Given I was headed to the public introduction of New York City's largest wind turbine, I almost expected it to be visible from the subway station. But it was also New York City's first commercial-scale wind turbine, so the standards for "largest" were pretty low. At 100kW, it's dwarfed by the multi-MegaWatt monsters that are going up elsewhere in the country. But as a pioneering project, it may have performed a critical function: it helped highlight just how many things are wrong with New York City's permitting process.

The new turbine is sited on the equally new Sunset Park recycling facility in Brooklyn (we'll have more on the recycling facility later). To get a glimpse of it, you have to get past the Gowanus Expressway and the wall of warehouses that sit a block off the waterfront. Then, once you make your way past a federal detention center, it finally comes into view. Having seen the large industrial-scale turbines, a commercial one is decidedly less impressive. Still, it was spinning away happily on what was not an especially windy day.

John Timmer

John TImmer

John Timmer

John TImmer

John Timmer

John Timmer



When operating at full capacity, the turbine can supply up to four percent of the recycling facility's power needs; combined with a 600kW array of solar panels, the facility can get up to 20 percent of its energy from local renewable sources. The turbine took only a month to put up, and, given that it's expected to operate at about 30 percent of its rated capacity, it's expected to have covered its costs by five years from now. Which makes you wonder why Sims Municipal Recycling, which runs the facility, didn't put up more than one on its rather large site.

One only had to listen to the opening statements from those behind the project to find out why: Thomas Outerbridge, the general manager of Sims Municipal Recycling, said the permitting process had to start four years ago to put the turbine in place. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams declared that figure "unacceptable." A representative from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (which mercifully goes by the acronym "NYSERDA") was on hand to concur, saying "it's sad how long it takes." But everyone involved said that the flaws in the system that were highlighted by the new installation will help everyone involved streamline their procedures. Outerbridge explicitly said that he "hopes it paves the way" for future wind projects.

Paperwork isn't the only barrier, however. We talked briefly with the CEO of Northern Power Systems, Troy Patton. He told us that the company, which manufactures turbines in Vermont that run up to 2MW in capacity, does most of its business as exports to Europe and Asia. It's simply a matter of expense: with electricity costs reaching up to twice those in the US, the payback time on the investments in this equipment is much faster elsewhere.

Still, a five-year payback time isn't typically a bad investment. So, it's possible that the NYSERDA representative's wishful statement—"I'd like to see more of them"—may eventually come to pass.