yes any power generated has to be pit against the problems and pollution caused by the coal fired power plant on the waters edge in Tonawanda. How much less mercury, sulfur and co2 will be spewed by the power generated from the these turbines. What are the huge health costs of running that plant vs starting to replace it with cleaner renewable energy sources.

I think these are a fantastic idea. I would also like to hope that the power generated by these will stay local. Lets not produce it to send it downstate so that we must keep running the cancer and asthma factory in Tonawanda.

SO there are all these major corporations buying offsets for their Carbon Footprint, maybe Buffalo can be the "Carbon Footprint Offset Store". Send money this way and in return we send you that warm fuzzy feeling about carborn footprints that you then sell in your marketing brochures.

While interesting from a renewable energy standpoint, I don't see how this is big for WNY. I never heard of any power from the wind turbines in Lackawanna being diverted for local benefit. Maybe the permitting for this project could result in a portion of the power being allocated for local consumption at below market rates.

Heat pumps are good. Make sure you buy them from WFI Industries because I own stock in them. :)

The companies involved should pre-emptively suggest some environmental projects such as the restoration of the Lake Sturgeon population or something like that to sweeten the pot. With sensitive enough studies you can prove that any action will effect the environment. However, if you make sure the action is a net-benefit to the environment this would help move the project forward.

heat pumps are just a part of the solution. I whole heartedly agree that we need to use them more but within water isn't the right answer for them. While good for air conditioning water gets too cold in the winter for heating. You need to drill into the earth itself for the heat. By doing that we can get much more than just 50% of our heat from the ground.

Either way heating and electricity are usually two very separated systems in WNY. So while we can get heat from the earth a geothermal powerplant isn't really an option around here so we still need a form of clean electricity to power everything else.

fish puree!

sfbrof, you dont know what your talking about!!!

first, no one is talking about a geothermal power plant

second, a heat pump is very different than a geothermal electric generator

third, heat pumps can extract enough from temperature differential everyplace in the continental US.

third, as I said before exploiting a temperature differential can be done vertically by laying tublng in the black rock canal, niagara river and/or outer harbor......and it would have the same efficiency as drilling down a geothermal well into the ground.

ok, here is an even bigger idea that will generate much more than any stupid turbine for the westside and downtown buffalo and south buffalo (queenseyes)

HEAT PUMPS CAN SAVE 50% OF ALL HVAC COSTS.

HEAT PUMPS CAN BE VERTICAL MEANING INTO THE GROUND FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

or

HEAT PUMPS CAN BE HORIZONTAL ALONG THE GROUND. THEREFORE IMAGINE IF THE ENTIRE OUTER HARBOR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE BREAK WALL, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE BARGE CANAL WERE BURRIED WITH TUBING FOR HEAT PUMPS.

The entire westside, downtown and south buffalo could get 50% savings on air condition

The entire westside, downtown and south buffalo could get 50% savings in winter heating.

IT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY AREA OUTSIDE THE HEAT PUMP SAVINGS DISTRICT TO BE SIMPLY NOT AN OPTION.

IMAGINE ALL THE BROWNFIELDS BEING RE-INDUSTRIALIZED/RECOMMERCIALIZED IN MAXIMUM DENSITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ENERGY SAVINGS.

IMAGINE 2 STORY SUBURBAN BUILDINGS BEING THE NORM TO 10 STORY URBAN BUILDINGS BEING THE NORM TO TAKE MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE OF ENERGY SAVINGS.

fish puree!

The one in the East River are giving power to I believe the entire Roosevelt Island between Manhattan and Queens.

Looks like it might hurt the fish...