1001.26 Exhibit 26 Effect on Communications
Deer River Wind Farm
Article 10 Certificate Application
Case No. 16-F-0267
Atlantic Wind LLC Deer River Wind Farm EXHIBIT 26 EFFECT ON COMMUNICATIONS
Table of Contents
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...... III
EXHIBIT 26 EFFECT ON COMMUNICATIONS ...... 1 (a) Existing Broadcast Communication Sources ...... 1 (1) AM Radio ...... 1 (2) FM Radio ...... 1 (3) Television ...... 2 (4) Telephone ...... 3 (5) Microwave Transmission ...... 4 (6) Emergency Services ...... 5 (7) Municipal/School District Services ...... 6 (8) Public Utility Services ...... 7 (9) Doppler/Weather Radar (all affected sources; not limited to 2-mile radius) ...... 7 (10) Air Traffic Control (all affected sources; not limited to 2-mile radius) ...... 7 (11) Armed Forces (all affected sources; not limited to 2-mile radius) ...... 7 (12) Global Positioning System (GPS) ...... 7 (13) Long-Range Navigation (LORAN) ...... 8 (14) Amateur Radio Licenses ...... 8 (b) Existing Underground Cable and Fiber Optic Lines within Two Miles ...... 10 (c) Anticipated Effects on Communication Systems ...... 11 (1) Potential Structure Interference with Broadcast Patterns ...... 11 (2) Potential for Structures to Block Lines-of-Sight ...... 14 (3) Physical Disturbance by Construction Activities ...... 14 (4) Adverse Impacts to Co-Located Lines Due to Unintended Bonding ...... 14 (5) Other Potential for Interference ...... 15 (d) Evaluation of Design Configuration ...... 15 (e) Post-Construction Activities to Identify and Mitigate Adverse Effects on Communication Systems ...... 15 (f) Potential Interference with Radar or Other Instrumentation Systems Used for Air Traffic Control, Guidance, Weather, or Military Operations ...... 15
REFERENCES ...... 19
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LIST OF TABLES Table 26-1. Summary of AM stations located within 30 km of Facility...... 1 Table 26-2. Summary of FM stations located within 30 km of Facility...... 2 Table 26-3. Mobile phone carriers in Lewis and Jefferson counties...... 3 Table 26-4. Summary of microwave paths that intersect the Facility...... 4 Table 26-5. Site-based licensed communication sources...... 5 Table 26-6. Amateur radio licenses near the Facility...... 8 Table 26-7. Licensed off-air TV stations that may experience reception degradation as a result of the Facility...... 12
LIST OF FIGURES Figure 26-1. Facility Components and Communication System Constraints. Figure 26-2. ROC analysis zones for WSR-88D location, as identified in the NOAA NEXRAD Screening Tool. Figure 26-3. National Weather Service’s Radar Operations Center Analysis Zones.
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 26-A. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM Communication Tower Study Deer River Appendix 26-B. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM AM and FM Radio Report Deer River Wind Project Appendix 26-C. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM Off-Air TV Analysis Deer River Wind Project Appendix 26-D. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM Mobile Phone Carrier Report Deer River Wind Project Appendix 26-E. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM Microwave Study Deer River Wind Project Appendix 26-F. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM Land Mobile & Emergency Services Report Deer River Wind Project Appendix 26-G. Comsearch Wind Power GeoPlannerTM Government RADAR Systems Analysis Deer River Appendix 26-H. NOAA NEXRAD Wind Farm Impact Zone Maps and the ROC Evaluation Process
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Acronyms and Abbreviations
AFSCN Air Force Satellite Control Network
Applicant or Atlantic Wind Atlantic Wind LLC
ARRL American Radio Relay League
BOP Balance of Plant
DOC Department of Commerce
DoD Department of Defense
DRWF Deer River Wind Farm
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
Facility Consists of all generating facility components; ancillary features located within the Facility Site, including but not limited to an Operations & Maintenance building, meteorological towers, substation(s), and access roads; and interconnections.
Facility Site The parcels proposed to host the Facility components, which are identified in the Application.
FCC Federal Communications Commission
GHz gigahertz
GPS Global Positioning System
IRAC Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee
kHz kilohertz
km kilometer
kv kilovolt
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LORAN Long-Range Navigation
m meter
MHz megahertz
MIA Military Influence Area
NEXRAD Next Generation Weather Radar
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration
NWS National Weather Service
NYSOPRHP New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
POI Point of Interconnection
ROC Radar Operations Center
USDOT US Department of Transportation
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EXHIBIT 26 EFFECT ON COMMUNICATIONS
(a) Existing Broadcast Communication Sources
This section identifies existing broadcast communication sources within a minimum 2-mile radius of the Facility including the electric interconnection between the Facility and the Point of Interconnection (POI). In 2016, Comsearch conducted a Communication Tower Study and identified 10 tower structures and 41 communication antennas in proximity to the Facility (Appendix 26-A). The identified towers and communication antennas are used for microwave, cellular, FM, TV, and land mobile services. In 2018, Comsearch completed a suite of studies to identify communication sources located within proximity to the Facility. The results of these studies by communication source are summarized below.
(1) AM Radio
Comsearch conducted a review of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licenses to identify AM radio stations located within approximately 30 kilometers (km; 19 miles) of the Facility (Appendix 26-B). Six database records for AM station were found during this review and are summarized in Table 26-1. Note that stations WTNY and WNER are licensed separately for daytime and nighttime operations and each had two database records.
Table 26-1. Summary of AM stations located within 30 km of Facility.
Call Sign Broadcast Latitude Longitude Distance from Distance from Location (NAD 27) (NAD 27) Facility Facility (km) (miles) WTNY Watertown, 43.945556 -75.948333 9.93 6.17 (daytime) NY WTNY Watertown, 43.945556 -75.948333 9.93 6.71 (nighttime) NY WNER Watertown, 43.946389 -75.947778 9.96 6.19 (daytime) NY WNER Watertown, 43.946389 -75.947778 9.96 6.19 (nighttime) NY WANT Watertown, 43.980278 -75.936667 12.36 7.68 NY WZUN Pulaski, NY 43.605278 -76.130000 33.18 20.62
(2) FM Radio
Comsearch’s review identified 24 database records for FM radio stations within approximately 30 km of the Facility (Table 26-2). Of these 24 database records, 21 records are for currently licensed and operating stations and 2 of these FM stations, WJNY and WRVJ, are located within the Facility limits. Seven of the licensed and operating stations
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are low-power or translator station, which have a limited broadcast range. The remaining 7 database records are for stations for which a construction permit has been granted.
Table 26-2. Summary of FM stations located within 30 km of Facility.
Call Sign Status1 Service2 Latitude Longitude Distance Distance (NAD 27) (NAD 27) from Facility from Facility (km) (miles) WJNY LIC FM 43.862222 -75.727778 0 0 WRVJ LIC FM 43.862222 -75.727778 0 0 WBDR LIC FM 43.879722 -75.719722 0.87 0.54 WKWV LIC FM 43.954167 -75.729167 8.57 5.33 WTOJ LIC FM 43.954167 -75.729167 8.57 5.33 WSLJ LIC FM 43.956333 -75.840639 8.03 4.99 W283CC LIC FX 43.956389 -75.840556 8.04 5.00 WCIZ-FM LIC FM 43.956389 -75.845833 8.00 4.97 WFRY-FM LIC FM 43.956389 -75.845833 8.00 4.97 WOTT LIC FM 43.966667 -75.803056 9.40 5.84 WLLG LIC FM 43.753333 -75.563889 7.91 4.92 W240EA CP FX 43.945556 -75.948333 9.93 6.17 W250CI CP FX 43.946389 -75.947778 9.96 6.19 W272BL LIC FX 43.976667 -75.610833 14.44 8.97 WXLD LIC FM 43.808667 -75.511528 11.49 7.14 W220BO LIC FX 43.808611 -75.511389 11.50 7.15 W261CP LIC FX 43.795833 -75.499444 12.45 7.74 WWTJ-LP LIC FL 44.041111 -75.903056 17.73 11.02 WEFX LIC FM 43.820278 -76.091389 18.63 11.58 WSEN CP FM 43.605556 -75.929444 23.40 14.54 WBLH LIC FM 44.054944 -75.954250 20.42 12.69 WGKV LIC FM 43.607778 -75.973056 24.80 15.41 W206BH LIC FX 43.636111 -75.395000 26.33 16.36 W252CK LIC FX 43.698333 -75.324167 28.15 17.49 1LIC = Licensed and operational station; CP=Construction permit granted. 2FM = FM broadcast station; FX = FM translator station; FL = Low-power FM station.
(3) Television
Off-air television stations broadcast signals from terrestrially based facilities directly to television receivers. Comsearch conducted a review of FCC licenses for off-air TV station within approximately 150 km of the Facility because these are the stations most likely to provide off-air coverage to the communities near the Facility. A total of 74 database
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records were identified during this review (Appendix 26-C). Of these 74 data base records, 56 are currently licensed and operating and of these licensed and operating stations 19 are low-power stations or translators. Translator stations are low-power stations that receive signals from distant broadcasters and retransmit the signal to a local audience. These stations serve local audiences and have limited a range due to the transmit power and the height of the transmit antennas.
(4) Telephone
Comsearch has developed and maintains comprehensive technical databases containing information on licensed mobile phone carriers across the United States. Mobile phone carriers operate in multiple frequency bands and hold licenses on an area-wide basis that are typically comprised of several counties. Comsearch compiled a list of mobile phone carriers within Lewis and Jefferson counties where the Facility will be located (Appendix 26-D). Twenty-eight mobile phone carriers were identified as summarized in Table 26-3.
Comsearch also identified 2 cellular base stations within the Facility limits. Most mobile phone carriers’ individual sites are not licensed with the FCC for competitive and confidentiality reasons. However, base station used to extend the existing Cellular Geographic Service Areas must be recorded with the FCC. The 2 base stations within the Facility limits are located along Route 177. The AT&T base station is located at 576 State Route 177 in Pinckney and the Version base station is located at 2424 State Route 177 in Harrisburg.
Table 26-3. Mobile phone carriers in Lewis and Jefferson counties.
Service1 Mobile Phone Carrier Market ID Call Sign AWS AT&T CMA559 WQGA830 AWS Verizon BEA006 WQGA903 AWS T-Mobile BEA006 WQPG223 AWS T-Mobile REA001 WQGA731 AWS T-Mobile REA001 WQGB373 AWS Verizon REA001 WQGA715 Cellular AT&T CMA559 KNKN856 Cellular Verizon CMA559 KNKN766 PCS T-Mobile MTA001 KNLF202 PCS AT&T MTA001 WPSL626 PCS AT&T MTA001 WRAB209 PCS Sprint MTA001 KNLF204 PCS Verizon BTA463 WPSJ989 PCS Blue Wireless BTA463 WPTF728 PCS T-Mobile BTA463 KNLG576
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Service1 Mobile Phone Carrier Market ID Call Sign PCS AT&T BTA463 KNLG577 PCS AT&T BTA463 KNLH455 PCS Sprint BEA006 WQKS996 700 MHz T-Mobile BEA006 WQIZ389 700 MHz US Cellular CMA559 WQLE765 700 MHz AT&T CMA559 WQGV418 700 MHz AT&T EAG701 WPZA235 700 MHz DISH Network BEA006 WQJY948 700 MHz Verizon REA001 WQJQ689 WCS AT&T MEA002 KNLB312 WCS AT&T MEA002 KNLB204 WCS AT&T REA001 WPQL636 WCS AT&T REA001 KNLB297 1 AWS: Advanced Wireless Service at 1.7/2.1 GHz Cellular: Cellular Service at 800 MHz PCS: Personal Communication Service at 1.9 GHz 700 MHz: Commercial Mobile Phone at 700 MHz WCS: Wireless Communication Service at 2.3 GHz
(5) Microwave Transmission
Microwave networks provide long-distance and local telephone service, backhaul for cellular and personal communication service, data interconnects for mainframe computers and the Internet, network controls for utilities and railroads, and various video services. Microwave bands that may be affected by the installation of wind turbines operate over a wide frequency range (900 megahertz [MHz] – 23 gigahertz [GHz]). Microwave transmitters require a clear line-of-sight between towers to transmit data. Comsearch conducted an obstruction analysis using their microwave database that includes all non- government licensed, proposed, and applied paths from 0.9 to 23 GHz (Appendix 26-E). Five microwave paths were identified that intersect the Facility (Table 26-4).
Table 26-4. Summary of microwave paths that intersect the Facility.
Call Sign 1 Call Sign 2 Band (GHz) Path Length Path Length Licensee (km) (miles) WDV64 RXONLY 2 21.14 13.14 St Lawrence Valley Educational TV Council WDV65 RXONLY 2 98.59 61.26 St Lawrence Valley Educational TV Council WFD557 RXONLY 2 21.14 13.14 St Lawrence Valley Educational TV Council WQKJ499 WQKJ330 11 17.83 11.08 Jefferson County Government
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Call Sign 1 Call Sign 2 Band (GHz) Path Length Path Length Licensee (km) (miles) WQVB882 WQVB643 6.1 15.57 9.67 Lewis County
Comsearch then calculated the Fresnel Zones for each microwave path within the Facility limits. The Fresnel Zone is the narrow area of signal swath where turbines should not be placed, is possible. Based upon the shapefile provided by Comsearch of the Fresnel Zones, no turbines intersect the calculated Fresnel Zones.
(6) Emergency Services
Comsearch evaluated the registered frequencies for first responder entities including police, fire, emergency medical services, emergency management, hospitals, public works, transportation, and other state, county, and municipal agencies (Appendix 26-F). In addition, Comsearch identified industrial and business land mobile radio (LMR) systems and commercial E911 operators within the proposed Facility limits. This included the identification of both site-based licenses and regional area-wide licenses designated for public safety use. Data to conduct this evaluation was derived from the FCC’s Universal Licensing System and the FCC’s Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau.
Six fixed-site licenses were identified, all located in the same general location along County Road 194 in Pinckney. These are summarized in Table 26-5.
Table 26-5. Site-based licensed communication sources.
Licensee Callsign Antenna Latitude Longitude Distance to Height Above (NAD 83) (NAD 83) Center of Ground Level Facility (m/ft) (km/miles) State of New York Division of KED888 82.0 43.862278 -75.727417 4.57 State Police St. Lawrence Valley KPH384 98.0 43.862278 -75.727417 4.57 Educational TV Council, Inc. Wells Communication Service, WPYT789 45.0/147.6 43.862778 -75.727222 4.62/15.16 Inc. [Business of 2-way radio sales & service] Wells Communication Service, WPMP795 46.0/150.9 43.862778 -75.727222 4.62/15.16 Inc. [Business of 2-way radio sales & service] Wells Communication Service, WPPH817 122.0/400.3 43.862833 -75.727139 4.63/15.19 Inc. [Business of 2-way radio sales & service] Wells Communication Service, WQK455 145.0/457.7 43.862833 -75.727139 4.63/15.19 Inc. [Business of 2-way radio sales & service]
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Comsearch identified the regional area-wide licenses for Lewis and Jefferson counties where the Facility will be located. Lewis and Jefferson counties are part of Public Safety Region #30, which includes all of the counties in central and eastern Upstate New York. The chairperson for Public Safety Region #30, Lee Shurtleff, serves as the representative for all public safety entities and is responsible for coordinating current and future public safety wireless use. Bands licensed by the FCC for area-wide first responders includes 27 licenses for the State of New York, 4 for Jefferson County, and 3 for Lewis County. These area-wide licenses are designated only for mobile use. Statewide licenses include, but are not limited to, the American National Red Cross; Massasauga Search and Rescue, Inc.; New York State Emergency Management Office; New York City Police Department; and the Town of Woodbury. Jefferson County licenses include the County of Jefferson; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP) – Thousand Islands; Town of Rodman; and Thousand Islands Central School District. Lewis County licenses include the County of Lewis; Lewis County General Hospital; and Lewis County Search & Rescue, Inc. A complete list of area wide licenses can be found in Appendix 26-F.
Wireless operators are granted area-wide licenses from the FCC to deploy their cellular networks, which often include handsets with E911 capabilities. The following carriers were identified for Lewis and Jefferson counties: AT&T; Blue Wireless; DISH Network; Sprint; T-Mobile; US Cellular; and Verizon.
Based upon the New York State Mesonet website (University at Albany 2019), the nearest mesonet system site to the Facility is located on the east side of the intersection of State Highway 177 and Wood Battle Road in Harrisburg (43.80382, -75.68853). The nearest turbines to this meonet system site are located approximately 4,600 feet to the northwest and 7,200 feet to the west.
According to information included in the Fort Drum Joint Land Use Study (Matrix Design Group 2018), Jefferson County is planning to install 12 emergency communication towers for 911 calls throughout the county by 2019. The Applicant will coordinate with Jefferson County to confirm the locations of these proposed emergency communication towers to the extent that they are identified in the Fort Drum Joint Land Use Study (Matrix Design Group 2018) and otherwise confirm that the identification of emergency services infrastructure is correct. If Lewis County is proposing similar towers, the Applicant expects that these will be identified through on-going consultation.
(7) Municipal/School District Services
Comsearch identified 1 educational related site-based license and 1 area-wide license for a school district as part of their land mobile and emergency services review. The St. Lawrence Valley Educational TV Council, Inc., which is a non-profit education corporation, hold a site-based license (Table 26-5) and the Thousand Islands Central School District in Jefferson County holds an area-wide license.
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(8) Public Utility Services
The Applicant did not identify any Public Utility communications resources within the Facility Area, except those cellular telephone carriers discussed in Section (a)(4).
(9) Doppler/Weather Radar (all affected sources; not limited to 2-mile radius)
Comsearch used the Department of Defense (DoD) RADAR screening tool to determine whether the Facility could affect the National Weather Service (NWS) Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) WSR-88D systems (Appendix 26-G). This initial screening determined that the Facility is located within the consultation zone of the nearest NEXRAD system and could cause significant impacts to the radar line-of-sight. The nearest NEXRAD system is the Montague Weather Surveillance Radar model-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), which is owned and maintained by the DoD and operated by the NWS as part of the NEXRAD weather radar network.
(10) Air Traffic Control (all affected sources; not limited to 2-mile radius)
Using the DoD RADAR screening tool, Comsearch identified 1 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) long range radar system near the Facility.
(11) Armed Forces (all affected sources; not limited to 2-mile radius)
Through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) review process, the Department of Commerce (DOC) identified that the southeastern portion of the Facility encompassed a large portion of the Fort Drum, New York (KTYX) WSR-88D No Build Zone. The multiple purposes of the Fort Drum WSR-88D include detection of hazardous weather, aircraft navigation, and support of the US Army ground and air missions.
(12) Global Positioning System (GPS)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a US-owned utility that provides users with positioning, navigation, and timing services. GPS includes three components: Space Segment; Control Segment; and User Segment (National Coordination Office for Space- Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing 2018a). The Space Segment consists of at least 24 operational satellites spaced equally in 6 orbital planes around the Earth, which transmit one-way signals to users. The Control Segment consists of worldwide monitors and control stations that maintain the satellites. The User Segment consists of GPS receiver equipment capable of receiving the GPS transmitted signals. The Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) Remote Tracking System in New Hampshire is the closest GPS Control Segment to the Facility. The NTIA reviewed the proposed Facility and did not identify concerns related to GPS.
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(13) Long-Range Navigation (LORAN)
Long-Range Navigation (LORAN) was a ground-based navigation system operated by the US Coast Guard. In 2009, this system was declared obsolete and was subsequently shut down in 2010 (National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing 2018b). The National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 had a funding component that included LORAN infrastructure transfer with the intent that LORAN would be brought back online to function as backup for GPS. The National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 was incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which is still undergoing review. Because the LORAN system remains offline and reestablishment and potential upgrade of this system is unclear, this Application will provide no further discussion.
(14) Amateur Radio Licenses
A data search of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed amateur radio operators in the area identified 147 database records (American Radio Relay League [ARRL] 2018) (Table 26-3). The ARRL database is organized based upon zip codes, and the search included seven separate zip codes that overlap with a 2-mile radius of the Facility. Because this database is organized by zip code, some of the identified records may be more than 2 miles from the Facility.
Table 26-6. Amateur radio licenses near the Facility.
Callsign Expiration Date Operator Class Callsign Expiration Operator Date Class KD2OVY 12/15/2027 Technician N2YQI 6/7/2024 Amateur Extra KD2OVZ 12/15/2027 Technician WB2QKC 11/14/2019 General KB2SKF 11/18/2024 General NY0G 1/10/2026 Amateur Extra KC2MRL 3/12/2024 Technician KD2JRB 10/28/2025 Club KD2LWO 9/22/2026 Technician KC2RPM 5/23/2017 Technician WA2SCK 1/21/2022 Advanced N2VNT 6/15/2023 Technician N2QEF 4/7/2022 Technician KC2JHF 3/12/2022 General KC2WBV 11/10/2019 General KD2KSF 3/28/2026 General KC2BCT 3/13/2017 Technician KD2EWF 10/23/2023 General KC2NUN 2/11/2025 Technician WE2AEY 12/19/2019 General KB2JRE 3/13/2020 Technician KC2KYX 3/4/2023 General KG2NR 12/16/2026 General KC0KWW 7/10/2022 Amateur Extra KC2DDT 3/12/2018 Technician N2PSJ 2/25/2022 Technician KC2LED 4/8/2023 General WA2ETF 6/25/2027 Amateur Extra
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Callsign Expiration Date Operator Class Callsign Expiration Operator Date Class KC2LDH 4/4/2023 Technician KD2KAI 12/15/2025 Technician AC2WU 2/15/2028 Amateur Extra K3QT 5/12/2020 Amateur Extra KC2GLZ 6/9/2020 Technician KC2FOO 10/15/2019 General KC2GMA 6/9/2020 Technician K2PNA 10/28/2017 Advanced KD2JFY 8/20/2025 Technician KA2JAO 2/12/2021 General KA2UXW 2/26/2019 General KD2GUB 6/23/2024 Technician K2JRL 12/13/2026 General KD2MNH 12/22/2026 Technician AB2XN 11/13/2025 Amateur Extra N2RZM 7/21/2022 Technician KC2VNX 7/23/2019 Technician N2UVN 5/18/2023 Technician AB2QG 2/25/2028 General KB2ZAW 11/24/2026 Technician KC2KVK 2/6/2023 Technician KD2KXO 4/21/2026 Technician KC2LDF 8/10/2023 Technician KX2DDV 3/12/2028 Technician KB2TYU 6/2/2025 Amateur Extra WB2ASH 2/6/2027 General KA2IWN 6/5/2018 Technician N1UHJ 2/10/2025 Technician KD2BPX 2/21/2022 General KC2RPR 5/23/2017 Technician KD2BPX 2/21/2022 General KC2GCT 3/28/2020 Technician N2QLM 4/21/2022 Technician KD2IEV 3/11/2025 Club KC2JVU 6/19/2022 Technician KC2ELX 12/16/2018 Club KD2MNF 12/22/2026 Technician NY2JC 9/4/2023 Club N2KFJ 2/12/2021 Amateur Extra N2XSU 1/18/2024 Technician WB2ACO 2/8/2024 General KD2LSO 8/26/2026 Technician KC2ZCQ 9/8/2020 Amateur Extra KC2GWU 9/12/2020 Technician N1BUM 1/24/2017 Advanced KC2BYQ 10/27/2027 Technician KD2PSZ 5/1/2028 Technician KE2UA 7/8/2024 Amateur Extra WD9DVM 5/27/2027 General N2LRC 2/12/2021 Technician KD2KAJ 12/15/2025 Technician KB2RJF 8/27/2026 Technician W2RDG 2/10/2027 Amateur Extra WB2TUP 12/24/2027 Amateur Extra KC2UOB 1/30/2019 Technician KD2BPZ 2/21/2022 General KC2HGK 12/16/2020 Technician N2XST 1/18/2024 Amateur Extra KD2FNL 1/31/2024 Technician KB2AIJ 1/31/2026 Novice N2MXT 5/18/2023 Amateur Extra KD2GJD 4/30/2024 Technician KD2NFE 3/29/2027 General K2AZI 11/1/2016 Advanced KC2OJU 6/20/2025 General N2RZO 7/21/2022 Technician
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Callsign Expiration Date Operator Class Callsign Expiration Operator Date Class KD2SJK 1/18/2027 Technician WB2BSH 6/18/2026 Amateur Extra KR4MER 9/29/2025 General KD2GRI 6/11/2024 Technician KC2TKZ 5/22/2018 Technician KD2GUD 6/23/2024 Amateur Extra N2FOQ 4/27/2025 Technician KB3SAR 11/20/2018 General KC2WRJ 2/19/2020 General KC2RPQ 5/23/2017 Technician WA1FXK 11/2/2018 Amateur Extra KD2CCJ 5/1/2022 Technician KD2KAK 12/15/2025 General WB2KKX 3/20/2020 Advanced KD2IOY 4/23/2025 Technician KC2YGB 4/20/2020 Technician KD2IOX 4/23/2025 Technician N2MUB 6/18/2021 General N2MGK 4/30/2021 Technician KA2BAY 1/22/2027 General KB2ZBB 5/21/2026 Technician N2XSR 1/18/2024 Technician KC2UOQ 2/3/2019 General KD2AQY 8/25/2021 Amateur Extra KD2IOZ 4/23/2025 Technician KI4QOY 12/9/2026 General KB2ZBA 1/20/2027 Technician KF2YZ 1/18/2024 Advanced KC2QCT 8/22/2016 Technician N2XVB 2/1/2024 Technician KC2UPG 2/12/2019 Technician KC2JNL 5/3/2022 General KA2QJO 10/14/2027 Amateur Extra KD2PQW 4/24/2028 Technician KD2MNO 12/22/2026 Technician WA2TOJ 2/28/2026 Advanced KD2PWD 5/18/2028 Technician KC2INO 10/5/2021 Technician KC2GWT 9/12/2020 Amateur Extra KD2OMV 11/3/2027 General KC2PNA 4/11/2026 Amateur Extra KC2YOU 5/26/2020 Technician N2NAQ 4/11/2022 Technician KD2HLC 10/30/2024 Technician KB2RCP 7/16/2024 Technician KD2EWG 10/23/2023 Technician K2PDJ 12/23/2026 Amateur Extra WD5DQN 1/3/2019 General KE4FSK 10/8/2027 Technician KC2GCR 3/28/2020 General KD6JZH 8/3/2023 Advanced N2KX 2/16/2021 General KD2EAU 5/2/2023 General
(b) Existing Underground Cable and Fiber Optic Lines within Two Miles
The fiber optic lines in proximity to the Facility within Lewis County are located along the length of County Road 194 from Route 177 to the Village of Copenhagen (Development Authority of the North Country [DANC] 2018). In addition, fiber optic lines extend west from Lowville along Route
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177 to Cobb Road in Harrisburg. In Jefferson County, the nearest fiber optic lines to the Facility are located west of the intersection of Route 177 and Babbitts Corner Drive.
(c) Anticipated Effects on Communication Systems
Section (a) above provides a description of the communication systems in and around the Facility and expected impacts to those systems. The subsections below provide a more general discussion of the anticipated effects of the proposed Facility and the electric interconnection on the communication systems identified above in Sections (a) and (b).
NTIA Process
The NTIA, which is housed in the DOC, provides a centralized review process for all federal agencies represented by the Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC), including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the FAA, the Departments of Homeland Security and Interior, and DoD, among others. Sponsors of projects that could interfere with radio signals, including radar, can submit a request to the NTIA to review the project to determine whether such interference may, in fact, occur and, if so, whether the interference poses a hazard. The request is submitted to the NTIA, which circulates the project information to the many agencies that are part of the IRAC. The NTIA then assembles the responses from these agencies and informs the sponsor of the result.
The Applicant submitted its proposed plans to the NTIA on July 26, 2016. During the NTIA review process, and in conjunction with other processes with other agencies, such as the DoD’s Siting Clearinghouse and the FAA’s obstruction analysis (see Exhibit 25 for further discussion of these processes and potential transportation impacts), some agencies raised concerns about potential impacts from the Facility on radar resources. Further discussion of potential radar impacts, including changes made to the Facility to avoid, minimize and mitigate those impacts, can be found in Section (f) below.
(1) Potential Structure Interference with Broadcast Patterns
AM and FM Radio
The exclusion distance for AM broadcast stations varies as a function of the antenna type and broadcast frequency. Potential problems with AM broadcast coverage are only anticipated where AM broadcast stations are located within their respective exclusion distance limit from wind turbine towers. The closest operational AM station to the Facility is more than 9.9 km from the Facility limit (Table 26-1). The maximum possible exclusion distance based on a directional AM antenna broadcasting at 1,000 kilohertz (kHz) or less is 3 km. Therefore, the Facility should not impact the coverage of local AM stations.
The effect of wind turbines on FM radio coverage and reception is expected to be minimal if the turbines are sited in the far-field region of the broadcast antennas and line-of-sight to the populations served by the FM stations is maintained. To minimize the risk of distorting an FM antenna’s radiation pattern, wind turbines should be sited in the far-field
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region of existing FM antennas. To minimize potential signal distortion for FM frequencies, the minimum separation distance between an antenna and the tip of a wind turbine blade is 450 meters (m; 1,476 ft). FM stations WJNY and WRVJ, which are located within the Facility limits, are the only local FM stations within potential range of impact. The tower that holds the antennas for these two FM stations is over 900 m (3,000 ft) from the nearest turbine. Recommendations to minimize potential FM signal distortion include placing those turbines nearest the tower holding the WJNY and WRVJ antennas so that the maximum height reached by the rotating blade is below the height of the stations’ antennas. If turbine cannot be placed so that the tip of the rotating blades is below the height of the antennas, Comsearch recommended that field strength measurements of the actual FM coverage be taken before and after the Facility construction. If significant audio distortion is observed, one solution may be to raise the station’s broadcast antenna on the same tower to clear the obstructing wind turbines, if that the tower has sufficient height and space. An alternative solution could be to install an auxiliary broadcast antenna on a different tower to compensate for lost coverage.
Off-Air Television
Based on a contour analysis of licensed off-air TV station, Comsearch determined that the Facility could potentially disrupt the reception of 12 full-power digital stations and 1 Class A digital station (Table 26-4). TV service locations within 10 km (6 miles) of the Facility that have clear line-of-sight to a proposed wind turbine but not to the respective station would primarily be affected. Communities and homes in these locations may have degraded TV reception due to multipath interference that can occur if TV signals are reflected by the rotating turbine blades and mast. However, modern digital TV receivers are designed to mitigate the effects of signal scattering. In addition, when modern digital TV receivers are used in combination with a directional antenna, it becomes even less likely that signal scattering will interfere with digital TV reception.
Neither cable service or direct broadcast satellite service will be affected by the proposed Facility.
Table 26-7. Licensed off-air TV stations that may experience reception degradation as a result of the Facility.
Call Sign Service or Latitude Longitude Distance to Distance to Class1, 2 (NAD 83) (NAD 83) Center of Center of Facility Facility (km) (miles) WPBS-DT DT 43.862778 -75.727222 4.62 2.87 WWTI DT 43.879722 -75.719722 6.41 3.98 WWNY-TV DT 43.954167 -75.728889 13.68 8.50 WNYF-CD DC 43.954167 -75.728889 13.68 8.50 WVNC-LD LD 43.967944 -75.805889 15.10 9.38 WSPX-TV DT 43.305000 -76.049194 63.03 39.17
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WSYR-TV DT 42.945000 -76.024167 100.97 62.74 WTVH DT 42.955278 -76.109167 101.50 63.07 WSTM-TV DT 42.944944 -76.118389 102.80 63.88 WKTV DT 43.102500 -74.940556 105.43 65.51 WSYT DT 42.880611 -76.199639 111.58 69.33 WNYS-TV DT 42.880611 -76.199639 111.58 69.33 CKWS-DT R 44.167222 -76.427500 64.63 40.16 1 Definitions of service codes (United States): DT – Digital television broadcast station DC – Class A digital television broadcast station LD – Low power digital television broadcast station 2 Status codes (Canada): R– Regular VHF television broadcast station
Cellular Telephone
Propagation of cellular mobile phone signals is typically not affected by physical structures. Because signal beam width from base stations and mobile units are wide and the wavelength signal is long enough to wrap around objects, cellular phone signals are typically not affected by structures such as wind turbines. Also, cellular networks consist of multiple base stations so that a signal that cannot be picked up by one base station is picked up by another base station. Rural landscapes where wind turbines are typically located have less of a coverage issue than more urban areas. Therefore, related to signal obstruction, wind turbines do not require special setbacks from cellular tower locations, other than the physical clearance of the turbine blades. However, the FCC does specify setback distances from base stations to reduce potential electromagnetic interreference caused by wind turbines. For this Facility, the calculated setback distance between the cellular tower base stations and wind turbines is a minimum of 77.3 m (253.6 ft). There is no anticipated effect from the proposed Facility on mobile phone service. However, should a perceived change in coverage be attributed to the Facility, there are options to improve signal coverage. These could include using Facility meteorological towers or turbine towers to serves as the platform for a base transmit site or cell enhancer.
Emergency Services and Municipal/School District Services
The first responder, industrial/business land mobile sites, area-wide public safety, and commercial E-911 communications typically are not affected by wind turbines, and there is no anticipated effect to these services by the proposed Facility. These networks are designed to operate reliably in a non-line-of-sight environment. In addition, many land mobile systems are designed with multiple base transmitter stations covering a large geographic area with overlap between adjacent transmitter sites to provide handoff between cells. Therefore, signal blockage by wind turbines does not materially degrade the reception because the end user is likely receiving signals from multiple transmitter locations. The frequencies of operation for these services also have characteristics that
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allow the signal to propagate through wind turbines. It is recommended that turbines be sited a minimum of 77.5 m (254.3 ft) from land mobile fixed-based stations to avoid potential electromagnetic interference and the Facility turbines are sited beyond this recommended distance. Should a perceived change in coverage be attributed to the Facility, the options to improve signal coverage are similar to those to improve cellular signals.
During conversations with local emergency responders, the Applicant will confirm that the locations of emergency communications towers, if identified, are accurate, and that all such towers within the Facility Area are identified.
Public Utility Services
The Applicant did not identify any Public Utility communications resources within the Facility Area, except those cellular telephone carriers discussed in Section (a)(4). As discussed above, land mobile sites and area-wide public safety communications are typically unaffected by the presence of wind turbines. Therefore, no significant adverse impacts to these services are anticipated because of the Facility.
(2) Potential for Structures to Block Lines-of-Sight
Comsearch calculated the Fresnel Zones for each of the microwave paths that cross through the Facility limits. Comsearch recommended that all turbines be sited so that they do not obstruct the Fresnel Zones to avoid potential interference with microwave transmission. None of the Facility turbines intersect these calculated Fresnel Zones.
(3) Physical Disturbance by Construction Activities
Physical disturbance to communication infrastructure is not anticipated from either the construction or operation of the Facility. As discussed in Exhibit 12 Section (b)(1), the Applicant will become a member of Dig Safely New York, Inc. Prior to the start of construction, the Balance of Plant (BOP) contractor will mark out the locations of planned excavations and initiate a One-Call service review through the Dig Safely New York, Inc. system. The One-Call process also will be used prior to excavation activities associated with Facility maintenance.
(4) Adverse Impacts to Co-Located Lines Due to Unintended Bonding
Adverse impacts to co-located lines due to unintended bonding is not anticipated. As previously mentioned, the BOP contractor will mark out the locations of planned excavations and initiate a One-Call service review through the Dig Safely New York, Inc. system. The BOP contractor will protect underground lines that might be exposed during construction to avoid this potential impact.
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(5) Other Potential for Interference
No other potential for interference to communications have been identified.
(d) Evaluation of Design Configuration
Figure 26-1 depicts Facility components and relevant communication system constraints (e.g., Fresnel zones, radio station exclusion zones). The Facility has been designed to avoid impacts to communication systems to the extent practicable. If the Facility has impacts on communications systems as discussed in Section (a), the Applicant will take appropriate steps to review and respond to the complaint as set forth the Complaint Resolution Plan as provided in Exhibit 12 Appendix 2-A of this Application.
(e) Post-Construction Activities to Identify and Mitigate Adverse Effects on Communication Systems
The Applicant has developed a Complaint Resolution Plan that details how residents can issue a formal complaint should issues, such as degraded television service, occur from the construction or operation of the Facility. Residents or other affected individuals will be able to contact the Applicant via telephone (315-874-4231 [office number] or 1-844-308-4616 [toll free phone number]) if they would like to like to raise a concern about the Facility. In addition, community members can stop at the Atlantic Wind office on North State Street in Lowville1 or they can contact the Applicant in writing at its local address or principal place of business or via email at [email protected]. The Applicant will promptly investigate should a complaint be received. If the Applicant’s investigation determines that the complainant has identified a problem attributable to the construction, operation, or maintenance of the Deer River Wind Farm (DRWF), the Applicant will promptly work directly with the complainant and the Town (if appropriate) to resolve the identified problem. The Complaint Resolution Plan is further discussed in Exhibit 12 and a copy of the plan is provided in Appendix 2-A of this Application.
(f) Potential Interference with Radar or Other Instrumentation Systems Used for Air Traffic Control, Guidance, Weather, or Military Operations
NWS Radar
As discussed in greater detail in Exhibit 25, the Applicant has consulted with the DoD, local representatives of Fort Drum, and the NWS, among others, to determine potential impacts from the DRWF on radar or instrumentation systems. These consultations have been ongoing since August 2017 and are outlined in greater detail in Exhibit 25. As noted in Exhibit 25, these consultations have resulted in a proposed Mitigation Agreement, which proposes varying degrees of curtailment during periods of severe weather, to address potential concerns specific to weather radar impacts. As of the date of Application
1 If changes to the office address or other contact information occur, these changes will be published on the DRWF website and, as appropriate, will be provided to the Town Supervisors for the towns of Pinckney, Harrisburg and Rodman.
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submission, that Mitigation Agreement is currently undergoing a review and approval process before the DoD and is expected to be executed in 2019.
The NWS’s Radar Operations Center (ROC), which has developed a 4-zone classification scheme for identifying potential impacts from wind turbines on NEXRAD radar units. These zones, the No Build, Mitigation, Consultation and Notification, are developed based on existing terrain, distance, and elevation angles, relative to proposed turbine locations. The No Build Zone extends 4 km in all directions from the radar unit and represents the area in which the NWS requests wind turbines not be located. Generally speaking, the Notification Zone is the area between 36 and 60 km around a radar unit where a 160-m turbine would penetrate only 1 elevation angle or any area beyond 60 km where a 160-m turbine would penetrate the radar line of sight. The Consultation Zone extends between 4 and 36 km from the radar unit where a 160-m turbine would penetrate only the first elevation angle or from 36 to 60 km where a 160-m turbine would penetrate more than 1 elevation angle. The Mitigation Zone is the area from 4 to 36 km from the radar until where a 160-m turbine would penetrate more than 1 elevation angle. The Notification, Consultation, and Mitigation Zones are different for each radar unit and are dependent upon the height of the proposed turbine. These zones are generally mapped on the ROC’s online NOAA NEXRAD Screening Tool, which allows the user to input the location and height of a proposed turbine to determine preliminarily what zone the turbine would fall within (NOAA 2019). Additional information from NOAA on the ROC’s build zone classifications is included as Appendix 26-H2. Figure 26-2 shows the ROC analysis zones for the WSR-88D location.
The NOAA NEXRAD Screening Tool is only a preliminary screening tool. The Applicant’s consultant conducted further analysis of the proposed turbine locations incorporating elevational data based upon the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Elevational Dataset. This allowed further refinement of the turbine locations relative to the ROC classification zones. Based upon this analysis, turbines in the current Facility layout are located either outside of any ROC classification zone and determined to have no expected effects on the WSR-88D location or within the Consultation Zone. Figure 26-3 identifies the locations of those turbines that currently fall with the Consultation Zone.
2 Note that the No Build Zone around weather radar units was increased from 3 km to 4 km after the release of the document provided in Appendix 26-H. As a result, this document does not reflect this updated information.
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Figure 26-2. ROC analysis zones for WSR-88D location, as identified in the NOAA NEXRAD Screening Tool. Red: No Build Zone; Orange: Mitigation Zone; Yellow: Consultation Zone; Green: Notification Zone.
During these consultations on weather radar impacts specifically, Fort Drum through the NWS WSR-88D ROC located in Norman, Oklahoma, and the United States Air Force 18th Weather Squadron Detachment 1 located at Fort Drum has expressed concerns regarding potential impacts to military operations due to the interference effects on the Montague WSR-88D by turbines proposed by the Applicant. The southeastern portion of the Facility encompassed a large portion of the Fort Drum, New York (KTYX) WSR-88D No Build Zone. According to the NTIA correspondence, turbines initially proposed in the No Build Zone would have penetrated 10 elevation angles of the radar beam, which would have significantly compromised the radar’s ability to accurately detect hazardous weather. Specifically, the concern was that the turbines could cause Doppler contamination and
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ghost echoes. Doppler contamination refers to the presentation of false weather indications and the degradation in accuracy of weather data products when radar energy is reflected (echoes) off moving wind turbine blades. Doppler contamination was a concern over and in the immediate vicinity of the proposed Facility Area, which covers an approximately 40-square mile area. Ghost echoes refer to the presentation of false weather indications produced by echoes bouncing between wind turbine towers and reflected towards the Montague WSR-88D. As a result of this correspondence and subsequent communication the Applicant had with the NWS, 3 turbines originally proposed in or very near the No Build Zone were eliminated from the Facility layout. As currently proposed, the DRWF does not have any turbines included in the No Build Zone. Figure 26-3 identifies the locations of turbines previously located within the No Build Zone and identifies those turbines that currently fall with the Consultation Zone.
As noted above, the Applicant began discussions with Fort Drum specific to the proposed Facility in August 2017. Participants in those initial discussions included representatives from Fort Drum as well as the NWS. The Applicant continued to meet with representatives of Fort Drum, the DoD, and the NWS through the remainder of 2017 to further discuss potential concerns on the WSR-88D resulting from the proposed Facility. In a meeting with the NWS in September 2017, the NWS stated that while they had concerns with the potential impacts resulting from the proposed DRWF, the efforts made by the Applicant, including removing turbines in/near the No Build Zone, and other potential mitigation would minimize effects to an acceptable level.
The Applicant met and spoke on various occasions with representatives of Fort Drum, the DoD, and the NWS through the first half of 2018. The purpose of these meetings was to further discuss and analyze potential impacts from the proposed Facility and develop a mitigation strategy that would be acceptable to the applicable stakeholders. A draft mitigation agreement, which proposes varying degrees of curtailment during periods of severe weather, has been submitted to Fort Drum and the DoD and, as of the time of Application, is undergoing a review and approval process with the DoD. With these measures in place, the DoD will remove objections in place with the FAA specific to the turbine locations that were filed on July 17, 2018.
Air Traffic Control
During consultations with the agencies identified above, and after using the DoD RADAR screening tool, it was determined that the Facility, as proposed had the potential to impact the existing radar coverage of the long-range radar system. Wind turbines within line-of- sight of Air Traffic Control primary radar, such as the Fort Drum ASR-11 radar, could result in unwanted radar returns or “clutter” from the moving blades. Other sources of clutter include the ground, wave motion, rain or other precipitation, buildings, antenna towers, transmission lines, vehicular traffic, and birds. Clutter can interfere with the ability of radar in detecting a limited number of aircraft flying without transponders and cause a small number of false targets on the air traffic controllers’ displays.
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During the same meetings where the Applicant met with representatives from Fort Drum and the DoD to discuss the NWS WSR-88D, there were also discussions related to potential effects of the Facility on the ASR-11 ATC. A draft mitigation agreement has been submitted to Fort Drum and the DoD related to potential effects on the ASR-11 ATC radar system. This mitigation agreement proposes a one-time voluntary contribution for the sole purposes of offsetting the cost of measures to be undertaken by the DoD to mitigate adverse impacts of the proposed Facility on military operations and readiness or to conduct studies of potential measures to mitigate such impacts. This agreement is expected to be approved in 2019. Further, as part of the agreement, the DoD would to remove objections in place with the FAA specific to the turbine locations that were filed on July 17, 2018.
Potential impacts to transportation resources, including air transportation, are discussed in greater detail in Exhibit 25.
REFERENCES
Development Authority of the North Country [DANC]. 2018. DANC Internet Mapping Application.
Matrix Design Group. 2018. Fort Drum Joint Land Use Study Report. Prepared for Development Authority of the North County. February 2018. < https://www.danc.org/fort-drum-joint-land- use-study>. Accessed July 23. 2018.
National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. 2018a. The Global Positioning System.
National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. 2018b. GPS.gov – LORAN-C Infrastructure & E-LORAN.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2019. NOAA NEXRAD Screening Tool.
University at Albany. 2019. New York State Mesonet.
US Department of Transportation (USDOT). 2018. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration National Pipeline Mapping System Public Viewer.
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