ABOUT MAPLE RIDGE

Maple Ridge in the News   January 4, 2008 Attention Snowmobilers: Maple Ridge Wind Farm Removes Snow in Wind Farm Area LOWVILLE, New York – The Maple Ridge Wind Farm would like to make all snowmobilers in the Lowville area aware of the following taking place from January 7, 2008 at 0000 hrs. through January 11, 2008 1700 hrs. Maple Ridge Wind Farm will be removing snow from the Borkowski Road between the intersection of Rector Road to 1400 feet north where it intersects the Kilo Road. The transition from the plowed surface and the trail surface will be sloped and signage will be in place to warn the snowmobiles of this activity. Signage will begin approximately 500 feet north of the intersection of Kilo and Borkowski to warn traffic traveling south. North bound traffic will be informed of the trail modifications by signage being placed along the 1400 foot stretch of Borkowski Road (between the Rector Road and the Kilo Road intersections). The Maple Ridge Wind Farm is jointly owned by Portland, Oregon based PPM Energy (PPM) and Houston, Texas based Horizon Wind Energy.  The wind farm area includes the towns of Martinsburg, Lowville, Watson and Harrisburg in Lewis County on the Tug Hill Plateau, about 75 miles northeast of Syracuse.   The Maple Ridge project has been named to honor the maple sugaring tradition in Lewis County, the leading maple syrup producing county in New York. Maple Ridge has a total of 195 turbines producing 320 MW of electricity, enough to power up 160,000 average New York homes. Maple Ridge Wind Farm will prevents the annual emission of approximately 586,117 tons of carbon dioxide, 627 tons of nitrogen oxide (which causes smog), and more than 812 tons of sulfur dioxide (which causes acid rain).  This is the equivalent of taking approximately 105,000 cars off the road. Horizon Wind Energy Horizon Wind Energy LLC, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a leading wind project developer and a fully owned subsidiary of Energias de Portugal, S.A., a major Portuguese utility and one of the world’s largest generators of electricity from renewable energy sources. By the end of 2007, Horizon will have developed more than 2,200 gross MW and will be operating wind power plants with a total installed capacity of over 1,500 gross MW. Horizon is currently developing a portfolio of more than 10,500 gross MW in over a dozen states.   PPM Energy PPM Energy, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is one of North America’s leading wind power providers with more than 2,000 MW of wind power in operation. PPM is part of Iberdrola Renewables, one of the leading wind energy providers in the world with more than 7,000 MW of wind power online worldwide and with a pipeline of more than 41,000 MW of wind power. ###     February 5, 2007 Lewis County Hospital Foundation announce benefit premier. Wind Farm Announces Benefit Movie Premiere LOWVILLE, NY, February 5,2007: The Maple Ridge Wind Farm and the Town Hall Theater announced today, a special matinee premiere showing of “Tapping Maple Ridge-A Film About Maple Syrup, Wind and Community” on Saturday, February 24 at 3 PM.  “This benefit premiere will also mark the first public use of new digital projection equipment at the Town Hall,” noted owners Pat and Patrick O’Brien.  The 30-minute movie, features Lewis County’s traditional maple industry and its new power producing neighbor. All tickets will be priced at $5.00, with the proceeds from this showing benefiting the Lewis County Hospital Foundation.  “As the community celebrates a great winter weekend, we’re celebrating the full operations at Maple Ridge,” said Lee Hinkleman, Communications Manager.  “We know how important the hospital is to all of us, and are pleased we can help draw attention to the current fund-raising campaign for Diagnostic Imaging and the new Emergency Department.” “2006 was very memorable for Lewis County; from the 75th Anniversary of the Hospital and 50th Anniversary of the Hospital’s Auxiliary, to the completion of the largest wind farm in the east, to the installation of Digital Mammography here at LCGH,” added Tim O’Connor, Executive Director.  “We appreciate Maple Ridge’s generous offer of the premiere.” More information on Maple Ridge Wind Farm is available on their website: www.mapleridgewind.com.   For further details on the new Emergency Department project, please call the Foundation Office 376-5110. The Lewis County Hospital Foundation, through a grant from Pratt-Northam Foundation, has created an educational internship for a college student majoring in Marketing, or Business Administration.  Tim O’Connor, of the hospital foundation, announced that Benjamin Blair III, a student at SUNYIT, Utica, will be assisting in the development of Foundation mailing pieces, and the Foundation’s website, www.lchfoundation.org through the spring semester. Among the goals of the Pratt-Northam’s college “workership” program is to “provide job experience related to the college student's area of study in preparation for career employment,” said Thomas Yousey, Executive Director. “We are pleased to assist the Hospital Foundation in this way, while offering real world experience for the student.” The Lewis County Hospital Foundation is pleased to recognize the Pratt-Northam Foundation’s support of the Capital Campaign for the new Diagnostic Imaging and Emergency Department projects.  “As we begin the second half of our “75th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign,” over $710,000 in cash and pledges, of the $1,750,000 goal has been reached,” added Mr. O’Connor. “With this assistance from the Pratt-Northam Foundation, we will be pursuing many other potential outside funding sources, including private foundations and corporate groups.”     ###     July 22,2006 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) HourPower visited Maple Ridge in June 2006. To see the program, please click here: http://www.ibewhourpower.com/Feature-Story.html NOTICE OF INTENT TO RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF FLAT ROCK WIND POWER PROJECT, MAPLE RIDGE WIND FARM GENERATING AND TRANSMISSION LINE FACILITY (the “Project”) April 19, 2006 - Flat Rock Wind Power, FRWP (LLC) will resume construction at the Maple Ridge Wind Farm on May 1, 2006. Construction activities at this wind-powered generation facility began in May, 2005 and were suspended over the winter months. 2006 construction activities (summarized by Phase) are scheduled to include: - Phase 1: environmental restoration of the 120 wind turbines and a 230 kV 10.5 mile overhead electric transmission line. - Phase 1A: erection of 20 wind turbines and subsequent environmental restoration. - Phase 2: construction and environmental restoration of 55 wind turbines. Each turbine has a capacity of 1.65 (MW), and a gross nameplate capacity of approximately 320 MW. In addition to the turbines, the generation project involves construction of three meteorological towers, a system of gravel access roads, a buried and aboveground 34.5 kV electrical collection system, and two on-site substations (located on private lands in the towns of Martinsburg and Watson). The approximately 22,000 acre generating project is located on leased private land in the towns of Martinsburg, Harrisburg, Watson and Lowville. The transmission facility was developed on leased private land in the towns of Martinsburg and Watson, crossing the Black River to the foothills of the Adirondacks. The generating project is located on the Eastern Edge of Tug Hill Plateau, west of the Village of Lowville, in Lewis County, New York. Construction is anticipated to begin on May 1, 2006. The Construction Manager and primary contact for the Project is John Hueston. His mailing address and telephone contact information follows: Maple Ridge Wind Farm 6990 Eagle Factory Road Lowville, New York 13367 Phone (315) 376-8812 Toll Free (866) 378-5463 The Project is under the jurisdiction of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), which is responsible for, among other things, enforcing compliance with environmental and construction conditions. Inquiries to the Commission Secretary may be made via telephone to 1-800- 335-2120. The Commission's Environmental Compliance Section can receive inquiries via telephone at (518) 473-7248. Please click here to open the Preconstruction Notification file as an Acrobat PDF. If you do not have a copy of Adobe Reader, you may download it for free by clicking here. March 13, 2006 - "Upstate New York Farms Begin Raising New Crop: Electricity From Windmills" By ANTHONY DePALMA LOWVILLE, N.Y. - William and Patricia Burke have lived in their white Colonial-style farmhouse on the edge of the Tug Hill plateau for 36 years. And for 35 of those years they have cursed the winter wind as it whistled through every crack and hole in the house. But this season they welcome the sound of the wind, because it represents their newfound security. The Burkes' old farmhouse is now surrounded by a forest of 120 huge windmills. Each one, called a wind turbine, is 320 feet tall, about the same height as Big Ben in London or the same length as the football field at Giants Stadium. This new wind farm, called Maple Ridge, is already the largest alternative-energy project east of the Mississippi, and a second phase, which will include 75 more windmills, is scheduled to be built this year, starting in the spring. Mr. Burke, 58, has pinned the security of his fifth-generation dairy farm on the seven turbines that he allowed to be built on his 600 acres last fall. Each one will generate an annual lease payment of $5,000 to $10,000, based in part on the electricity generated, that will allow the Burkes to stay on their land after they retire. ''For me, this project is an excellent exit strategy,'' Mr. Burke said. ''Having the towers will allow us, when the time comes, to sell the cows, lease the land and keep the farm.'' The towers can also be said to represent enhanced national security, because they are the kind of project that President Bush has promoted of late to help break the nation's addiction to oil. The 120 windmills are spread out in a jagged 12-mile line through rural Lewis County, leeward of Lake Ontario. Powerful lake-effect winds can generate enough electricity to power about 500 homes from each turbine. The turbines that have changed the Burkes' life have transformed the landscape and the economy of the county, an area where it seems most barns are as swaybacked as an old mare. Environmentalists say the windmills provide a glimpse of what the future of alternative energy could be in the Northeast. These new-generation turbines are far larger and more powerful than any others in the region. The blades are 131 feet long, and although they seem to be rotating at a lazy Sunday afternoon clip, they are so large that their tips are actually racing around at 138 miles per hour. When all 195 towers are operating at full capacity, they would generate a total of 320 megawatts of pollution-free electricity, the equivalent of a midsize power plant. Maple Ridge is a symbol of the maturation of wind energy in New York from a demonstration project to a bona fide alternative to fossil fuel-based energy, and it has been accomplished with little help from the federal government. ''The president is now talking about ending our addiction to oil, but he's not following through with the national policies we would need to create a Marshall Plan for renewable energy,'' said Katherine Kennedy, a senior lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council. ''We're looking at states like New York to give us the projects that will change the energy picture from carbon to a much cleaner mix.'' Maple Ridge also represents Wall Street's new interest in renewable energy. The company behind the project, Horizon Wind Energy, is owned by Goldman Sachs. The Maple Ridge Wind Farm resulted from a partnership between Horizon and PPM Energy of Portland, Ore. ''The firm is committed to committing capital to environmentally friendly technology and investments, and wind energy is certainly one of them,'' said Neil Aura, a managing director at Goldman Sacs, who is involved in the wind project. ''But this investment is by no means propelled solely by these concerns. It was evaluated on its merits.'' The company declined to discuss the actual costs of the project, but typically, each 1.65 megawatt turbine costs $2.3 million to $2.8 million to build. That would put the cost of the completed Maple Ridge project at somewhere between $450 million and $550 million. That sounds like a lot, but once the turbines are built, fuel costs are zero because the wind is free. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wind is the fastest-growing electricity-generating technology in the world. Wind still accounts for less than 1 percent of the nation's electricity, but wind-generating capacity has tripled over the past five years. Alec G. Dreyer, chief executive of Horizon, said New York was an ideal choice for the wind farm because the state has a growing energy market and an electricity grid that the company can easily hook up to. Besides completing Maple Ridge this year, Horizon is working on projects in windy areas of Clinton and Wyoming Counties and elsewhere in the state. The projects could add 500 megawatts of electricity to the state's power grid. The company said it was staying away from the most obvious wind source in New York, the Long Island shore, because it feared being caught in a battle with residents worried about the visual impact of the turbines. New York has plenty of wind resources besides Long Island, Mr. Dreyer said, and it also has an open attitude toward alternative energy that welcomes investment. In 2003, Gov. George E. Pataki set a goal of having 25 percent of the state's energy come from alternative sources by 2013. A utilities surcharge was added to consumers' bills to help start the projects. New Jersey has also taken a chance on wind. Five turbines, owned by Community Energy of Wayne, Pa., on the grounds of the Atlantic County Utility Authority's water treatment plant will generate 7.5 megawatts of electricity this year. Another factor has made upstate New York a particularly good place to build wind farms: The wind turbines are widely seen as an economic bonanza. The only other sizable enterprises in this region are a Kraft Foods plant, a bowling pin factory and dairy farms. But the growing season is short, and many longtime farm families have given up on their dairy operations. Only Amish farmers are moving in, and so far none of them have allowed wind turbines to be built on their farms. But for many other local residents, the towers represent millions of dollars in payments in lieu of taxes to support the schools and local governments. And for property owners who have them, each turbine can represent a new pickup truck, or a child's college education. ''I know of one man who left each of his kids a windmill in his will,'' said Martin J. Beyer, a retired farmer who owns a motel and has two turbines on his land. He said a few local residents, mostly those who do not farm, objected to the turbines, saying they obstructed rural vistas. But they were outnumbered. ''Does anybody pay any attention to electric light poles on the side of the road?'' Mr. Beyer asked, saying, ''That's exactly what windmills are going to be like in a year.'' Copyright © 2006 by The New York Times Co.  Reprinted with permission. December 21, 2005 - News 10 Report: Maple Ridge Producing Electricity (includes video) April 5 , 2005 - PPM and Zilkha Announce Maple Ridge Wind Farm Landmark Project Will Quadruple New York Wind Energy Capacity   MARTINSBURG, NY– PPM Energy, ScottishPower’s (NYSE: SPI) competitive U.S. energy business, and Zilkha Renewable Energy today announced the start of construction of the Maple Ridge Wind Farm (formerly called Flat Rock Wind Power Project). Maple Ridge is expected to be commercially operational by the end of 2005. Zilkha and PPM are equal partners in the venture. The Goldman Sachs Group (NPSE: GS) recently announced plans to acquire Zilkha Renewable Energy, subject to regulatory approvals. Located near the towns of Martinsburg, Lowville, Watson, and Harrisburg about 75 miles northeast of Syracuse, the Maple Ridge project has been named to honor the maple sugaring tradition in Lewis County, the leading maple syrup producing county in New York. The first phase of Maple Ridge is expected to be 198 megawatts (MW), using 120 1.65 MW Vestas turbines. The site also has expansion potential. Phase I of Maple Ridge will more than quadruple the amount of wind power in New York, a state with a 25 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) designed to be in full effect by 2013, one of the most aggressive such policies in the nation. “The community has given the Maple Ridge project a warm welcome, and we thank the citizens, as well as local and state authorities, for their enthusiasm for clean, renewable, locally produced wind energy,” said Michael Zilkha, co-owner of Zilkha Renewable Energy. “And we congratulate Governor Pataki and the Public Service Commission for their environmental stewardship, exemplified by their development of the RPS. We also congratulate the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for their long-term support of renewable energy.” "PPM is pleased to be part of this landmark project that will more than quadruple the total installed wind capacity in the state of New York, helping the state meet its renewables goals," said Terry Hudgens, PPM Energy’s CEO. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced that five power generation producers, including the Maple Ridge Wind Power Project, have been selected to provide power in the form of renewable energy, or "green" power, in the first phase of the Renewable Portfolio Standard Program.   “Increasing the amount of renewable energy that is produced in New York is one of the key components of the State’s energy policy,” said Peter R. Smith, President of NYSERDA. “The Maple Ridge project is a shining example of how we can promote economic development, improve our energy security, and provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all New Yorkers.” The project will support the local economy through royalty payments to about 100 landowners and property tax payments to seven local tax jurisdictions; construction will create up to 300 jobs at the peak of building. While the entire project spans approximately 21,000 acres, the actual footprint of the turbines uses less than one percent of the total acreage. Landowners will continue using the remainder of the land for pastures, timberland, farming, and leisure activities. The first phase of the Maple Ridge Wind Farm will provide clean electricity to 59,400 New York homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association’s calculation. The Maple Ridge project is situated near Martinsburg, Lowville, Watson, and Harrisburg in Lewis County on Tug Hill, the ideal location for New York's largest wind farm. With an average elevation of 1600-1800 feet, Tug Hill is an ancient geologic formation that lies just downwind of the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, separated from the Adirondacks to the east by the Black River Valley. At a maximum elevation of 2000 feet above sea level, the Tug Hill plateau experiences strong lake-effect weather patterns and has long been known for its exceptional wind resource. According to Terry Thisse, Supervisor of the Town of Martinsburg, “The social and economic benefits from this project are many. A large increase in the tax base for the county, towns, and schools is just one of them. The positive effects from an environmentally friendly project of this size will be enjoyed for many years to come. The Town of Martinsburg is proud to be the primary host for this important project.” February 7, 2005 - Please click here to read NYSERDA's press release announcing the selection of Maple Ridge Wind Farm (formerly Flat Rock Wind Power Project) as one of five renewable energy projects to provide green energy to New York State. October 17, 2004 - "Change Is in the Wind," Times Union An Excerpt: "At Fenner Windpower Project in Madison County, New York, 20 huge wind turbines stand as if at attention, waiting for a breeze. "Sleek, pale, and completely outsized among the weathered barns and cornfields, the turbines make trees look like ankle-high weeds. The machines are 215 feet tall, to the hubs of their triple-bladed fans. "On the Griffin family's 420-acre farm, two turbines have been planted in exchange for flat lease payments plus royalties for energy that is produced. "'We couldn't put enough cattle in the pasture to make up for what the wind payment is,' said Donna Griffin, 61...." PUBLIC NOTICE ON PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED MAPLE RIDGE WIND FARM (FORMERLY FLAT ROCK WIND POWER, LLC) 230 KV TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT NYSPSC CASE NO 03-T-0515 May 20, 2004 - On April 12, 2004, The New York State Public Service Commission issued a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to Maple Ridge Wind Farm to construct an overhead 230 kilovolt (kV) electric transmission facility. As a requirement of the Certificate, Maple Ridge Wind Farm, on or about May 20, 2004, will file an Environmental Management and Construction Plan (EM&CP) for construction of the proposed facility with the New York State Public Service Commission.   The EM&CP will include the plans to construct, operate, and maintain an approximately 10.5-mile-long overhead 230 kV electric transmission line running from a proposed substation on Rector Road at the site of its proposed Maple Ridge Wind Farm in the Town of Martinsburg to a proposed substation near Chases Lake Road and Wetmore Road in the Town of Watson. The Chases Lake Road facility would be interconnected with Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation's 230 kV Adirondack-Porter Line. The Maple Ridge Wind Farm will consist of approximately 187 wind turbine generators with a total capacity of approximately 300 megawatts.   The EM&CP will be available for public inspection at the William H. Bush Memorial Library, Route 26 and Whitaker Road, Martinsburg, and the Lowville Free Library, 5387 Dayan Street, Lowville. The application is also available for inspection at the New York Department of Public Service, Central Files, 14th Floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY. The EM&CP is available for download online at http://www.flatrockwind.com/profac.htm.   Included in the filing is information relating to the specific location of the transmission line and proposed Rector Road Substation and Chases Lake Road Interconnection Facility. It will also describe the proposed construction procedures and environmental protection measures to be implemented for the entire project. Should any person require additional information regarding the proposed project, he or she may obtain information by contacting:   Maple Ridge Wind Farm Attn: William Moore, Manager 7612 State Street, Suite 7 Lowville, New York  13367 (315) 377-3002   In addition, any person may comment on the EM&CP by submitting such comments within 30 days of the EM&CP filing date by:   In Written Form: Jaclyn Brilling, Acting Secretary New York State Public Service Commission Three Empire State Plaza Albany , New York 12223 Toll-free Opinion Line: Interested persons may call a special toll-free Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This phone line is set up to receive comments about pending proceedings from in-state callers, 24 hours a day. Callers should select English or Spanish and press "1" to leave comments concerning the Maple Ridge Wind Farm transmission line proposal.   The Internet: Comments may also be submitted via the "PSC Comment Form" in the "Consumer Assistance" file accessed through the homepage of the Commission's Web site. Many libraries offer free Internet access. The Web site address is http://www.dps.state.ny.us and comments are downloaded regularly. PSC Approves Certificate for Construction of Maple Ridge Wind Farm (Formerly Flat Rock Wind Power) Electric Transmission Line Project between Towns of Martinsburg and Watson, Lewis County Albany, NY - April 8, 2004 - The New York State Public Service Commission today voted to issue, with conditions, a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (Certificate) to Maple Ridge Wind Farm to construct a 10.3 mile-long overhead 230-kilovolt (kV) electric transmission line to connect the proposed Maple Ridge Wind Farm in the Town of Martinsburg to Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation's (Niagara Mohawk) 230-kV Adirondack-Porter Line in the Town of Watson, both located in Lewis County. The line would enable the transmission of electricity from a clean, renewable source to the New York State power grid.   "The approval of the Maple Ridge [formerly Flat Rock] transmission line proposal demonstrates the continued commitment of the Commission to identify and encourage sound and efficient energy initiatives that strengthen our state's electricity system," said Commission Chairman William M. Flynn. "This transmission line will be a vital link to a significant source of renewable energy that can help meet New York State's future energy needs."   The Maple Ridge Wind Farm will require certification by the Commission under section 68 of the State Public Service Law.   The Commission voted to approve a Joint Proposal governing the construction of the line that was developed by Maple Ridge, the staffs of the State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Public Service, Agriculture and Markets, and Niagara Mohawk. All parties agree that the transmission line will be consistent with the state's current long range energy goals, including the objectives identified in the 2002 State Energy Plan. The Proposal includes measures that assure the transmission line is protective of the environment, including cultural resources and agricultural lands, and that the interconnection will be compatible with the system facilities of Niagara Mohawk and the New York Power Authority. No comments in opposition to the transmission line proposal were filed with the Commission. All speakers at the Commission's December 3, 2003 public statement hearing supported construction of the proposed transmission line.    The transmission line will run from an electric substation Maple Ridge proposes to construct on Rector Road at the site of its proposed wind farm project to an electric substation it proposes to construct near Chases Lake Road and Wetmore Road in the Town of Watson. The Chases Lake Road facility will be interconnected with Niagara Mohawk's 230 kV Adirondack-Porter Line. The electric transmission facility will consist of a single circuit, 230-kV overhead transmission line of approximately 10.3 miles.   The Commission will issue a written decision detailing today's vote. The decision in Commission Case 03-T-0515 , when available, can be obtained from the Commission's website at http://www.dps.state.ny.us by accessing the Commission Documents section of the homepage. Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission orders can also be obtained from the Files Office, 14th floor, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500).