Wind Energy Project Moves Forward; Public Meeting Tonight

A plan to build a network of wind turbines in two northern Potter County townships to generate electricity has been moving forward in increments. Most recently, the Hector Township Board of Supervisors has drafted a Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance that contains less restriction on where turbines can be located than a countywide ordinance that was passed in 2009. The Hector Township document will come  before the Potter County Planning Commission for review and comment on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 6 pm. That meeting will be held in the Gunzburger Building and is open to the public. A public hearing is scheduled for 6 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Sunderlinville, where the Hector Township Supervisors intend to adopt the ordinance. Hector is following the lead of Ulysses Township, which last year passed a similar set of regulations. Each township chose to exercise its power to circumvent the stricter standards contained in the Potter County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

AES Corporation seeks to erect the turbines on leased property at Fox Hill and Bailey Hill in the two townships. Specifics of the project are still be worked out, according to Bob White, project manager for AES. White said the company had originally planned to erect 1.5-megawatt machines that would stand about 400 feet high. However, a new plan that’s under consideration calls for larger turbines capable of generating 2.5 megawatts, standing about 440 feet from the ground to the tip of the blade. One preliminary version of the AES plan included 46 turbines in Ulysses Township and 15 in Hector Township.