Dear Editor;
As the snows come down and a winter storm moves into our region, I have the following questions to ask.
How much did Appleton (Niagara County) resident Steve Royce’s legal Motion to the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment, claiming “astroturfing” against Lighthouse Wind, cost Somerset taxpayers?
How many thousands of dollars more were added to Somerset’s bill, for this motion that was unequivocally denied “Relief” on January 10, 2019?
Ironically, while Royce’s Save Ontario Shores backed motion was awaiting judgement, SOS had mounted its own “astroturfing” efforts, flooding the NYS DPS website with NYPA Niagara Power Project postcards. A questionable action that may infringe copyright or terms of use authorizations by the New York Power Authority, which I reported to the DPS in a document titled “SOS_NYPA_Postcard_Campaign” filed 1/9/19.
Why is it, Save Ontario Shores, whom is named as the Intervenor Party, yet Somerset [and Yates] residents and taxpayers will have to pay the bill given to the Town of Somerset?
Save Ontario Shores is out of control, with a blank check to run the towns of Somerset and Yates into a financial black hole.
Maybe, given our current snows, Save Ontario Shores members should get their butts outside and shovel the roads in Somerset and Yates, given they’ve drained the towns’ coffers of $280,000 and $50,000 respectively, according to Somerset Supervisor Engert and Yates Supervisor Simon, as reported in the Buffalo News.
Oh wait, most of Save Ontario Shores members do not live in Somerset or Yates year-round, so that would be pretty difficult for them to “give back” to the communities they claim to support so much.
This should be a serious warning to residents in Barre and Orleans County in general, given former SOS President, current Yates Councilman John Riggi, is named as an official party to the Heritage Wind Project in Barre.
What value does John Riggi, a resident of the Town of Yates, have to bring to a local matter in Barre? John Riggi is known by everyone to be a “home rule” advocate, so what is his involvement in Barre, which is not his home?
Having noted his associations and commentary on Facebook, I suspect he helps facilitates snake oil “technical experts” contracted by Clear Skies Above Barre to run the Town of Barre into a financial hole, like he has in Somerset and Yates. CSAB has already paid out almost $3,500 to two of these Michigan-based swindlers, Dr. Jerry Punch and Richard James, whom CSAB estimated would cost almost $10,000 in their original request for $35,000 in Intervenor Funds.
Mr. Punch and Mr. James have published one report, found around the world on anti-wind turbine websites. Whether their report has passed the academic rigors of unbiased peer-review is questionable at best.
This information is all available in the public record.
Don’t be fooled, both Save Ontario Shores and Clear Skies Above Barre, are networked around the world, and anything but “grassroots”. Their Facebook “friends list” reads like a “who’s who…” of anti-wind snake oil salesmen.
They may not receive any funding (or maybe they do, we will never know). But why do they need any when they can hoodwink the Town Supervisors [or get elected to office itself] into giving them a “blank check” at the expense of all residents and taxpayers?
Respectfully submitted,
Hans Hyde
Lockport, NY
January 18th, 2019
The views expressed above are my own. I have received no compensation from any companies or organizations with stakes in New York State energy projects. A version of this article was submitted for first print to the OrleansHub on 18 January, 2019 via email. If you believe I have written something in error, I am more than happy to make corrections when appropriate. I can be reached through my LinkedIn profile, which also verifies my professional experience in the energy sector and is available here.
Hans Hyde 