Town unveils new wind turbine

“I am blown away by the potential of renewable energy,” said Town Supervisor Kate Murray on Monday at the Department of Conservation and Waterways in Point Lookout.

On Monday, Murray, along with Councilwoman Angie Cullin and other officials, unveiled a new state-of-the-art 100-kilowatt wind turbine that will be used to power the town’s fleet of pollution free fuel cell cars by creating hydrogen gas — an energy system that is described as “completely green” and does not leave a carbon footprint.

“It’s awe inspiring that we are using renewable wind power to convert natural water into hydrogen gas in order to power pollution-free cars,” Murray said.

The “Northern Power 100” wind turbine, located at the town’s Conservation and Waterways Department, cost nearly $615,000 and stands 121-feet. The turbine was funded by a $4.6 million U.S. Department of Energy grant secured by town officials.

The turbine, officials said, is capable of generating up to 180 megawatts of power per year. Powered by winds off the Atlantic coast, the turbine will provide an “almost continuous” source of energy that will facilitate a water-to-hydrogen process, officials said.

Murray said the resulting hydrogen fuel generated by the turbine is dispensed from the Town’s only hydrogen fueling station located adjacent to the turbine. The fuel, she explained, will power two Toyota fuel-cell vehicles operated by the town, as well as a hydrogen and natural gas bus. The town, Murray noted, plans to secure additional vehicles.

At the conference, members of various groups and organizations, including the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, New York Institute of Technology, Wilke Engineering, LIPA, the Point Lookout and Lido Beach Civic Associations and the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department, also joined Murray.

“This wind turbine is a key element of the town’s clean, renewable energy agenda,” Cullin said. “We’re making the planet cleaner for our families and future generations.”

Brett Pingree, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Northern Power Systems, echoed those sentiments, and said that the project is a “green” energy system that would greatly benefit the town.

“By utilizing the great wind resource in Long Island, the Northern Power 100 wind turbine will help provide real cost savings, emissions reductions and energy security to the Town of Hempstead,” Pingree said.

According to a press release, the annual energy cost savings associated with the turbine — if applied to local private LIPA customers — is approximately $40,000. Officials noted, though, that cost savings to the town “will vary from this estimate, based on the fact that the town’s utility rates are variable.”

The amount of hydrogen fuel used and generated will have to be “quantified and gauged” against hydrogen fuel prices on the open market, officials said.

Remaining grant money, officials said, is earmarked for current and future projects. In addition to the wind turbine, the town is also using the grant to finance additional clean energy initiatives. That includes the construction of a $60,000 solar field, two solar trackers — panels that follow the path of the sun — a solar-powered carport and a geothermal energy project that will address heating and cooling needs at the town’s Conservation and Waterways facility.

Additionally, electrical and marine bulk-heading work associated with the turbine project — conducted by town personnel — had an estimated cost of more than $150,000. The bulkhead work, officials said, is to ensure the ground around the structure is stable, while electrical work was done to allow energy from the windmill to reach the hydrogen fueling station and then back to the Long Island Power Authority grid.

According to Murray, the “excess energy” generated by the turbine will be turned back to the LIPA grid, resulting in yet-to-be determined reductions in net electrical costs from the utility.

“Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead are true Long Island leaders in advancing the use of solar and wind into Long Island’s energy portfolio,” said LIPA’s Chief Operating Officer Michael D. Hervey. “LIPA was happy to provide technical assistance with the project, and remains committed to working with our residents, local governments, businesses, and community leaders to promote and invest in energy efficiency and renewable technologies through our nationally recognized solar, wind and Efficiency Long Island programs…”

Murray, who said that the town has “aggressively” pursued grant funding for renewable energy projects, said the new turbine will not only help to mitigate any financial impact on taxpayers, but will also serve as a model for other local governments.

“The answer to clean and renewable energy is blowin’ in the wind,” Murray said. “This wind turbine is creating renewable energy, saving money, conserving natural resources and building an environmentally responsible legacy for our children and our children’s children.”