New York's rules on turbine transportation are blowing its climate goals out of reach

 By 

Rosemary Misdary

 

Published Nov 4, 2024

 

As New York state falls behind on its ambitious climate goals, concern is mounting among environmentalists and industry insiders about bureaucratic red tape that results in it taking a whole day to transport a wind turbine just 100 miles.

State Department of Transportation policies surrounding the transit of turbines, which are considered “super loads,” limit the hours and frequency the machinery can hit the road. Critically, the big rigs hauling the turbine parts must be escorted by state troopers working overtime. The rules often lead to absurd situations when troopers escorting a turbine reach the limit of their jurisdiction and must then stop and wait for troopers from the next jurisdiction to take over. The cargo must then be re-inspected.

Wind farm developers told Gothamist that the policies mean they can only deliver the components of two-and-a-half turbines each week. New York state aims to produce 4,000 megawatts of onshore wind energy by 2030. As of September 2023, New York had more than 2,500 megawatts of wind capacity at 32 utility-scale wind farms, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

“The scale of what is going to get built in the next five years, between us and other developers, is really highlighting a need here … to increase the volume of superloads that can get delivered,” said Justin VanCoughnett, director of project management at Invenergy, a wind power developer.

Over the next five years, Invenergy has contracts to deliver roughly 1,000 megawatts of wind power in New York. That equals about 3,500 super loads, or nearly 300 turbines. But it took a calendar year to haul 27 turbines just 100 miles to a small wind farm in Lowville in the North Country.

“We need to be on pace to start delivering 1,000 to 1,500 superloads per year starting late next year. And that's just one developer,” VanCoughnett said.

The frustration with the regulations emerges as Gov. Kathy Hochul has said it’s likely that the state will miss its climate goals “by a couple of years.” The state’s climate law requires New York to run on 70% renewable energy by 2030.

“The reason for delays is simple: A global supply chain crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic put multiple projects behind schedule, and New York is one of many states that is experiencing unavoidable delays,” said Paul DeMichele, a spokesperson for Hochul. “Gov. Hochul will continue her work to develop clean, affordable energy sources that serve all New Yorkers."

The climate law requires state agencies to prioritize green energy projects. But the turbines are subject to the same rules that apply to transportation of beams for bridges and other large cargo. A report released in July by the nonprofit New York Lawyers for the Public Interest found that state agencies, including the transportation department, are impeding the climate law.

The components of just one turbine require about 12 superload trailers, which are defined as any vehicles that exceed 16 feet in height or width, are longer than 160 feet, or are heavier than 200,000 pounds. The turbine parts are larger than prefab homes occasionally hauled on highways.

 

A bill introduced nearly two years ago could ease restrictions and fast-track delivery, but the legislation has been held up in committee in both the state Assembly and Senate.

The turbine bottleneck begins on the St. Lawrence River, where deliveries are limited to a window from March to November, mainly due to weather.

Once a shipment reaches port, the turbines are loaded on trailers bound for the job site. This requires an escort of up to five state troopers per load. But arranging those troopers is often a logistical challenge, particularly when teams of troopers from multiple jurisdictions must be scheduled. The turbine manufacturers pay for the troopers’ overtime. The New York State Police and its union did not respond to inquiries.

“There are so many limitations on their ability to do it given the zones [of jurisdiction] and the overtime restrictions," said Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. "It severely hampers the ability for something to even just get down the road in a single day."

Vestas, a turbine manufacturer, can only deliver about 65 turbines every year in New York. At that rate, it will take a decade to deliver the 700 turbines Vestas has under contract. Matthew Copeman, a spokesperson for Vestas, said the company is in a bind because the permits and contracts for those projects require they be operational in three years.

“With the current restrictions and requirements in place, it's not feasible to deliver two onshore projects to New York at the same time. They must be done subsequently,” Copeman said.

According to a white paper published in August by Vestas, the state could expedite wind projects by lifting weekend and evening travel restrictions and allowing trucks to leave every 15 minutes instead of hourly. The state could also ease restrictions on routes and turbine deliveries during winter months.

The paper recommended assigning a maximum of two escorts per load and allowing other types of escorts, such as park police, fire department and private escorts, which are used in other states.

“We have very aggressive climate goals — and [for] wind in particular,” said state Assemblymember Pamela Hunter, who sponsored the legislation reforming the rules around turbine transportation.

“These huge turbines need to be transported for all of these different projects," she added. "A lot of the developers and climate activists are saying, 'This is a problem for us. You're asking us to step up to meet these goals, but not giving us the tools.'”

New York's rules on turbine transportation are blowing its climate goals out of reach - Gothamist