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10-25-2007 Staff Report The meeting's objective is to educate the committee and Cherry Valley residents about renewable energy sources that have the potential to benefit the entire municipality. It comes in response to town supervisor Tom Garretson's directive to the committee in August to "make recommendations to the town board on utilizing practical, local conservation measures and the development of alternative and renewable energy projects in Cherry Valley" and to "identify options to bring the town of Cherry Valley to a sustainable future." Garreston said last December that the town board was committed to looking into alternative energy for all the town. "There's no project right now. We're talking out loud - thinking about some options that might work," he said. "With Reunion Power we had a developer telling the town what it was going to do. This would be the town telling the developer what would be acceptable." Garretson said his goal was to find a project that was both economically feasible for the town and agreeable to everyone. The presentation by Pitman will be followed by an informal, question and answer session. Empire State Wind Energy, formed by upstate entrepreneur Tom Golisano, seeks to harness the power of rural New York's wind resources for local and public benefit, and only builds projects that are acceptable and beneficial to overall community stakeholders. Acceptable projects - as judged by host communities - may range from small turbines powering municipal facilities to major regional multi-megawatt ventures that feed power back into the grid. Both Golisano and CEO Keith Pitman have deep roots in upstate New York, growing up in small rural towns like the ones their company helps. They have lived their entire lives in the state. Pitman has served as superintendent of two municipally-owned electric utilities, as a forensic engineer and as business and technical advisor to utilities, law firms, and governments. Pitman's commitment to Empire Wind manifests his deeply held belief in strengthening communities through ingenuity and entrepreneurship. Golisano emphasizes that Empire Wind's projects involve and benefit local people, local communities and local economies. Empire Wind's business model relies on partnering with communities on projects that meet broad community centered objectives, while upfront and development costs are borne by the company. Communities retain ownership and profit-sharing options in their projects, negotiated upon project inception, that leave the community in complete control of the long term benefits. The Citizens Committee on Renewable and Alternative Energy is chaired by town board member MArk Cornwell. The committee is currently researching energy-saving strategies as well as options for increased local energy production. The Citizens Committee on Renewable and Alternative Energy states categorically that there is no project currently under consideration for Cherry Valley and the public meeting on Nov. 13 is purely informational. |
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