Oswego County opposes offshore project

OSWEGO — Oswego County legislators followed the lead of Jefferson County legislators in opposing an offshore wind possibility for eastern Lake Ontario.

Oswego County legislators voted 20-4 to support a resolution asking for the project, forwarded by the New York Power Authority, to not come to waters near Oswego County, said Shawn P. Doyle, a member of the Oswego County Board of Legislators representing Pulaski and co-chair of the Joint Commission for the Preservation of Lake Ontario Communities.

The legislators met for four hours on Thursday afternoon. (To be clear - the Times wasn't there.)

NYPA has asked for developers to submit proposals for up to 166 turbines to be placed in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The proposals are due June 1.

Those who support the project from SUNY-College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Syracuse, SUNY Oswego and local labor unions spoke in favor of the project. Those who believe the project would result in poor fishing and tourism, hurting economic development, spoke against the project.

Mr. Doyle said it was a party-line vote, with the four Democrats asking to table the resolution until the project could be studied further. One Republican was absent.

“The bottom line is Oswego County and Jefferson County have done the same thing,” he said. “We've united and told the New York Power Authoirty they can go somewhere else.”