— — A $1 billion New York Power Authority wind project, which could lead to the construction of up to 166 wind turbines along Niagara County’s Lake Ontario shoreline, is receiving strong opposition from a number of elected officials, sports fishermen and boaters.

Town of Porter Supervisor Merton Wiepert said the proposed Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project would not be economically viable to those municipalities that use Lake Ontario to attract tourism and use the lake as a source of revenue for their respective communities.

“We, as a board, adopted a resolution opposing the installation of those turbines, I have some issues with the impact they will have on our recreational fishing and boating,” Wiepert said. “There are just a number of issues that need to be addressed before we put them in.”

The project which is still in the early stages, will place 400-foot high turbines in a undetermined location in either Lake Ontario, Lake Erie or both, the Power Authority’s website said. One of the proposed locations at the mouth of the Niagara River, near Fort Niagara in Youngstown, is one that doesn’t sit well with county Legislator Clyde Burmaster R-Ransomville.

“There are certain entities along the lake, like the Yacht Club, Fort Niagara, who have expressed their very serious concerns over a wind project constructed in that location,” Burmaster said. “ To put (the project) right here in the heart of our community where our livelihood is impacted, I think it is the wrong move to make. There are a lot of unanswered questions right now.”

Burmaster added that pleasure boating and sports fishing is something local communities “hang their hats on” and should not be impacted by a wind power project.

State Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, D-Lewiston, said she has been in contact with NYPA executives since April 2009 and has informed them the project would likely not be in the best interest on the majority of the community living along Lake Ontario.

“I did raise issues early on; at the same time, that was in the preliminary stages of the project. I need to hear more — especially from those who would be most affected by it,” DelMonte said. “ I raised some issues in terms of the loss of fishing habitat, the impact on residents who have homes along the lake, those were issues that immediately jumped into my head.”

DelMonte will meet with local residents and elected officials Monday in Youngstown to discuss all sides of the proposed wind project. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Youngstown Yacht Club, 491 Water St.

The project, which will be the world’s first fresh-water wind farm, has received bids from five different companies. It would generate between 120 and 500 megawatts of power. NYPA spokeswoman Connie Cullen said the clean and emission-free energy provided from the project would spur economic development through the creation of numerous jobs needed for the construction, operation and maintenance of the wind power facilities.

“Wind energy is a clean, abundant and renewable source of emission-free energy. The Power Authority’s proposed Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project would be an important addition to New York state’s electricity supply,” Cullen said.

“The environmental and economic benefits of offshore wind power will help diversify the state’s energy resources; lessen dependence on carbon-based fuels for better air quality; and help grow a clean energy economy with new jobs and industries, and also significant opportunities for existing businesses,” she said.

Wilson Town Supervisor Joseph A. Jastrzemski said he remains open-minded on the project and is still in the process of weighing the pros and cons.

“I have heard what the power authority would like to do. Now I would like to get the feeling of what other supervisors are thinking and the response they are getting from their constituents,” Jastrzemski said. “Tourism and fishing are a huge part of what happens here in Wilson.”

Richard Stephens, a former Youngstown Village trustee and current yacht club member, said the wind farm is not in the interest of the community at-large, which is the notion he hopes to covey during Monday’s meeting. He said he expects state Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, to also be in attendance.

“We are trying to make local leaders aware there is so much opposition that it will dissuade the power authority from moving forward with the project,” Stephens said.

Cullen said NYPA will not send a representative to Monday’s meeting at the urging of both DelMonte and Maziarz; instead, the power authority will be forwarded questions from the meeting and have the opportunity to respond at a later date. Cullen said all of the issues brought up by local representatives would get full review by the authority.

“The potential effects of an offshore wind project on fishing, boating and tourism, and interest in project size, are concerns the New York Power Authority has heard before in meetings with environmental, business and civic organizations along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario,” Cullen said. “These are exactly the type of issues that will get a full public review once a project is selected and begins the extensive environmental and regulatory processes. NYPA has committed to gathering public input beyond what is required by law.”

The power authority is looking to expand its clean energy initiative statewide in an effort to achieve Gov. David A. Paterson’s challenge of 45 by 15, which is a challenge for 45 percent of the state’s electrical needs met through renewable energy sources by 2015. The estimated commercial operation date of the proposed wind project would be early 2015.