Wind power in New York
As of October 2022, New York has five offshore wind farms in development with approximately 4,300 MW installed capacity.
In February 2009, three other large wind farms — the Altona, Chateaugay, and Wethersfield Windparks — were completed in Upstate New York in Clinton, Franklin, and Wyoming Counties, respectively.
In 2010, the Hardscrabble Wind Farm located in Herkimer County was constructed in the Towns of Farfield, Norway, and Little Falls, NY.
In 2012, the 215 MW Marble River Wind Farm, located in Clinton County, commenced operations.
However, the effective capacity — the fraction of rated power generated during summer afternoons, the period of peak demand — is estimated to be 10 percent for the whole state, except for Long Island where about 40% is forecast.
More than a quarter of power of the athletic complex at Union College of Schenectady County is supported by the endorsement of tall wind turbines.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has confirmed that the wind resource is able to provide at least half of the needs of the states electricity.
Further, given existing transmission constraints, at the 6,000 MW scenario modeled, 8.8% of the energy production in three areas of upstate New York (Zones C - Central, D - North, and E - Mohawk) would be "bottled" or undeliverable.
[13] The New York Power Authority cancelled, in 2011, the Great Lakes Offshore Wind (GLOW) project.
[14] On September 8, 2011, the New York Power Authority, Long Island Power Authority, and Con Edison (the Offshore Wind Collaborative) filed a request with the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to issue a commercial lease on the outer continental shelf to the New York Power Authority for the development of the Long Island - New York City Offshore Wind Project.
The New York State Public Service Commission adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) policy in 2004, calling for an increase in renewable energy used in the state from the then-current level of 19.3 percent (largely attributable to legacy hydroelectric power projects) to at least 25 percent by the end of 2013.
NYSERDA obtains the bulk of the RPS Attributes (including any and all reductions in harmful pollutants and emissions such as carbon dioxide and oxides of sulfur and nitrogen) through a "Main Tier" competitive procurement of utility-scale renewable resources.
[21] The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), through its On-Site Wind Turbine Incentive Program (which began in 2007), is making $13.8 million available in incentives to encourage the installation of residential, commercial, institutional, and governmental end-use wind energy systems.
[22] With a strong tradition of home rule and, for many year, no state requirements or guidelines for locating facilities, the siting of large facilities in New York state has generated some controversy, along with myriad, diverse municipal efforts to zone or ban wind farms.
The New York Department of Public Service and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation adopted implementing regulations on July 17, 2012: Chapter X Certification of Major Electric Generating Facilities, 16 NYCRR Part 1000 and Analyzing Environmental Justice Issues in Siting of Major Electric Generating Facilities, 6 NYCRR Part 487.
The new law provides a unified review process for the state permits, licenses, and other approvals required to site, construct, and operate a major electric generating facility.
[24] Further, an expansion of the state's net metering laws in 2008 may help to grow the market for small-scale residential, agricultural, or commercial installations.
