 WTKO-LP LIC TX 15 ONEIDA NY 110.85
86 WHEC-TV APP DT 10 ROCHESTER NY 110.89
87 WHEC-TV LIC DT 10 ROCHESTER NY 110.89
88 WROC-TV LIC DT 45 ROCHESTER NY 110.89
89 WXXI-TV APP DT 16 ROCHESTER NY 110.90
90 WHAM-TV LIC DT 13 ROCHESTER NY 110.90
91 WXXI-TV LIC DT 16 ROCHESTER NY 110.90
92 WUHF LIC DT 28 ROCHESTER NY 110.92
93 WHSH-LD CP LD 8 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
94 DWROH-LP CP LD 22 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
95 WAWW-LD CP LD 48 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
96 WAWW-LP CP TX 20 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
97 W42CO-D LIC LD 42 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
98 WHSH-LP LIC TX 36 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
99 WAWW-LP LIC TX 38 ROCHESTER NY 110.96
100 WSPX-TV LIC DT 15 SYRACUSE NY 112.97
101 WBGT-CA CP DC 46 ROCHESTER NY 118.69
102 WBGT-CA LIC CA 40 ROCHESTER NY 118.71
103 WTKO-LP CP TX 32 SYLVAN BEACH NY 119.57
104 WGCE-CA CP DC 25 GREECE NY 121.71
105 WGCE-CA LIC CA 6 GREECE NY 121.71
106 WFXV APP DT 27 UTICA NY 123.09
107 WPXJ-TV APP DT 53 BATAVIA NY 123.28
108 WPXJ-TV LIC DT 23 BATAVIA NY 123.28
109 W31BP LIC TX 31 BURLINGTON NY 130.32
110 W20AD-D LIC LD 20 WILLIAMSPORT PA 131.04
111 WISF-LP LIC TX 15 ONEONTA NY 131.26
112 W14CO-D LIC LD 14 CLARKS SUMMIT PA 131.68
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Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Off-Air Television Report
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ID Call Sign Status Service3 Channel City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
113 W47DH-D LIC LD 47 CLARKS SUMMIT PA 131.68
114 W48AQ LIC TX 48 CLARKS SUMMIT PA 131.68
115 W24DB LIC CA 24 CLARKS SUMMIT PA 132.29
116 WSWB LIC DT 31 SCRANTON PA 132.29
117 WQPX-TV LIC DT 32 SCRANTON PA 132.52
118 WWDG-CA APP CA 6 ROME NY 132.54
119 WWDG-CA APP CA 6 ROME NY 132.54
120 WWDG-CA LIC CA 12 ROME NY 132.54
121 W05BG LIC CA 5 WILLIAMSPORT PA 132.94
122 W62CS LIC TX 62 WILLIAMSPORT PA 132.94
123 WNEP-TV LIC LD 22 WAYMART PA 133.67
124 WYOU LIC LD 25 WAYMART PA 133.67
125 WBRE-TV LIC LD 28 WAYMART PA 133.67
126 WSWB LIC LD 36 SCRANTON PA 133.67
127 WVIA-TV LIC LD 44 WAYMART PA 133.67
128 WOLF-TV LIC LD 47 HAZLETON PA 133.67
129 WQPX-TV LIC LD 49 SCRANTON PA 133.67
130 WVIA-TV CP LD 51 WILLIAMSPORT PA 134.06
131 W18BN LIC TX 18 SCRANTON PA 136.10
132 W43CO-D LIC LD 43 KINGSTON PA 136.64
133 WQMY LIC DT 29 WILLIAMSPORT PA 137.99
134 W39BT LIC TX 39 WILLIAMSPORT PA 138.27
135 WVVC-LD LIC LD 33 UTICA NY 140.30
136 W67DE LIC TX 67 NEWPORT PA 147.16
137 W51CV APP LD 18 UTICA NY 147.70
138 W51CV CP LD 51 UTICA NY 147.70
139 W51CV LIC TX 51 UTICA NY 147.70
140 W22DO-D LIC LD 22 UTICA NY 147.78
141 W53AM APP LD 35 UTICA NY 147.96
142 W53AM CP LD 42 UTICA NY 147.96
143 WFXV LIC DT 27 UTICA NY 147.96
144 WUTR LIC DT 30 UTICA NY 147.96
145 WPNY-LP LIC TX 11 UTICA NY 147.96
146 W53AM LIC TX 53 UTICA NY 147.96
147 W30BW APP LD 30 OLEAN NY 149.31
148 W30BW LIC TX 30 OLEAN NY 149.31
149 W20AB LIC TX 20 OLEAN NY 149.34
150 WONS-LP APP DC 25 OLEAN NY 149.35
151 WONS-LP LIC CA 25 OLEAN NY 149.35
Table A: Off-Air TV Stations within 150 Kilometers of Project Area
Prepared on Behalf of
Enfield Energy LLC
December 29, 2011
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
AM and FM Radio Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
AM and FM Radio Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 0 - December 29, 2011
Table of Contents
1. Introduction - 1 -
2. Summary of Results - 1 -
3. Impact Assessment - 6 -
4. Recommendations - 6 -
5. Contact Us - 7 -
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
AM and FM Radio Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 1 - December 29, 2011
1. Introduction
In this report, Comsearch analyzed AM and FM radio broadcast stations whose service could
potentially be affected by the proposed Black Oak Wind Farm wind energy project in Tompkins
County, New York.
2. Summary of Results
AM Radio Analysis
Comsearch found fourteen database records1 for AM stations within approximately 30
kilometers of the project, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. These records represent seven
different stations which are located throughout Tompkins County and adjacent Schuyler County.
Stations WNYY, WPIE, and WRCE operate at two different power levels, a higher transmit
power for daytime operations and a lower transmit power for nighttime operations.
ID Call Sign Status Frequency
(kHz)
Transmit
ERP (kW) City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
1 WHCU APP 870 1.0 ITHACA NY 6.62
2 WHCU LIC 870 1.0 ITHACA NY 6.62
3 971126AH APP 750 2.5 LANSING NY 8.56
4 971126AH APP 750 0.72 LANSING NY 8.56
5 NEW APP 750 2.5 LANSING NY 8.56
6 NEW APP 750 0.72 LANSING NY 8.56
7 WNYY LIC 1470 5.0 ITHACA NY 16.28
8 WNYY LIC 1470 1.0 ITHACA NY 16.28
9 WPIE LIC 1160 5.0 TRUMANSBURG NY 16.76
10 WPIE LIC 1160 0.31 TRUMANSBURG NY 16.76
11 WRCE LIC 1490 0.88 WATKINS GLEN NY 16.88
12 WRCE LIC 1490 0.88 WATKINS GLEN NY 16.88
13 WHCU LIC 870 5.0 ITHACA NY 25.77
14 WHCU APP 870 5.0 ITHACA NY 25.77
Table 1: AM Radio Stations
LIC = Licensed and operational station
APP = Application for construction permit, not yet operational
kHz = kiloHertz
ERP = Transmit Effective Radiated Power
kW = kilowatts
km = kilometers
1 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report.
The data presented in this report is derived from the AM/FM station’s FCC license and governed by Comsearch’s
data license notification and agreement located at http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf.
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
AM and FM Radio Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 2 - December 29, 2011
Figure 1: Plot of AM Radio Stations
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
AM and FM Radio Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 3 - December 29, 2011
FM Radio Analysis
Comsearch determined that there were forty-seven database records for FM stations within a 30
kilometer radius of the Black Oak Wind Farm, as shown in Table 2 and Figure 2. Only thirty-one
of these stations are currently licensed and operational, sixteen of which are translator stations
that operate at low power and have limited range.
ID Call Sign Status Frequency
(MHz)
Transmit
ERP (kW) City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
1 W223BR CP 92.5 0.01 ITHACA NY 1.05
2 NEW APP 94.9 0.01 ITHACA NY 1.05
3 WFIZ LIC 95.5 0.85 ODESSA NY 1.11
4 W281AT LIC 104.1 0.01 ITHACA NY 1.11
5 W299BI CP 107.7 0.014 ENFIELD NY 1.11
6 WQNY LIC 103.7 2.8 ITHACA NY 1.21
7 WQNY LIC 103.7 16.5 ITHACA NY 1.21
8 W283BQ CP MOD 104.5 0.013 ITHACA NY 8.22
9 NEW APP 102.3 0.01 LANSING NY 8.56
10 W205CB LIC 88.9 0.18 CAYUGA HEIGHTS NY 12.37
11 W242AB LIC 96.3 0.18 ITHACA NY 12.37
12 W201CD LIC 88.1 0.245 LANSING NY 12.42
13 W288AS LIC 105.5 0.007 ITHACA NY 13.50
14 W299BI LIC 107.7 0.099 ITHACA NY 14.31
15 WICB LIC 91.7 4.1 ITHACA NY 14.87
16 WINO CP 89.9 0.25 ODESSA NY 14.90
17 W262AD LIC 100.3 0.25 ITHACA NY 14.90
18 NEW APP 92.3 0.04 ITHACA NY 14.94
19 NEW APP 94.9 0.015 ITHACA NY 14.94
20 W270BY LIC 101.9 0.25 WATKINS GLEN NY 15.12
21 W269AW LIC 101.7 0.009 ITHACA NY 15.70
22 W215AB LIC 90.9 0.008 WATKINS GLEN NY 15.72
23 W240CB LIC 95.9 0.25 ITHACA NY 16.28
24 W254BF LIC 98.7 0.035 ITHACA NY 16.28
25 W277BS LIC 103.3 0.25 ITHACA NY 16.28
26 NEW APP 96.7 0.01 TRUMANSBURG NY 16.76
27 W273BI LIC 102.5 0.05 WATKINS GLEN NY 17.98
28 WRFI LIC 91.9 0.42 WATKINS GLEN NY 18.00
29 WVBR-FM LIC 93.5 3.0 ITHACA NY 18.70
30 NEW APP 101.1 0.01 ITHACA NY 18.70
31 NEW APP 102.3 0.01 EAST ITHACA NY 18.70
32 NEW APP 96.7 0.0035 DANBY NY 20.39
33 WITH LIC 90.1 1.0 ITHACA NY 22.68
34 WSQG-FM LIC 90.9 5.0 ITHACA NY 22.68
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ID Call Sign Status Frequency
(MHz)
Transmit
ERP (kW) City State
Distance to
Center of
Project (km)
35 NEW APP 97.7 0.001 MT PLEASANT NY 23.24
36 NEW APP 97.7 0.003 CAYUGA HEIGHTS NY 23.24
37 WNGZ LIC 104.9 1.0 MONTOUR FALLS NY 23.61
38 WYXL LIC 97.3 0.7 ITHACA NY 25.74
39 WYXL LIC 97.3 26.0 ITHACA NY 25.77
40 WPGI LIC 100.9 3.8 HORSEHEADS NY 26.69
41 WPGI LIC 100.9 0.8 HORSEHEADS NY 26.69
42 WNGZ LIC 104.9 0.38 MONTOUR FALLS NY 26.69
43 WNKI LIC 106.1 0.8 CORNING NY 26.69
44 NEW APP 107.1 0.058 HORSEHEADS NY 28.41
45 W226BA LIC 93.1 0.004 ELMIRA NY 29.73
46 WPHD CP 96.1 1.2 SOUTH WAVERLY PA 29.73
47 W269BK LIC 101.7 0.099 HORSEHEADS NY 29.73
Table 2: FM Radio Stations
LIC = Licensed and operational station
APP = Application for construction permit, not yet operational
MHz = megaHertz
ERP = Transmit Effective Radiated Power
kW = kiloWatts
km = kilometers
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Figure 2: Plot of FM Radio Stations
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3. Impact Assessment
Potential problems with AM broadcast coverage are only anticipated when AM broadcast
stations with directive antennas are within 3.2 kilometers of wind turbine towers and AM
broadcast stations with non-directive antennas are within 0.8 kilometers. The closest station to
the Black Oak Wind Farm project, WHCU, is directive and located more than 5.3 kilometers
from the project area of interest. Therefore, there should be no impact to the coverage of AM
stations from the proposed wind farm.
The coverage of FM stations is not subject to degradation when the stations are at distances
greater than 4.0 kilometers from wind turbines. Three stations, WFIZ, W281AT, and WQNY,
are currently operating within 500 meters of the project area of interest, less than the 4.0
kilometer recommended distance. The proposed turbines for the Black Oak Wind Farm will
have a hub height of 92 meters and a blade diameter of up to 116 meters, giving the structures
an overall maximum height of 150 meters above ground level and a minimum blade tip height of
34 meters. The antenna heights for WFIZ, W281AT, and WQNY are 45 meters, 39 meters and
42 meters, respectively. Therefore, all three of the stations have antenna heights that fall
between the minimum blade tip height of 34 meters and the maximum overall height of 150
meters. This means that there is a strong potential for the stations’ coverage to be limited by the
Black Oak Wind Farm turbines.
4. Recommendations
Since no impact on the AM broadcast stations was identified in our database search, no
recommendations or mitigation techniques are required for this project. For the FM stations, the
analysis shows that three licensed stations are at risk of having their coverage affected. Enfield
Energy may wish to discuss the issue with the stations’ management to determine methods to
mitigate the coverage issue. Installation of auxiliary antennas to fill-in the lost coverage areas
may also be a possible solution. Comsearch would be happy to assist Enfield Energy in
assessing the lost coverage and proposing various mitigation techniques to restore station
coverage once the wind turbine locations are defined.
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5. Contact Us
For questions or information regarding the AM and FM Radio Report, please contact:
Contact person: Lester Polisky
Title: Senior Principal Engineer
Company: Comsearch
Address: 19700 Janelia Farm Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147
Telephone: 703-726-5860
Fax: 703-726-5595
Email: lpolisky@comsearch.com
Web site: www.comsearch.com
Prepared on Behalf of
Enfield Energy LLC
December 29, 2011
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Communication Signals Assessment
Black Oak Wind Farm
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Communication Signals Assessment
Black Oak Wind Farm
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction - 1 -
2. Land Mobile and Emergency Services Assessment - 2 -
3. Mobile Phone Assessment - 8 -
4. Cable and Satellite Assessment - 10 -
5. Conclusions - 12 -
6. Contact Us - 13 -
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1. Introduction
Our communication signals assessment was performed for Enfield Energy to identify the land
mobile and emergency services, mobile phone, cable and satellite and other wireless signals
near the proposed wind farm project area that may be potentially be impacted by the wind
project. This assessment is useful in the planning stages of the wind energy facilities to identify
turbine setbacks and mitigation strategies if necessary. This data can also be used in support
of the wind energy facility’s communications needs in addition to avoiding any potential impact
to the current communications services provided in that region.
This study was performed for the Black Oak Wind Farm in Tompkins County, New York. An
overview of the project area appears below.
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2. Land Mobile and Emergency Services Assessment
An assessment of the emergency services in the Black Oak Wind Farm project area was
performed by Comsearch to identify potential impact from the planned turbines. We evaluated
the registered frequencies for the following types of first responder entities: police, fire,
emergency medical services, emergency management, hospitals, public works, transportation
and other state, county, and municipal agencies. We also identified all industrial and business
land mobile radio (LMR) systems and commercial E911 operators near the proposed wind
energy facility.
Our land mobile and emergency services incumbent data1 was derived from the FCC’s
Universal Licensing System (ULS) and the FCC’s Public Safety & Homeland Security bureau.
We identified both site-based licenses as well as regional area-wide licenses designated for
public safety use. The site-based licenses were imported into GIS software and geographically
mapped within the wind energy project area of interest as defined by the customer. Each site
on the map was given an ID number and associated with site information provided in a data
table. A depiction of the fixed-site licenses near the project area appears in Figure 1, below.
1 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report.
The data presented in this report is derived from the land mobile station’s FCC license and governed by Comsearch’s
data license notification and agreement located at http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf
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Figure 1: Land Mobile & Emergency Service Sites near the Project Area of Interest
Site-Based Licenses
Figure 1 identifies thirty-three site-based licenses near the project area of interest. The majority
of these sites are licensed to first responder entities that provide critical public safety and
emergency communications to the Black Oak Wind Farm project area. Specific information
about these sites is provided in Table 1, including location coordinates, frequency band,
antenna height above ground level, and licensee name.
ID Call Sign
Frequency
Band
(MHz)
Licensee
Antenna
Height
AGL (m)
City State Latitude
(NAD83)
Longitude
(NAD83)
1 KEB422 150-174 Tompkins County Dept Of
Emergency Response 46.0
Newfield
NY 42.387028 -76.669111
2 KEB422 25-50 Tompkins County Dept Of
Emergency Response 15.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
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ID Call Sign
Frequency
Band
(MHz)
Licensee
Antenna
Height
AGL (m)
City State Latitude
(NAD83)
Longitude
(NAD83)
3 KEE574 25-50,
450-470
Tompkins County Dept Of
Emergency Response 24.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
4 KKV459 150-174,
450-470
Tompkins County Dept Of
Emergency Response 24.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
5 KME565 450-470 Ithaca City School District 24.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
6 KNGL594 25-50
New York State Office Of
Parks, Recreation, And
Historic Preservation -
Finger Lakes Region
34.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
7 KUZ700 25-50
New York State Office Of
Parks, Recreation, And
Historic Preservation -
Finger Lakes Region
34.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
8 KXR799 450-470 Tompkins County Dept Of
Emergency Response 24.0 Newfield NY 42.387028 -76.669111
9 WNPB266 450-470 Pfeiffer, Terry L 58.0 Ithaca NY 42.387028 -76.669111
10 WPTU281 450-470 T & K Communications Inc 30.5 Newfield NY 42.386944 -76.669167
11 WNLF852 450-470 Freeman, Gregory D 12.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
12 WNLQ509 450-470 T & K Communications Inc 30.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
13 WNXW613 450-470 Ithaca City School District 30.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
14 WNYY707 450-470 Freeman, Gregory D 6.1 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
15 WNYY707 450-470 Freeman, Gregory D 51.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
16 WNZH661 450-470 T & K Communications Inc 30.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
17 WPAD293 450-470 Berggren, Charles E 12.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
18 WPYZ254 450-470 Brico Technologies Inc 22.0 Newfield NY 42.386194 -76.669111
19 WQDW630 450-470 Freeman, Gregory D 51.0 Newfield NY 42.386111 -76.669444
20 KED897 25-50,
150-174 New York, State Of 30.0 Enfield NY 42.384806 -76.666333
21 WPPE729 220-222 New York, State Of 31.0 Enfield NY 42.384806 -76.666333
22 KEA336 25-50 NYSEG 55.0 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
23 WNBF566 150-174 NYSEG 46.0 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
24 WNMK276 150-174 NYSEG 30.0 Ithaca NY 42.383139 -76.668278
25 WNMK276 150-174 NYSEG 55.0 Ithaca NY 42.383139 -76.668278
26 WPIW525 150-174 NYSEG 56.0 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
27 WPIY750 150-174 NYSEG 56.0 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
28 WPIZ920 150-174 NYSEG 56.0 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
29 WPIZ921 150-174 NYSEG 56.0 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
30 WZQ844 450-470 Paolangeli, Francis 36.6 Newfield NY 42.383139 -76.668278
31 WQEQ261 150-174 NYSEG 60.7 Newfield NY 42.383083 -76.667667
32 KNGQ702 450-470 Caroline, Town Of 21.0 Newfield NY 42.382861 -76.668556
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ID Call Sign
Frequency
Band
(MHz)
Licensee
Antenna
Height
AGL (m)
City State Latitude
(NAD83)
Longitude
(NAD83)
33 WPNQ953 450-470 Newfield, Town Of 24.0 Newfield NY 42.382861 -76.668556
Table 1: Summary of Land Mobile & Emergency Service Sites near the Project Area of Interest
Area-Wide Licenses
The regional area-wide licenses are compiled from FCC data sources and identified for each
county in the wind project area. The Black Oak Wind Farm project resides in Tompkins County,
New York, part of public safety Region #30, which contains all of the counties in central and
northern Upstate New York. The regional public safety operation is overseen by the entity listed
below.
Chief David Cook
Chairperson
East Greenbush Fire Company
2813 Phillips Road
Castleton, NY 12033
phone: 518-956-2812
fax: 518-477-6085
email: dcook@nycap.rr.com
The chairperson for Region #30 is a representative for all public safety entities in the region and
is responsible for coordinating current and future public safety use in the wireless spectrum. In
the bands licensed by the FCC for area-wide first responders, which include 220 MHz, 700
MHz, 800 MHz and 4.9 GHz, as well as the traditional Part 90 public safety pool of frequencies,
twenty-five licenses were found for the state of New York and four for the county of Tompkins.
These area-wide licenses are designated for mobile use only.
ID Frequency Band (MHz) Licensee Area of Operation
1 25-50, 450-470 American National Red Cross Statewide: NY
2 150-174 Bergen Volunteer Fire Department Statewide: NY
3 150-174 Central Islip Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Statewide: NY
4 25-50, 150-174, 421-430, 450-470 Erie, County of Statewide: NY
5 150-174, 450-470 Ithaca, City of Countywide: Tompkins
6 150-174 Massasauga Search and Rescue Inc. Statewide: NY
7 150-174 Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center Statewide: NY
8 150-174 National Ski Patrol System Inc. Statewide: NY
9 150-174, 450-470, 800/900, 4940-
4990 City of New York DoITT FCC License Support Statewide: NY
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ID Frequency Band (MHz) Licensee Area of Operation
10 150-174 New York City Police Department Statewide: NY
11
0-10, 25-50, 150-174, 220-222,
450-470, 800/900, 2450-2500,
4940-4990
New York, State of Statewide: NY
12 150-174, 450-470, 4940-4990 New York State Dept. of Correctional Services Statewide: NY
13 25-50, 150-174 New York State Dept. of Environmental
Conservation Office For Public Protection Statewide: NY
14 25-50, 150-174, 450-470 New York State Dept. of Health Bureau of EMS Statewide: NY
15 25-50, 4940-4990 New York State Dept. of Transportation Statewide: NY
16 150-174, 450-470, 2450-2500 New York State Division of State Police Statewide: NY
17 0-10, 25-50, 150-174, 220-222,
4940-4990 New York State Emergency Management Office Statewide: NY
18 150-174, 450-470 New York State Office of Parks, Recreation &
Historic Preservation Statewide: NY
19 150-174 New York State Office of Parks, Recreation &
Historic Preservation - Niagara Statewide: NY
20 150-174 New York State Office of Parks, Recreation &
Historic Preservation - Palisades Statewide: NY
21 150-174 Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue Statewide: NY
22 150-174 Northeast Mobile Search and Rescue Inc. Statewide: NY
23 25-50, 150-174 Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact Statewide: NY
24 25-50, 450-470 Ossining, Village of Statewide: NY
25 450-470 Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water
Commission Countywide: Tompkins
26 4940-4990 Tompkins County Countywide: Tompkins
27 25-50, 150-174, 450-470, 800/900 Tompkins County Dept of Emergency
Response Countywide: Tompkins
28 4940-4990 Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Statewide: NY
29 150-174 Western New York Search Dogs Inc. Statewide: NY
Table 2: Summary of Regional Licenses
E911 Operators
Wireless operators are granted area-wide licenses from the FCC to deploy their cellular
networks, which often include handsets with E911 capabilities. Since mobile phone market
boundaries differ from service to service, we disaggregated the carriers’ licensed areas down to
the county level. We have identified the type of service for each carrier in Tompkins County in
Table 3, below.
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Service2 Mobile Phone Carrier County State
AWS / CELL / PCS AT&T Tompkins NY
PCS Blue Wireless Tompkins NY
AWS Metro PCS Tompkins NY
AWS SpectrumCo Tompkins NY
PCS Sprint Nextel Tompkins NY
AWS / PCS T-Mobile Tompkins NY
AWS / CELL / PCS Verizon Tompkins NY
Table 3: Mobile Phone Carriers in the Area of Interest with E911 Service
Analysis
The first responder, industrial/business land mobile sites, area-wide public safety, and
commercial E-911 communications as described in this report are typically unaffected by the
presence of wind turbines and we do not anticipate any significant harmful effect to these
services in the Black Oak Wind Farm project area. Although each of these services operates in
different frequency ranges and provides different types of service including voice, video and
data applications, there is commonality among these different networks in regards to the impact
of wind turbines on their service. Each of these networks is designed to operate reliably in a
non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environment. Many land mobile systems are designed with multiple
base transmitter stations covering a large geographic area with overlap between adjacent
transmitter sites in order to provide handoff between cells, and any signal blockage caused by
the wind turbines does not materially degrade the reception because the end user is likely
receiving signals from multiple transmitter locations. Additionally, the frequencies of operation
for these services have characteristics that allow the signal to propagate through wind turbines.
As a result, very little, if any, change in their coverage should occur when the wind turbines are
installed.
When planning the wind energy turbine locations in the area of interest, a conservative
approach would dictate not locating any turbines within 77.5 meters of land mobile fixed-base
stations to avoid any possible impact to the communications services provided by these
stations. This distance is based on FCC interference emissions from electrical devices in the
land mobile frequency bands. The closest land mobile site, KEB422, is 375 meters from the
area of interest, which is a sufficient distance to avoid any impact.
In the unlikely event that a public safety entity believes their coverage has been compromised
by the presence of the wind energy facility, they have many options to improve their signal
coverage to the area through optimization of a nearby base station or even adding a repeater
2 AWS: Advanced Wireless Service at 1.7/2.1 GHz
CELL: Cellular Service at 800 MHz
PCS: Personal Communication Service at 1.9 GHz
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site. Utility towers, meteorological towers or even the turbine towers within the wind project
area can serve as the platform for a base station or repeater site.
3. Mobile Phone Assessment
Mobile phone carriers operate in multiple frequency bands and are often referred to as
Advanced Wireless Service (AWS), Personal Communication Service (PCS), and Cellular.
They hold licenses on an area-wide basis which are typically comprised of several counties.
Our mobile phone analysis was performed using Comsearch’s proprietary carrier database,
which is derived from a variety of sources including the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). Since mobile phone market boundaries differ from service to service, we disaggregated
the carriers’ licensed areas down to the county level. Then we compiled a list of all mobile
phone carriers in the main counties that intersect the area of interest.
The Black Oak Wind Farm is located in Tompkins County, New York. We have identified the
type of service, channel block, market ID and FCC callsign for each carrier in the county of
interest. A description of the various service types and geographic market areas is below with a
summary table on the following page.
AWS
AWS licensees won their spectrum in an auction that started in August 2006. The licenses are
authorized by 734 Cellular Market Areas (CMA) for Block A, 176 Economic Areas (BEA) for
Blocks B and C, and 12 Regional Economic Area Groupings (REA) for Blocks D, E and F. This
spectrum at 1.7 and 2.1 GHz was allocated for mobile broadband and advanced wireless
services. Partitioning and leases are permitted in the band.
Cellular
Licensees are authorized by Metropolitan and Rural Statistical Areas, also known as CMAs.
Unserved areas can be covered by licensees other than the original A or B block licensee. To
determine the most realistic coverage, we compiled the Cellular Geographic Service Areas
(CGSA) from the 32 dBu contours defined by Part 22.911(a) of the FCC rules. Mobile services
are provided at 800 MHz and partitioning and leases are permitted in the band.
PCS
There have been nine auctions for this band, with the last one being held in August 2008.
Licensees are authorized by 51 Major Trading Areas (MTA) for Blocks A and B, and 493 Basic
Trading Areas (BTA) for Blocks C through F. This band has been heavily partitioned and
disaggregated both by counties and by smaller polygons within counties (known as undefined
areas or partial counties). The 1.9 GHz PCS carriers provide mobile services and leases are
permitted in the band.
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Service Mobile Phone Carrier Channel
Block County ST Market ID Callsign
AWS AT&T A Tompkins NY CMA562 WQGA833
AWS SpectrumCo B Tompkins NY BEA006 WQGA903
AWS AT&T C Tompkins NY BEA006 WQGA864
AWS MetroPCS D Tompkins NY REA001 WQGA731
AWS T-Mobile E Tompkins NY REA001 WQGB373
AWS Verizon F Tompkins NY REA001 WQGA715
CELL AT&T A Tompkins NY CMA562 KNKN827
CELL Verizon B Tompkins NY CMA562 KNKQ423
PCS T-Mobile A Tompkins NY MTA001 KNLF202
PCS AT&T A Tompkins NY MTA001 WPSL626
PCS Sprint Nextel B Tompkins NY MTA001 KNLF204
PCS AT&T C Tompkins NY BTA208 WPOK632
PCS Verizon D Tompkins NY BTA208 KNLF918
PCS AT&T E Tompkins NY BTA208 KNLG453
PCS Blue Wireless F Tompkins NY BTA208 KNLG730
AWS AT&T A Tompkins NY CMA562 WQGA833
AWS SpectrumCo B Tompkins NY BEA006 WQGA903
AWS AT&T C Tompkins NY BEA006 WQGA864
Table 4: Mobile Phone Carriers in the Area of Interest
Mobile phone systems are designed with multiple base transmitter stations covering a specific
area. Since mobile telephone signals are designed with overlap between adjacent base
transmitter sites in order to provide handoff between cells, any signal blockage caused by the
wind turbines does not materially degrade the reception because the end user may be receiving
from multiple transmitter locations. For example, if a particular turbine attenuates the signal
reception into a mobile phone, the phone may receive an alternate signal from a different
transmit location, resulting in no disruption in service. Mobile phone systems that are
implemented in urban areas near large structures and buildings often have to combat even
more problematic signal attenuation and reflection conditions than rural areas containing a wind
energy turbine facility. Thus we do not anticipate any significant harmful effect to mobile phone
services in the Black Oak Wind Farm project area.
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4. Cable and Satellite Assessment
This section provides an assessment of cable and satellite sites identified within or near the
Black Oak Wind Farm. A headend facility is the core of a cable television (CATV) system. The
facility handles many types of functions including reception and processing of broadcast or “off-
air” television signals and reception, decryption and modulation of satellite programming for
distribution to their cable TV subscribers. Wind turbines may affect cable headend facilities that
are receiving wireless off-air television and satellite signals. In addition, wind turbines may
attenuate the signal transmitted and received in satellite uplinks and receive earth stations.
Our cable and satellite data is derived from a variety of sources including the FCC’s cable and
international bureau databases, as well as the operators themselves. We identified the physical
system IDs (PSIDs), community units and cable operators in the area of interest. In general,
each unique PSID corresponds to a principal headend facility with multiple community units
served by that facility, also referred to as a cable plant. A summary of the cable systems near
the area of interest appears in the table below.
PSID Cable Operator Community
Unit Community Name County ST
005120 Time Warner NY0091/92 ITHACA TOMPKINS NY
005120 Time Warner NY0095 NEWFIELD TOMPKINS NY
010931 Haefele TV NY1246 ENFIELD TOMPKINS NY
021278 Empire Video Services NY1832 NEWFIELD TOMPKINS NY
Table 5: Summary of Cable Communities
In addition to the PSIDs which are area-based, we also identified and plotted site-based FCC-
licensed headend facilities3 and satellite earth stations4. The data was imported into GIS
software and the structures mapped in relation to the wind energy area of interest (see Figure
1). Each cable or satellite site on the map is identified with an ID number associated with site
information provided in Table 6.
3 Cable headend locations are derived from the cable provider’s office locations and the FCC’s aeronautical
notification form for cable systems. These locations should be verified with the local cable office.
4 Earth station locations are known if they provide non-temporary services. VSAT terminals, DBS dishes (DirecTV
and DISH, e.g) and other receive-only earth stations are not required to be licensed with the FCC.
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Figure 2: Cable Headends and Satellite Earth Stations near the Area of Interest
ID Callsign /
PSID Type Licensee Latitude
(NAD83)
Longitude
(NAD83)
1 005120 Cable Headend Time Warner 42-26-21.0 N 76-30-26.0 W
2 010931 Cable Headend Haefele TV 42-12-35.8 N 76-29-28.6 W
3 021278 Cable Headend Empire Video Services 42-31-20.5 N 77-17-21.3 W
4 E5765 Earth Station Associated Press 42-26-23.0 N 76-30-06.0 W
5 E2075 Earth Station Time Warner 42-26-21.0 N 76-30-26.0 W
6 E080174 Earth Station Videolink Inc. 42-25-30.0 N 76-29-43.0 W
Table 6: Cable Headends and Satellite Earth Stations Site Data
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In planning the wind energy turbine locations in the area of interest, a conservative approach
would dictate not locating any turbines in close proximity to the cable and satellite structures to
avoid any possible impact to the communications services provided by these facilities. Since all
of the cable and satellite sites identified near the Black Oak Wind Farm are well outside the area
of interest, no impact to their services is expected.
5. Conclusions
Based on the land mobile, emergency services, mobile phone, and cable and satellite services
located near the Black Oak Wind Farm, the planned turbines will not have any impact on these
types of communication signals. The closest land mobile site, KEB422, is 375 meters from the
project area and beyond the recommended setback distance based on interference emissions
from electrical devices. Since mobile telephone signals are designed with overlap between
adjacent base transmitter sites in order to provide handoff between cells, any signal blockage
caused by the wind turbines does not materially degrade the reception because the end user
may be receiving from multiple transmitter locations. Lastly, the cable and satellite services in
the area should not be affected because no head end facilities or receive earth stations are near
the project area.
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Communication Signals Assessment
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6. Contact Us
For questions or information regarding the Communication Signals Assessment, please
contact:
Contact person: Denise Finney
Title: Account Manager
Company: Comsearch
Address: 19700 Janelia Farm Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147
Telephone: 703-726-5650
Fax: 703-726-5595
Email: dfinney@comsearch.com
Web site: www.comsearch.com
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Government Radar System Analysis Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Prepared on Behalf of
Enfield Energy LLC
December 29, 2011
Enfield Energy LLC
Wind Power GeoPlanner™
Government Radar System Analysis Report
Black Oak Wind Farm
Comsearch Proprietary - 0 - December 29, 2011
Table of Contents
1. Introduction - 1 -
2. Summary of Results - 2 -
3. Analysis - 3 -
4. Conclusions and Recommendations - 3 -
5. Contact Us - 4 -
6. Appendix A - 5 -
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Government Radar System Analysis Report
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1. Introduction
Our government radar analysis was performed to determine if there would be any significant
degradation to the operational coverage of government radar operations located near the Black
Oak Wind Farm project in Tompkins County, New York. Figure 1 shows the location of the wind
energy project in New York. There are three types of radars that Comsearch examined as part
of this analysis; DoD military systems, the weather service system’s NEXRAD (WSR-88D) and
the FAA Long Range radar systems.
Figure 1: Location of Black Oak Wind Farm Project in the State of New York
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2. Summary of Results
Comsearch used the Department of Defense (DoD) radar screening tool to examine whether
potential coverage issues were anticipated for these radar systems1. Both the center point and
corner coordinates of the project area of interest (AOI) were used as an input parameter for the
screening tool. The results from the DoD screening tool indicated that there are no potential
issues for operational military systems or FAA long range radar systems, but potential issues
were found in regards to the weather service NEXRAD radar system in Binghamton, NY. In
support of these findings three figures were taken from the DoD screening tool and are
presented in Appendix A of this report.
Figure A1 shows the results of the military system screening. The map shows that there are no
military facilities in the area and the screening tool stated no issues with military systems are
anticipated with the planned location of the Black Oak Wind Farm project. Thus the review does
not return any likely impacts to military airspace. We recommend that you contact the following
persons for confirmation and documentation of this finding:
• David Brentzel with the USAF Regional Environmental Coordinator, at (404) 562-4211
• US Navy Representative, FAA Eastern Service Area, with the USN Regional
Environmental Coordinator at (404) 305-6908
• LTC Jeffrey Martuscelli with the USA Regional Environmental Coordinator at (404) 305-
6915
• US Marine Corps Representative, FAA Eastern Service Area, with the USMC Regional
Environmental Coordinator at (404) 305-6907
Figure A2 shows the results of the weather service NEXRAD radar systems screening. The
map shows that the project area will be located in the ‘Dark Green’ coverage zone 37.8 miles
from the Binghamton radar site. The ‘Dark Green’ designation means that some impact is
possible. Consultation with NOAA (weather service) is optional. However, we recommend that
Enfield Energy notify the NTIA of the proposed project to confirm these results. The NTIA will
coordinate directly with the weather service to obtain the determination. If the weather service
does have a concern, they would typically work with Enfield Energy to mitigate this obstruction.
This may include consulting with Enfield Energy in the selection of wind turbine locations to
further minimize the impact on the NEXRAD radar coverage.
Figure A3 shows the results of the FAA Long Range radar systems screening. The screening
tool shows three FAA long range radar systems in the area. However, these radar systems are
located far enough away from the project where no impact on its coverage is anticipated. Table
1 lists the FAA radar locations and their approximate distance from the center of the Black Oak
Wind Farm project site. They range from approximately 70 to 120 kilometers away. At these
distances the signal beam from the radar will pass well above the tip heights of the wind
turbines planned for this project.
1 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report.
The data provided in this report is governed by Comsearch’s data license notification and agreement located at
http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf.
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FAA Radar Location Distance to Center
of Project (km)
Northwest of Project 71.0
Northeast of Project 120.0
South of Project 78.2
Table 1: Distances of FAA Long Range Radar to Center of Black Oak Wind Farm Project
3. Analysis
The location of the Black Oak Wind Farm project is shown in Figure 1. The proposed turbines
will have a hub height of 92 meters and a blade diameter of up to 116 meters, giving the
structures an overall maximum height of 150 meters above ground level. The wind turbine
locations for the Black Oak project have not yet been finalized.
The screening tool revealed that the location of the Black Oak Wind Farm project is a sufficient
distance away from DoD military systems and FAA Long Range radar systems. The screening
tool did identify a potential impact with the Binghamton NEXRAD radar site used by the weather
service. The radar system is located 37.8 miles from the project area. The tool showed only a
possible minor impact to that system. Further evaluation and consultation with NOAA is
recommended. This consultation should be initiated through the NTIA who will coordinate with
federal government agencies including NOAA to evaluate the proposed Black Oak Wind Farm
project.
4. Conclusions and Recommendations
No military RADAR coverage or operational issues have been identified for the Black Oak Wind
Farm. We recommend contacting the persons listed in Section 2 for confirmation and
documentation of their findings. Once the locations of the wind turbines are defined, we also
recommend sending those locations to the DoD Energy Siting Clearinghouse for final approval
on military issues.
There are no issues with the three FAA Long Range RADAR systems listed in Table 1 since the
separation distances are far enough to eliminate potential obstruction to the RADAR signals.
There is a potential issue with the weather service that may require coordination with NOAA
through the NTIA. We expect that the coordination with the weather service will address and
resolve any issue.
.
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Government Radar System Analysis Report
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5. Contact Us
For questions or information regarding the Government Radar System Analysis, please
contact:
Contact person: Lester E. Polisky
Title: Senior Principal Engineer
Company: Comsearch
Address: 19700 Janelia Farm Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147
Telephone: 703-726-5680
Fax: 703-726-5597
Email: lpolisky@comsearch.com
Web site: www.comsearch.com
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Government Radar System Analysis Report
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6. Appendix A
Figure A1: DoD Military Screening Tool Diagram for Military Systems
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Figure A2: DoD Military Screening Tool Diagram for Weather Service Radar Coverage
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Figure A3: DoD Military Screening Tool Diagram for FAA Long Range Radar Coverage