Oswego County joins fight against turbines

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

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

The legislators met Thursday afternoon.

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, harming 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 Authority they can go somewhere else."

The Jefferson County Legislature voted 14-0 against the proposal Tuesday night after hearing from Richard M. Kessel, NYPA president and chief executive officer.