Wind Farm Expansion Proposed Off Long Island

A proposed wind farm off the South Shore of Long Island may be tripled in size following announcements that LIPA has canceled their own plans for an offshore wind farm. The new plan by Winergy would generate enough power to run 1 million households - 940 megawatts.

A wind farm proposed for the 12 miles off the south shore of Long Island has tripled in size - and would generate enough electricity to light nearly one million homes, by the time it's done in 2014.

The wind farm - proposed by Winergy Power of Hauppauge - had originally called for 86 windmills generating about 300 megawatts. But since a wind farm proposed by the Long Island Power Authority was scrapped as being too costly, Winergy has increased the size of it's project to 940 megawatts.

It would mean building as many as 260 wind turbines from 12 to 18 miles off the shore of Long Island. Winergy says the number of turbines would decrease if turbine technology improves at the time the project starts in 2012.

LIPA cancelled plans for a 160 megawatt wind farm off the south shore when chief executive Kevin Law said the cost more than doubled.

I wonder whether the NIMBY types will try to limit the deployment of these wind turbines because it will damage the sight lines from the Long Island beaches or claims that it will kill migrating and local birds.