Pathway of power worries DANC

Several hurdles remain regarding the proposed St. Lawrence and Cape Vincent wind farms and their future connection to the regional electrical system.

One of them is a route to the grid. Acciona Energy North America, developer of St. Lawrence Wind Farm, has taken the lead on a possible route that would follow the abandoned New York Central Railroad corridor. But that corridor also contains the regional water line operated by the Development Authority of the North Country.

The line takes water from a plant in Cape Vincent to Glen Park, serving towns, villages and schools along the way.

DANC Chief Executive Officer James W. Wright said there are a few concerns with building a transmission line near the water line.

"There are legal and safety issues," he said.

He said DANC asked for information from Acciona beginning last summer, but so far has not received a reply.

Acciona project manager Peter E. Zedick said the developer is compiling the necessary information.

"There are still issues we're going to need to work out," he said. "We have not finalized all of the pole placements."

In a letter to the town of Cape Vincent, Mr. Wright said in DANC's easements with property owners, the authority was allowed only to build and maintain water lines. The property owners can use the land, but cannot build any permanent structures on the easement and cannot transfer easement rights to other parties.

In the letter, dated April 9, Mr. Wright asks for National Electric Safety Code requirements for electric transmission line construction close to water lines, plans for the electric transmission line in the DANC easement, planned pole placement in the easement and a list of easements already secured.

The letter repeated the requests that DANC had presented to Acciona in a letter last summer and a meeting in September.

"To date, we've had no response to the concerns," Mr. Wright said Wednesday.

The DANC easements vary from 40 feet to 66 feet wide. DANC is concerned about a transmission line harming the water line itself or the employees who maintain the line.

In Acciona's supplemental draft environmental impact statement, the developer said it would need construction easements 100 feet wide and permanent easements of 17 feet.

Acciona is proposing the transmission line run 9 miles from a substation on Swamp Road in the project area to a National Grid substation on County Route 179 in the town of Lyme. That substation connects with a 115-kilovolt transmission line that would connect the wind farms to the state grid.

The transmission line would be supported by wooden poles about 80 feet tall. Design of the transmission line is overseen by the New York Independent System Operator, and a facility study was submitted to NYISO, according to the supplemental statement.

According to Acciona's supplemental draft environmental impact statement, "The location of the poles will be determined through detailed engineering and design. Pole locations will be designed to avoid impacts to the operation of the water line."

Placement in or along the DANC easement would extend for about 7.5 miles, or 85 percent of the electric transmission line's length.

"The above ground siting of the transmission line will use setbacks from the water line to avoid disruption," the Acciona statement said.

The supplemental statement gives several alternatives for the transmission line, including placement within the abandoned railroad right of way, placement adjacent to the abandoned railroad right of way, and underground placement of the 115-kilovolt line.

BP Alternative Energy, developer of Cape Vincent Wind Farm, still is planning to follow the Acciona transmission line, project manager James H. Madden said.

He said that if that falls through, BP has obtained the "vast majority" of easements it would need for an 8-mile alternative.

Acciona's Peter Zedick said the developer has obtained nearly all of the easements it needs for the electric transmission line.

But in order for a transmission line to be built, Mr. Wright said, "There has to be authority participation in that decision."