Power grid operator: no power so far to state grid from Cohocton - Hornell, NY - Hornell Evening Tribune

After years of development, construction, anxiety and lawsuits, the hills surrounding Cohocton have sprouted 50 commercial wind turbines.

Now that First Wind has wrapped up its construction in Cohocton and the turbines are now spinning in the breeze, is that energy being sold?

According to the grid operator, no. And that’s not expected to change anytime soon.

Richard Barlette, manager of government affairs for the New York Independent System Operator — the not-for-profit company that moderates the state’s power grid and gives all power projects the green light — said no power generated at the site has been sold for consumption.

“They’re currently under the connection process,” he said. “As far as ‘flipping the switch,’ a ball park figure is December 2010.”

Australia: New inquiry into emissions trading scheme

Mr Turnbull said the new inquiry would be established in the Senate. It would have the same terms of reference as the scrapped lower house inquiry which was to investigate "the choice of emissions trading as the central policy to reduce Australia's carbon pollution".

The shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, said yesterday that by initiating the inquiry, Labor showed it had "severe doubts about whether [an ETS] is right."

Winter puts water lines in deep freeze | sctimes.com | St. Cloud Times

A cold winter so far has meant more frozen water service lines this year than any in recent memory, City Utilities Director Pat Shea said.

“In the last 10 years, we’ve usually had a couple per year. Maybe they did some work on them and forgot to replace the insulation,” Shea said. “We’re at 26 and climbing this year.”

The reason for the high number of frozen water pipes leading to people’s homes and businesses this year is a frost layer that is continuing to sink deeper into the ground, even as sunlight becomes more abundant and temperatures start to perk up a little bit.