Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

Up to two dozen 600-foot-plus turbines would generate electricity in the towns of Scipio and Venice as part of the project by Albany-based Liberty Renewables.

That's if the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting approves the 99-megawatt project, which the developer expects to happen in mid-June, it told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. Construction would then start in 2026.

But the 50-acre facility would come much to the chagrin of several county residents, many of whom are part of a new group called the .

The group has pushed back against the project at town board meetings and more than 300 signatures on a petition it is circulating.

It argues that wind turbines pose several health and environmental concerns, and that the sight of them would ruin the landscape of the rural Finger Lakes communities. 

Group members Connie O'Hearn, of Moravia, and Anita Dungey, of Auburn, shared its concerns in more detail with Ë®¹ûÅÉAV.

"It’s not a situation of ‘not in my backyard.’ It shouldn’t be in anybody’s backyard," O'Hearn said. "Does your neighbor have the right to put a 650-foot wind turbine 1,000 feet from your property line?"

O'Hearn and Dungey also believe Agricola Wind could pave the way for more — or even larger — renewable energy projects to be built locally.

"I think the cumulative impact is understated," Dungey said.

The project is so divisive, they continued, that it's pitting neighbor against neighbor. 

Some residents see benefits, such as Liberty's promises of $63 million in local investment, 89 full-time construction jobs, and three full-time operation and maintenance positions for at least the 25-year life of the turbines.

But Dungey believes such projects often follow a pattern of promising benefits, buying or leasing properties, and then turning around and selling the business for more money. She believes the benefits should also be better for the towns of Scipio and Venice, accusing the developer of using outdated funding rates and not accounting for inflation.

That's why the alliance is calling for local officials to slow down, listen to their concerns and issue moratoriums to delay the project.

But its members fear New York state's government is overriding local ones. They said the  of 2024 provides a streamlined permit approval process for developers of major renewable energy projects, and ultimately gives the Office of Renewable Energy Siting the ability to operate without approval from local governments.

“It’s not a good feeling when your state works against your community," Dungey said.

The Agricola Wind project comes amid a statewide push for carbon neutrality by 2050. New York aims to produce a nation-leading 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Liberty is planning a similar wind project in Madison County, which prompted the New York State Association of Counties to send  on Tuesday acknowledging the need to reduce the state's carbon footprint but expressing concern about the economic reliability of solar and wind farms. The association said they can experience "significant fluctuations in energy production." 

Cayuga County Legislature Chair Jonathan Anna was among the 26 county chairs who signed the letter.

"We look forward to your response and hope we can work together to create an energy framework that supports both environmental goals and economic growth in New York," it said.