By Greentech Lead Team: First Wind, a wind energy
company, has inaugurated its Steel Winds II expansion. The 35 MW cumulative
Steel Winds project will generate enough clean electricity to power
approximately 9,000 New York homes.
“We’ve partnered with the Lackawanna and Hamburg
communities for several years now, and we appreciate the immense support from
the local leaders and community members as we worked to expand this already
successful project,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind.
The 20 MW first phase went online in June 2007. First
Wind installed six additional 2.5 MW wind turbines on additional portions of
the old Bethlehem Steel mill site for the 15 MW expansion.
TVIG was the general contractor of the expansion during
the construction. Steel Winds II created about 100 jobs, and several local
businesses saw an increase in business and revenue.
Construction of Steel Winds I and II enabled the
innovative reuse of industrial land. The Steel Winds I project is situated on a
30-acre portion of the former Bethlehem Steel facility, which has been returned
to productive use under the New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Brownfield Cleanup Program.
The Steel Winds II project will provide a source of
significant revenue by adding an average of $190,000 in annual tax revenue to
the surrounding communities and school districts. First Wind also makes $100,000 annual voluntary payments to the cities of Hamburg and
Lackawanna’s general funds.
The power produced by both phases of the Steel Winds
project is the equivalent of decreasing carbon dioxide emissions by over 23,000
tons annually, and help bring the state closer to its goal of 30 percent
renewable energy sources by 2015.
“I am honored to have Lackawanna continuing the trend of
the utilization of natural energy while working with First Wind and the
expansion of Steel Winds project. They have restored beauty to our waterfront
and brought international notoriety for the creative use of turning a
brownfield into a Greenfield,” said Geoffrey Szymanski, Mayor, Lackawanna.
Recently First Wind secured
$210 million in financing for the company’s subsidiary, Palouse Wind, the owner
of the 105 MW Palouse Wind project located in northern Whitman County,
Washington.