Just Who Exactly Are We Taking Zoning Advice From????

Part 2 to follow up the post above about comp planning and zoning and NYSERDA's Wind Energy Tool Kit for communities facing wind development.  Here is some explanations from NYSERDA's Website.

About NYSERDA

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a public benefit corporation created in 1975 under Article 8, Title 9 of the State Public Authorities Law [PDF] through the reconstitution of the New York State Atomic and Space Development Authority. NYSERDA’s earliest efforts focused solely on research and development with the goal of reducing the State’s petroleum consumption. Today, NYSERDA’s aim is to help New York meet its energy goals: reducing energy consumption, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and protecting the environment.

Funding

Currently, NYSERDA is primarily funded by state rate payers through the System Benefits Charge (SBC)

Mission

NYSERDA strives to facilitate change through the widespread development and use of innovative technologies to improve the State’s energy, economic, and environmental wellbeing.

Through these collaborations, NYSERDA seeks to develop a diversified energy supply portfolio, improve market mechanisms, and facilitate the introduction and adoption of advanced technologies that will help New Yorkers plan for and respond to uncertainties in the energy markets.

Governance

NYSERDA is governed by a board consisting of 13 members, including the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Chair of the Public Service Commission, and the Chair of the Power Authority of the State of New York, who serve ex officio. The remaining nine members are appointed by the Governor of the State of New York with the advice and consent of the Senate and include, as required by statute, an engineer or research scientist, an economist, an environmentalist, a consumer advocate, an officer of a gas utility, an officer of an electric utility, and three at-large members.

http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/en/About.aspx

Note several things.  Much of this is double talk for being the state authority to rabidly support wind energy along with other renewable.  Note that you are already charged on your electric bill to support NYSERDA and wind energy.  And note that the NY governor ( that would be Cuomo who already has screwed over our community on many levels) appoints some of the board members. Note also that some of the same people on  NYSERDA will apparently end up on or close to the Article X siting process, DEC, PSC etc.

Now if you are trying to protect your community from the ravages of industrial wind energy, and having your home  rule rights taken away, do you think this is a pro wind  group we as a town or our town govt should be taking advice from or getting in bed with?  That doesn’t seem like a wise choice to me…does it appear wise to you????  Well it maybe already be too late because  it appears they have taken the advice of NYSERDA on the wind issue.

Note what NYSERDA says about the zoning process in their Wind Energy Tool Kit for towns.   

Zoning for Wind

“A town that uses zoning and has an up-to-date comprehensive plan that addresses the wind energy resource is in an excellent position to proactively identify key wind energy areas that could be developed. The existing zoning for these areas could then be amended to allow wind energy facilities, subject to the town’s chosen  review process.” 

But wait a minute…isn’t that exactly what the new zoning committee just DID!!!!    Oh yeah and the town govt just threw in their support of solar for kicks which I am sure NYSERDA would be all warm and fuzzy about and would be willing to step right up and help fund with our money collected off our electric bills under the RPS /SBC charges we already pay.

If we are serious about protecting ourselves from the onslaught of the corporate industrial

wind invasion backed by a State endorsed political scheme that is a big govt power grab and  removes any local land use laws that get in the way of that scheme… 

…then why the in  hell are we mimicking zoning advice from NYSERDA, the very pro wind State authority backed by some of the same big power players, some appointed by the very Gov. that has screwed over this community?  They stand  ready  to fund the very wind energy  Article X might ram right down this community’s throat by taking our local rights away!!!! 

  Somebody has got to explain to me how we are going to protect our community from the insidious preemption of home rule, and corporate industrial wind invasion by appeasing, and endorsing, and following the zoning advice of the very entities we are fighting against?  

Somebody want to explain how the hell this  is supposed to work effectively!!!????