Permit Process
New York permits large renewable (+25 MW) projects via ORES (Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission) and the 94-C process. The application process includes pre-application, application, and operational requirements. The regulations require local meetings, review of local rules, and funding for local participation.
Notice requirements, including publishing notice in a local newspaper, notifying residences within 5 miles, and notifying members in state legislature who represent project district(s), are built into the permit process.
Federal permitting for wind projects has historically included the US Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Aviation Administration (and other groups that use air space), and US Fish and Wildlife. All energy generation projects in New York require the approval of NY-ISO.
Project Status
Design Status
Meteorological towers were installed in Otisco in 2023 to collect atmospheric data. The data from these towers will aid with the optimum siting for the turbines. Additional data collection is ongoing for this project. View Conceptual Design here.
The route of the electric line from the project to existing transmission infrastructure is still being developed. Negotiations with landowners are in progress.Pre-Application
Pre-application will include community meetings where residents can learn more, have their questions and concerns answered and express their support, as well as consultation meetings with local municipalities, school districts, utilities, and local emergency responders. In addition, the process will involve visual resource consultations with municipal planning representatives and historic resource consultations with local historic preservation groups, ensuring that both community character and local history are thoughtfully considered throughout.
Post-Application Filing
Following the application filing, the applicant will fund a local agency account at a rate of $1,000 per megawatt to support the participation of community intervenors, including municipalities, in the public comment and adjudicatory process. This phase will also include a 60-day public comment period after the draft permit is issued, allowing stakeholders the opportunity to review and provide input.
Are there required setbacks?
The Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) has established minimum setbacks for wind energy projects. These setbacks will be applied in addition to site specific setbacks based on wetlands, archaeological sites, wildlife habitats, sound, flicker, and more.
ORES minimum setbacks are calculated using the tip height of the proposed turbine and range from 1.1x at a public road or property line to 2.0x from a non-participating residence.
Will the project make noise?
Decibel levels will vary based on the type of turbine used, atmospheric and topographic conditions, and distance from the turbine. As the Maple Harvest project develops, turbine locations are continuously being shifted based on new studies and local and statewide ordinances to reach the optimal placement with the fewest effects from sound on nearby landowners.
ORES regulates sound from wind energy projects, including a limit of 55dBa across any non-participating property (except delineated wetlands) and 45dBA at the outside of any non-participating residence.
What will happen at the end of the project’s lifespan?
Typically, wind turbines have a lifespan of 25-30 years before they must be repowered or decommissioned, both of which are processes that the project owner is responsible for completing.
Repowering the turbines means replacing major turbine equipment to prolong the facility’s operations. The scope of these replacements could be as minor as individual blades or gearboxes, or as extensive as replacing the entire turbine and foundation. Decommissioning the project includes dismantling and removal of facility components to 3-4’ below grade and restoring the surrounding land. A decommissioning plan will be included in the project’s permit application. For more information on this process, the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has a helpful Wind Energy End of Service Guide.
The project will provide financial assurance to cover the cost, plus contingency, of decommissioning the project. The value of the assurance will be reviewed regularly throughout the project’s operations to ensure it’s sufficient as market conditions change.
What is "Flicker"?
Shadow flicker is a phenomenon associated with wind turbines in which the sun is low on the horizon and shining through the turbine blades, casting a moving shadow. If the shadow falls on a building or home, it can cause the perception of a repeating flicker of light through windows. Because there is a precise angle that the sun must be at to create flicker, the effect occurs in limited locations, and for a predictable period of the year.
Maple Harvest will complete a flicker study and limit predicted flicker to 30 hours per year at non-participating residences.
