New York Revs Up Largest Wind Power Installation In Eastern U.S.

Compiled byGlenn Hasek The largest wind power plant in the eastern U.S. began operating last week in Madison County, N.Y., near the town of Hamilton. Operated by PG&E Corp., Bethesda, Md., the 11.5-megawatt (MW) facility is located on farm land and consists of seven Vestas 1.65-MW wind turbines. The turbines are the largest operating anywhere in the U.S. A 6.6-MW wind project also is nearing completion in Wethersfield, N.Y. Wind energy was the world's fastest-growing energy source during most of the 1990s, according to the American Wind Energy Assn., Washington, D.C. About 4,000 MW of new capacity ($4 billion investment) was installed around the world last year, and 732 MW ($700 million investment), or 18%, of that total was installed in the U.S. Market drivers behind wind energy's growth include federal tax credits, new state laws, declining costs, and the emergence of green power options offered by utilities.