Wind Power Gaining Popularity in New York City

New York City is warming up to wind power, as evidenced by the small turbines that are popping up on the rooftops of apartment buildings. The small turbines typically look like table fans rather than the towering white wind turbines seen in large open spaces. These mini turbines supply power directly to homes without first sending it through a utility company’s lines.

From The New York Times:

One major sticking point in the city is that densely packed buildings tend to scatter breezes, making it tough to capture steady gusts. Although this and other kinks need to be addressed before the widespread rollout of small turbines is possible, there are signs of gains.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg stoked excitement among wind-power advocates in August when he announced that he supported putting turbines atop city skyscrapers.

Of the 60 proposals that were later submitted to the city under a request for renewable-energy projects, the majority were wind related, including technologies for apartment-mounted machines, said Jen Becker, a vice president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. “It’s definitely something we are looking at seriously,” she said.

The Blue Sea Development Company is building a five-story brick apartment building in the Melrose section of South Bronx that wil be partially powered by 10 1-kilowatt turbines. The turbines cost about $10,000 each and are expected to halve the annual utility bill for the common spaces. The project is designed as affordable housing, with montly rents ranging between $750-$1,089.

The state is offering a break for those who want to install wind turbines by covering half of initial expenses. A provision in the Troubled Assets Relief Program bailout bill also created a national one-time 30% tax credit for the installation costs for homeowners.

It’s nice to see NYC thinking outside the box. It definitely doesn’t seem like the ideal place for wind energy to take off, but more power to them for making it work.

Link [The New York Times]

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