Wind energy is a popular alternative energy source… so popular that New York’s Attorney General wants to make sure it’s done legally.
This story from WRGB-TV in Albany, NY has details:
Cuomo announced Thursday a new Wind Industry Ethics Code to ensure that development of alternative energy continues in New York properly and legally.
“Wind power is an exciting industry for the state that will be a cornerstone of our energy future,” Cuomo said in a statement Thursday. “But it is important to make sure that this alternative energy sector develops in a way that maintains the public’s confidence, and that is what this new code of conduct does.”
Two companies have already signed on to the ethics code: Noble Environmental Power, based in Essex, Connecticut, and First Wind, based in Newton, Mass.
The attorney general has previously investigated whether wind-farm companies improperly sought land-use agreements with citizens and public officials, and whether those companies have tried to sway lawmakers into backing wind farm development with improper benefits.
The Wind Industry Ethics Code prohibits conflicts of interest between municipal officials and wind companies, and establishes new public disclosure requirements.