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Wind Power

Picture of Wind Turbine

New York's wind resource has the potential to provide more than 5000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. As of the spring of 2009, fourteen wind energy projects (pdf, 275 kb) are operating with a rated capacity of about 1,273 MW in Erie, Clinton, Franklin, Lewis, Madison, Steuben and Wyoming counties. More than 30 additional wind project siting proposals are actively undergoing environmental review by DEC biologists and environmental analysts.

Environmental Review

Wind energy development is an important component of New York's clean renewable energy initiative as well as of New York's ability to achieve the Renewable Portfolio Standard of twenty-five percent (25%) of energy produced from renewable sources by the year 2013. Although wind power creates no toxic air emissions or greenhouse gases, DEC must nevertheless conduct an environmental review to evaluate potential issues related to the construction and operation of wind energy projects:

Noise and aesthetics: Residents that live nearby to wind power projects may have concerns about the noise from the turbines or consider them unsightly.

Environmental impacts: Another concern is the possibility of birds and bats being injured or killed by rotating blades. Ongoing research conducted throughout New York and the northeast will help scientists and the public better understand the effects of wind power development on birds and bats. DEC must also evaluate conditions related to the construction and operation of wind farms to avoid adverse effects on forests, grasslands, wetlands or sensitive ecosystems.

The role DEC plays in reviewing and siting wind power projects in New York includes issuing Article 15 and/or Article 24 permits for wetland and stream crossing impacts, reviewing potential impacts to state listed threatened and endangered species, and recommending appropriate pre- and post-construction bird and bat surveys. With increased construction of wind turbines comes increased potential for birds and bats to collide with the towers and rotating blades. For more information about DEC review of wind projects, see New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Review of Wind Energy Generation Projects (pdf, 48 kb).

Guidelines for Conducting Bird and Bat Studies at Commercial Wind Energy Projects

DEC has updated its Guidelines for Conducting Bird and Bat Studies at Commercial Wind Energy Projects (pdf, 203 Kb). The Guidelines were developed through a stakeholder process sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority that included industry representatives, as well as bird and bat biologists from government agencies, academia and non-governmental environmental groups. The recommended studies described in the Guidelines are based on DEC's current knowledge of the best procedures for conducting thorough and meaningful pre- and post-construction studies. As the recommended studies are conducted at more projects throughout the state, the Guidelines will be further fine-tuned to ensure that methodologies employed to fill data needs remain efficient, effective and accurate.

The most recent update to the Guidelines dated August 2009 include the following:

  • Clarification of the objectives of the post-construction studies (p. 6)
  • Modifications to the timing and duration of post-construction studies (pp. 12-13)
  • Changes to the general wording of DEC's recommendation process (throughout)
  • Editorial changes to improve the flow of the document (throughout)

A notice will be posted in the ENB and the DEC website has been updated to include the revised document.

The Guidelines outline DEC's recommendations to commercial wind energy developers on how to characterize bird and bat resources at wind energy sites and how to document and estimate bird and bat mortality resulting directly from turbines, as well as indirect effects such as displacement from otherwise suitable habitat. The protocols in the Guidelines are intended to provide comparability of data collection among sites and between years so that the information from each site contributes to a statewide understanding of the ecological effects of wind energy generation. Protocols for both pre-construction studies and post-construction monitoring are included.

In addition to the Guidelines, other information on wind energy development in New York and the environmental data collected at these projects can inform developers of wind energy projects. The tables and maps summarize site-specific information gathered by environmental consultants conducting nocturnal radar surveys and raptor migration surveys. These data were not collected by DEC, but taken from publicly available Environmental Impact Statements for each project. Most reports may be accessed on-line at the sites listed. The URL addresses provided for each project and the reports posted on external websites are current as of the date indicated, and are subject to change at the discretion of specific website operators. To view these sites, please copy the URL and paste into your browser's address bar.


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