The New York Attorney General's office has developed a code of conduct for wind energy companies operating in the state, calling for heightened transparency to prevent conflicts on interest between elected officials and wind companies.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo recently announced the Wind Industry Ethics Code along with the creation of a multi-agency task force charged with monitoring wind companies' compliance with the code.

The Wind Industry Ethics Code (PDF) says companies:

• Cannot hire municipal employees or their relatives, give gifts of more than $10 during a one-year period, or provide any other form of compensation contingent on any action before a municipal agency

• Cannot solicit, use or knowingly receive confidential information acquired by a municipal officer in the course of the official's duties

• Must create and maintain a public website to disclose the names of all municipal officers or their relatives who have a financial stake in wind farm development, and submit in writing to the municipal clerk for public inspection and publish in a local newspaper the nature and scope of their financial interest

• Must file all wind easements and leases in writing with the county clerk

• Must conduct a seminar for employees about identifying and preventing conflicts of interest when working with municipal employees within 30 days of signing the Ethics Code

The first two companies to sign the code are Connecticut-based Noble Environmental Power, which operates three wind farms in New York, and Massachusetts-based First Wind, which has one wind farm in the state. Both are planning additional wind farms in New York.

The code came about after the Attorney General's investigation into if wind companies improperly sought land-use agreements with citizens and public officials, and if improper benefits were given to public officials to influence their official actions relating to wind farm development.