NEW BRITAIN - The Connecticut Siting Council voted Wednesday to deny a permit to Sempra Energy Resources Inc, to build a $280 million, 500-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant on Route 7 near the banks of the Housatonic River in New Milford.

The unanimous decision came after Siting Council members spent two hours fine-tuning the language of a 40 page Draft Findings of Fact and 7 page Draft Opinion.

The decision upheld denials by New Milford's Inland Wetlands and Zoning commissions, which rejected Sempra's applications last spring. A two-thirds majority of the council would have been needed to overturn the decisions of the local commissions.

In its final determination, the nine-member Siting Council found "the cumulative effects associated with the construction, operation and maintenance of the electric generating facility at the proposed site, including effects on the nautical environment, ecological integrity and balance, public welfare, scenic and recreational value, forests and parks, air and water and wildlife, are significantly in conflict with the policies of the State concerning such effects, and are sufficient reason to deny the proposed project.

Siting Council members found the proposed design incompatible with the site and the electricity generated would not be needed to guarantee a (..missing text...) for a competitive market. "(The proposed plant) offers limited public benefit that is outweighed by its environmental effects," the decision reads.

Bill Keller, vice president of Sempra and project manager for the proposed plant, by phone Wednesday night, said the company "was very disappointed the Siting Council rejected a clean, safe, environmentally friendly project that's gotten a clean bill of health from the (state) Department of Environmental Protection and from the independent environmental and health experts that represent the town of New Milford."

Keller rejected the Siting Council's opinion that the Sempra proposal did not demonstrate a "compelling need," saying, "We believe there is a compelling need and it was demonstrated last summer with power shortages."

The company will weigh its options and decide whether to appeal the Siting Councils decision to the state Superior Court, refile its application or discontinue its effort, Keller said. An appeal must be made in 45 days.

Sempra spent $1.5 million on the 145-acre site for the proposed plant. No decision has been made about using the property for other projects, Keller said.

The Siting Councils determination brings to an end almost two years of strong opposition to the Sempra proposal lead by PowerAlert and Grassroots Coalition, a resident organization formed to fight the project.

Last spring residents voted more than 5 to 1, in a non-binding referendum, to reject the Sempra proposal.

PowerAlert President Liba Furhman and the organization's lawyers were in the packed hearing room, along with the town attorney and Sempra representatives and attorneys. New Milford Mayor Arthur Peitler did not attend the hearing.

"It's a complete decision and I'm absolutely delighted," Furhman said. "It's clear when you read their opinion they looked at each of the aspects we raised from the water usage, to the river impacts, the air quality, the compatibility of the site with the town," Furhman said.

New Milford resident Bob Gambino, president of the Grassroots Coalition and a founder of PowerAlert, said he was "elated" with the Siting Council's decision.

"We worked long and hard to make this happen, a lot of volunteers, we raised a lot of money, incurred a lot of expenses. It was a fantastic learning curve for the community and we worked it all the way to the end," Gambino said.

PowerAlert raised more than $170,000, and incurred more than $315,000 in expenses for lawyers' and consultants' fees in its battle against Sempra, Gambino said.

"Tonight we're going to a subcommittee of the town to request they pay the attorney's fees. We think with the opinion today and all the work we've done, they will come forward and support us financially," Gambino said.

The resident activists felt empowered by their victory, said New Milford resident and PowerAlert member Lynn Rhodes Mayer.

"I'm overwhelmed and happy and feeling that people do have power, which is very hard to believe nowadays. It's such an up thing to know it's practical to beat a huge and wealthy organization, and a very remote government, that the government can at times respond and hear what people want," Rhodes Mayer said.