New York State officials approved compliance documents for Baron Winds yesterday, the company looking to build a 242-megawatt wind farm in Steuben County.
The NYS Public Service Commission said those filings are one of the last steps before a project becomes operational.
The Barons Winds project is currently under construction in the towns of Cohocton, Dansville, Fremont and Wayland in Steuben County, according to the company’s website.
Baron Winds project progressing forward in Seneca County
The PSC said the Baron Winds compliance filings relate to the construction of the farm’s operation and maintenance facility, in addition to security lighting at the same site.
According to RWE, the German company behind the project, Baron Winds will be located primarily on agricultural and recreational land.
“The project will consist of turbines that have tip heights less than 650 feet, roads, and overhead and underground collection and transmission lines throughout the 25,000 acre project area,” explains the project’s webpage.
In total, the PSC approved filings for five wind farms on Thursday, August 11.
One of them was for an 80-megawatt wind farm in the Town of Waterloo, Seneca County.
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Seventeen renewable energy projects approved by state thus far
Albany, Schoharie and Lewis County are the sites of the other three wind farms with recently-approved filings.
“These solar and wind farms that are being built are vital to meet the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s aggressive carbon reduction and clean energy targets to combat climate change,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian in a statement.
“These projects benefit all New Yorkers by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, boosting clean-energy investment, creating clean-energy jobs, and improving our environment.”
These five are among the 17 renewable energy projects approved by the Board on
Electric Generation Siting and the Environment.
The wave of renewable energy projects in New York comes as the state ramps up its work towards the climate goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
Under the law, New York is mandated to have a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, as well as the broader goal of reaching economy-wide carbon neutrality.
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