There’s a little something new sprouting on the North Fork this winter. The largest wind turbine in the history of Long Island has been completed at a nursery in Laurel.
The Northwind 100 kilowatt wind turbine was commissioned by the Half Hollow Nursery, and now stands 156-feet tall on its 1200-acre property.
“The future is now, here on Long Island,” says Albert Harsch, Director of Corporate Relations at Eastern Energy Systems Inc (E2sys) the company that installed the turbine. “This turbine was made in America and installed by Long Islanders defining the term in-sourcing.”
The installed cost of the 100kW wind turbine is $500,000 of which LIPA will rebate approximately $126,777.50 through its Backyard Wind Initiative. 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.
“Using wind energy comes naturally to Long Islanders who have used it for centuries, like the first settlers who built their windmills,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of the not-for-profit group Renewable Energy Long Island. “Wind power is coming back to Long Island – and it’s here to stay.”
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.
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