Friday, November 07, 2008

Shell pulls local wind farm plans

Shell WindEnergy has abandoned plans to build two 50-megawatt wind farms in the hill towns of Albany County.

The company encountered some resistance from landowners who wanted more financial consideration for land leases. Others were against wind farms altogether.

Residents reported today they received letters from Shell saying the company decided to stop looking at sites that included Renssealerville, Berne and the town of New Scotland.

Shell WindEnergy spokesman Tim O’Leary released this statement to the Times Union:

“We’ve ceased our wind development efforts in Albany County. This decision is based upon a number of considerations, primarily, not securing enough land for a viable project and the time projected to obtain project permitting. We are extremely appreciative of the cooperation and support that we have received from landowners, members of the community and other stakeholders.”The two wind farms would have had 50 turbines in all, producing enough electricity to power 25,000 homes.

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