USDA grant aids Cape wind power project study

CAPE VINCENT — Studies of a potential community wind power project are starting, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The project won a $99,000 grant through the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program. The money is supporting a feasibility study on the capacity of the local grid, possible sites for wind turbines, analysis of the wind resource and data collection on noise and environmental issues.

Because the council is a nonprofit entity, the Black River-St. Lawrence Resource Conservation and Development Council applied for a USDA grant on behalf of St. Lawrence River Public Power Association.

"The resource conservation and development council is involved in a lot of different projects for community economic development and community environmental conservation issues," said Black River-St. Lawrence council coordinator Chanda A. Linsday. "The council's five-year plan includes working on renewable energy projects," she said.

The public power association has pursued options for a community project for over a year. The association, started by Hester M. Chase, wants to see locals benefit more from renewable energy power production, whether from wind power or other options. "We're trying to look at energy from a different angle," she said. "There are a lot of models that could make Cape Vincent more energy-sufficient."

Ms. Linsday, an employee of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, said the community-based project appealed to the council.

The council will help organize community meetings, the first of which will be Saturday.

"I'm looking for a development team that represents different segments of Cape Vincent," Ms. Chase said.

After a few community brainstorming sessions, the development team will have semimonthly meetings to work on the project. The project will have help from Kathleen E. Moore, a certified consulting meteorologist with Integrated Environmental Data LLC, Berne, and Loren W. Pruskowski, vice president of Sustainable Energy Development, which has worked on such a project in Albany County.

The two will collect data and work on the feasibility studies.

Ms. Chase said the project gained support from both proponents and opponents of the two commercial wind power projects in the town.

The first community meeting will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cape Vincent Fire Hall, Broadway Avenue.