CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

Bath, N.Y.

A local law is now in place allowing Steuben County to lease portions of its landfill for an electric generation plant.

County legislators unanimously approved the lease, which does not specify the agency expected to take over the plant at the landfill along Turnpike Road.

There is a mandatory 45-day “cooling off” period before the law takes effect.
However, county officials will continue their negotiations May 9 with Steuben Rural Electric Cooperative, of Bath, to build a $6 million facility at the landfill.

The cooperative was selected from a field of eight utilities in early March.

So far, the co-op and county are expected to share revenues with the utility receiving about $1.5 million and the county $650,000 annually. The plant would use methane gases produced by the landfill to generate power.

Customers of the co-op, which services parts of rural of the county, could see their bills drop $60 a year, or about the cost of a monthly electric bill, according to initial estimates.

County Public Works Commissioner Vincent Spagnoletti said county officials don’t anticipate any major changes in the final agreement.

The county’s application for the plant is due May 24, he said.

In other action, legislators:

• Approved the use of federal and state funding for the replacement of the U.S. Highway 15 bridge over Cowanesque River in the town of Lindley.

• Approved the use of $10,500 in reserve funds for the Bath Courthouse exterior painting capital project.

• Requested the governor and state Legislature to increase funding for firefighter training to insure the delivery of fire service protection.