NY's Wind Potential - The Power Is Off Shore

This is from a TOD:NYC reader

A glimpse at the New York State 70-meter modeled wind speed map suggests Lake Ontario is an area of rich wind power potential. But as wind from offshore sites is currently more expensive to harness than from comparably windy sites on land, relatively little attention has been given to wind power development on Lake Ontario. Utilizing electrical infrastructure from existing power plants on the lakeshore is one way to help reduce project costs within the range of economic viability.

This article explores the feasibility of a hypothetical offshore wind farm on Lake Ontario proximal to an existing nuclear power plant with respect to net energy, CO2 intensity, and economic cost/benefit. Two turbine manufacturers and models are included in the analysis: the General Electric 1.5 MW model sl and Vestas V82 1.65 MW. Both options yield favorable results and suggest a positive outlook for a Lake Ontario wind farm in terms of energy payback, CO2 reduction, and economic profitability.

Something for Spitzer's folks to bear in mind

Looks like Lake Ontario could be a good place to put up whole a lot of these 6MW monsters.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/worlds_largest_6.php

This new turbine model from Enercon has a feature that seems very important - no transmission. The simplicity could significantly lower costs.

You might be better off with Erie. Shallower and therefore cheaper to install.