Chautauqua County Legislature unanimously opposes industrial wind turbines in Lake Erie

The Chautauqua County Legislature on Jan. 22 unanimously approved Resolution 25-25 opposing industrial wind turbines in Lake Erie and authorized “necessary steps to protect the county’s interest.” The resolution followed public comment from local opponents and remarks from a visiting state senator.

The measure, introduced as “25‑25, opposition to Lake Erie wind turbines and authorize necessary steps to protect the county’s interest,” passed on a voice vote with no recorded nay votes. Legislator Shagnon presided over the vote and announced it was carried unanimously.

The legislature heard multiple public comments opposing offshore turbines before taking up the resolution. “Once upon a time, we could look backward toward the shore to see the forest and farms rising steeply to another untroubled horizon. That view is now a memory as wind turbines occupy the entire vista,” said Mark Twitchell, who identified himself as a Fredonia resident and member of Citizens Against Wind Turbines in Lake Erie (CAWTAIL). Patty Mechas, also representing CAWTAIL, told legislators she feared turbines would “contaminate our drinking water” by resuspending shoreline sediments and releasing persistent contaminants such as PFAS.

Legislators spoke in favor of the resolution. Legislator Harmon thanked CAWTAIL for its advocacy and said the turbines would be “an absolute disaster” if built. Legislator Larson, while supporting the resolution, used the debate to argue that the county must consider where electricity will come from if not wind, noting that some experts favor small modular nuclear reactors as an alternative.

A visiting state senator—introduced at the meeting as the legislature’s state senator and a former county legislator and county executive—commended the county for speaking with “one voice” and said the resolution was a bold step to protect drinking water and quality of life for communities around the lakes.

Local advocates said their work will continue. “We are approaching other counties and we are writing letters to the governor,” Patty Mechas said, adding that CAWTAIL planned to pursue state and federal outreach to block offshore turbine projects.

The resolution did not specify a legal enforcement mechanism; it directs county staff and officials to take “necessary steps to protect the county’s interest,” language that the legislature did not further define during the meeting.

The resolution and the public comments were the principal substantive business on this issue at the Jan. 22 meeting; no county approvals or permitting actions for offshore wind were on the agenda.

The measure is recorded as Resolution 25‑25 in the legislative docket for Jan. 22, 2025.