Have you ever wondered why wind power is called “green”, or how wind creates electricity? If you've got a question, we've got an answer. If you have a question that is not answered here, please feel free to get contact us. How does wind create electricity? How many wind turbines are going to be used for the project? Where can I see an operating wind farm? Why is wind power called “green ”? Is wind cheaper than natural gas or coal? How many jobs will be created by the Adirondack Wind Energy Park? What if the wind slows or stops? Is wind power reliable? Why is this site better than others? How big is a wind turbine, how much space do they need? How will the current transmission in the Park be affected by the wind development? Where is the funding source for the expected $30 million development costs? How does wind create electricity? The energy that is contained in a wind resource flows past the rotor of a wind turbine, which captures the wind and causes the blades to spin. Within the wind turbine, the slower moving shaft which is attached to the rotor transfers the energy to the higher rpm shaft located in the electric generator through a gear box. The energy created in each turbine’s electric generator is collected at a single point by way of underground electric cables and transferred into the local electric transmission system. Back to top How many wind turbines are going to be used for the project? Based on site constraints, up to ten wind turbine generators are being proposed. Back to top Where can I see an operating wind farm? The closest wind farms to the Adirondack Wind Energy Park are the Fenner Wind Farm located near Syracuse, the Madison Wind Farm located also in Madison County, and the Searsburg Wind Farm in southern Vermont. Please contact an Adirondack Wind Energy Park representative for directions or assistance with arranging for a tour. Back to top Why is wind power called “green ”? Wind power is derived entirely from the natural occurrence of wind resource. Wind has zero emissions and zero greenhouse gases, and will lessen the demand for power derived from “non-green” fuels such as coal, oil, gas, and nuclear. Further, wind power does not create increased industrial traffic from fuel deliveries as other power plants do. Back to top Is wind cheaper than natural gas or coal? In many locations, wind energy is cost competitive or less expensive than fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal and wind has the significant advantage of no fuel price volatility. In other words, because a wind turbine generator’s fuel is free, there is no possibility of future fuel price spikes negatively affecting costs. Although wind power projects continue to receive the federal production tax credit as an additional source of revenue, the subsidy is intended to 1) level the playing field with the subsidies currently enjoyed by fossil facilities and 2) provides value to wind’s advantage of zero emissions. The cost to produce electricity generated by wind power varies greatly depending on the size of the project (economies of scale), the complexity of construction (access to site and presence of existing infrastructure such as power transmission facilities), and the quality of the wind resource. Back to top How many jobs will be created by the Adirondack Wind Energy Park? Adirondack Wind Energy Park could employ approximately 75 construction positions during the approximately six to ten month construction period. The project would employ two to three permanent full time project technicians. Back to top What if the wind slows or stops? Is wind power reliable? Wind power is reliable. Electricity from a wind power facility is connected to a fully integrated, diversified utility transmission system. When the wind project is not generating during low wind, similar to a hydro plant when there are low flow conditions, power is compensated by other generators in the system. Wind project’s reliability is measured by their availability to run, which often is recorded in the 95-98% of the time range. Back to top Why is this site better than others? The Adirondack Wind Energy Park at Gore Mountain offers unique and favorable conditions which include a superb wind resource, minimal land alterations, excellent accessibility, an existing road network and existing transmission lines. The property is also in a long standing industrially zoned area and is adjacent to the Gore Mountain ski area, which is an extensively developed property. To our knowledge, no other site in the Adirondack Park has these unique features. Back to top How big is a wind turbine, how much space do they need? A modern wind turbine, with a rated capacity between two and three mega watts (MW) per unit has the ability to provide enough power to supply approximately 1,300 New York households annually. The proposed turbines for the Adirondack Wind Energy Park are large, with a height to the hub of the rotor of approximately 279 feet. However, the land required to support the turbine, is relatively small at less than one acre per unit. Back to top How will the current transmission in the Park be affected by the wind development? The Johnsburg area load is supplied via a Niagara Mohawk 115kV supply line which travels through Warrensburg and originates in the Glens Falls area. The line is supplied by generation located inside and outside the Adirondack Park from the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) system. The fuel mix of this generation is comprised largely of non-renewable (fossil and nuclear) sources. An existing 34.5 kV transmission line, which runs to the center of the proposed site and is capable of serving the project, connects with the existing115kV supply line at a modern substation located in North Creek. No new transmission line right of ways will be required to connect the wind farms generation to the local system. The current transmission will be affected in two positive ways. First, generation imported to the project region from outside the park will be reduced on a direct basis from the wind farm. The composition of the net generation substituted for the imported generation will be 100% green renewable energy generated by the wind farm. This is a significant point as the proposed wind farm, with and annual potential generation of up to 83,000 MWh, could supply up to 14,000 New York homes for one year (over 50% of Warren County homes). Second, in general terms, power generated closest to the local load is more reliable and sustains fewer transmission losses. From a system performance standpoint, the power is more efficient and stable. Back to top Where is the funding source for the expected $30 million development costs? The development costs of the Project are funded by the Adirondack Wind Partners, a Joint Venture between Reunion Power LLC and the Barton Group. Capital costs for the construction and long-term ownership of the Project would be funded from a variety of sources, including Partnership equity, institutional or commercial debt, and other investor tax and yield oriented equity sources. Back to top