NEW YORK: Largest Wind Turbine in the History of Long Island
As he flipped the switch on Long Island’s largest wind turbine , Long Island Power Association (LIPA) President and CEO Kevin S. Law said “this demonstrates that wind power is no longer just a possibility on Long Island, but a reality. The use of solar and wind continues to thrive under LIPA’s renewable energy rebate…
As he flipped the switch on Long Island’s largest wind turbine , Long Island Power Association (LIPA) President and CEO Kevin S. Law said “this demonstrates that wind power is no longer just a possibility on Long Island, but a reality. The use of solar and wind continues to thrive under LIPA’s renewable energy rebate programs helping us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, assisting customers in lowering their energy bills, creating high quality clean energy jobs right here on Long Island.”
Eastern Energy Systems Inc. completed the installation of the largest wind turbine in the history of Long Island in December, 2009. Lloyd Rasweiler, owner of Half Hollow Nursery Inc., a wholesale nursery located in Laurel, New York, commissioned them to install the Northwind 100kW wind turbine on the property that spans over 1,200 acres of the Riverhead Township. “I did this project not for myself but for the future generations that will follow me. By using electric to run the irrigation systems, we can save up to 50% of the amount of water we use on the farm.”
The Northwind 100 wind turbine, a community scale direct-drive unit manufactured by Northern Power Systems in Barre, Vermont, will stand at 121-feet to the nacelle and 156- feet to the highest point of the rotor. The installed cost of the 100kW wind turbine is $500,000 of which LIPA will rebate $126,777.50. In addition, the Half Hollow Hills Nursery may further reduce the cost of the system via a federal tax incentive and by selling the excess electric energy produced back to LIPA. By using wind power as the primary source of energy, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 99.49 tons annually. The wind turbine is expected to produce an estimated 157,555 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year for an approximate annual energy savings of $29,305.
LIPA has made a 10 year, $924 million commitment to investing in energy efficiency and renewable technologies under its Efficiency Long Island program (ELI) which offers a wide array of incentives, rebates and initiatives to LIPA’s residential and commercial customers to assist in reducing their energy usage and thereby lowering electric bills. LIPA’s Backyard Wind Initiative was introduced in January 2009. The program provides rebates to homeowners, businesses, municipalities, and non-for-profits seeking to harness power from the wind through the use of land-based wind turbines. In addition, program participants may be eligible for a 30% Federal tax credit. This program is consistent with Governor Patterson’s “45 X 15” program, which establishes the goal of New York State meeting 45% of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by the year 2015. Nearly $2 million was committed to the wind initiative in the LIPA Operating Budget for 2010.
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Source: Long Island Power
