Middleburgh was skeptical of just about everything Borrego Energy’s Dave Strong said Thursday after hello.
And though the crowd of about 75 was sympathetic to Fred and Barbara Echtners’ efforts to keep their farm going with income from wind, neighbors felt they shouldn’t have to pay the price.
“I feel for you and the challenge to keep your home, but I feel exactly the same about mine,” said Susanna Raeven, who lives on Canady Hill Road.
“I really hope that you find another solution to keep your farm and not impact the whole community.”
At issue are “no more than two,” 640-foot wind turbines Borrego is looking to place on land owned by the Echnters on Lawton Hollow Road.
Thursday was the second of two public hearings on the Town of Middleburgh’s commercial wind and wind measuring tower laws; the hearing will remain open until the town’s March 10 meeting.
Supervisor Wes Laraway read a handful of letters from neighbors opposed to the turbines because of their impact on their view, health, sound, property values, local roads, and the environment.
“[We] do not want the blight on our relatively pristine rural surroundings,” said Sarah and Will Beekman, who live directly under the proposed site.
Mr. Strong, senior project manager for Borrego, said he understands those concerns and promised to photograph individual properties for a “visual simulation” for anyone who contacts him through their website, Go.BorregoEnergy.com/middleburgh; scroll to the “Contact Us” section of the homepage.
The proposed Lawton Hollow project isn’t a wind farm, he said, but a “distribution-level project,” with an investment of $5-$6 million and wind produced and distributed locally to 2,500 homes—though locally can mean Albany and even Utica.
Additionally, the project will generate direct payments to the Town of Middleburgh through a community host agreement, Mr. Strong said—though he offered no details.
Andrew Klein, who lives on Bridge Road pointed to the near-certainty that once built, the project will be “bought and sold. It’s normal in the industry,” he said.
“How do we even know Borrego will be here in 20 years?”
Any obligations, including decommissioning--eventually taking down the turbines--will go to the new owner, Mr. Strong said.
Borrego Solar has just lost a lawsuit challenging the Town of Schoharie over a solar project there.
“What’s to stop you from suing us?” asked Carol Ann Dyer of Bunny Hill Lane.
At first, Mr. Strong answered “No comment.”
But then he returned to the question, “I didn’t mean to be cagey…I do wind. It’s unfortunate that happened in the first place.”
“It sets a precedent,” said Mr. Laraway.
Mr. Strong said independent “meta-studies, decades long,” show wind doesn’t change property values—something nearly everyone in the crowd disputed.
“We should not be the test case here, said Angelique Piwinski, who lives on Huntersland Road. “Not every type of renewable energy makes sense in every location.”
The crowd agreed—but two or three pointed to the need to help farmers like the Echtners survive.
Dairy farmers are struggling to stay in business, said Duane Spaulding of Seward.
“They’re just trying to save their farm.”