Wind Energy in New York State:
Opportunities & Challenges
Presented by Allison Finley for
The 12th Annual North Country Sustainable Energy Fair,
Canton, NY
April 28, 2007

This presentation is an amended version of
the workshop that was presented to the
12th Annual North Country Sustainable
Energy Fair on Saturday April 28, 2007.
For more information please visit us on the
web at www.noblepower.com or write to
us at info@noblepower.com

Presentation Overview
Part I: About Noble
Part II: Opportunities, Benefits and
Challenges of Windpark Development in
New York State
Part III: Myths and Facts

Part I:
Who is Noble
Environmental Power?

Who is Noble Environmental Power?
Noble is a leading renewable energy company committed
to creating environmentally friendly facilities in
partnership with local communities.
Noble is majority-owned by J.P. Morgan Partners Fund
Noble was formed in 2004 in response to public policy
initiatives
Headquartered in Essex, CT, Noble has regional offices
across NYS
Noble currently employs about 100 people

Where Does Noble
Have Windparks?

Siting Considerations
Wind Resource Assessment
Access to Transmission
Land Use
Environmental Assessment
Preliminary Site Design

New York’s Electrical System
10,775 miles of High Voltage
Transmission Chateauguay
New York State
360+ individual generating units.
Willis
Moses
Transmission System
Massena
(230 kV and above)
Installed Capacity 35,000+ MW
Plattsburgh
Adirondack
Oswego
Complex
Somerset
Marcy Rotterdam
Niagara
Sta.80
New
Scotland
Edic
Pannell Clay Porter
Alps
Huntley Stolle Rd. Lafayette
Gilboa Leeds
Meyer
Dunkirk
Watercure Fraser
Oakdale
Hillside Coopers
Pleasant
Corners Valley
Roseton
Rock
Buc hanan
T avern
Millwood
Legend:
Homer City Ramapo
765 kV Sprainbrook
500 kV Dunwoodie
W49St /Rainey
345 kV Shore Rd.
Farragut
230 kV E.Garden City
G oethals
Source: NYISO 2004 Electricity Markets Overview Presentation

Noble plans to own and operate its facilities.
We are investing in a long relationship and
want to be excellent neighbors.

Part II:
Opportunities, Benefits
& Challenges -
Wind Energy in
New York State

The Benefits of Wind Energy:
Good for our Energy Future
Good for the Environment
Good for the Local Economy

Good for our Energy Future:
Challenges in New York, the Answer is Blowin’ in the Wind
Clean, Plentiful, Renewable Energy
Diversified Power Generation Sources
Price of Electricity from Wind
We Need More Generation Capacity
Energy Security in Uncertain Times

Good for our Energy Future:
Clean, Plentiful, Renewable Energy
NY State has adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard
(RPS):
Requires 25% of energy to come from renewable
sources by 2013
Currently, NY’s energy mix contains 19% energy from
renewable sources
Wind energy has potential to provide 10% of New York
State’s energy

Good for our Energy Future:
Diversified Power Generation Sources

Good for our Energy Future:
We Need New Generation Capacity
Demand for energy increases every year
Supply isn’t keeping up with demand
Some additional capacity is being added to the New
York grid here and there, but it’s not enough
The only new power plants being built run on natural
gas – the most expensive fuel there is!
Noble plans to add 385 MW of wind power to the New
York grid in 2007, and 380 MW in 2008

Breaking Records:
New York Peak Load 1997-2006
35,000
34,000
33,000
32,000
31,000
30,000
29,000
28,000
27,000
26,000
July 15, July 6, Aug 9, July 26, July 17, Aug 1, Aug 2,
1997 1999 2001 2005 2006 2006 2006

HENRY HUB NATURAL GAS PRICE WEEKLY DATA
($/MMBTU)
$14
Declining production for six quarters
Coldest Nov/Dec on
$12
Record/S.T. Demand >
Hurricane
S.T. Supply
Katrina
Massive Cold Front and
$10
Well Freeze Off
January Hurricane
$8 March 1993
1996 Early Winter Ivan
Blizzard
Blizzard 1996/97
Technical
$6 Factors
Hurricane January 1994
Andrew Blizzard Hurricane
$4 Georges
$2
Excess Storage
and Mild Winter
Mild Winter Hurricane Opal Hurricane
D
$0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Source: NGW and EVA, Inc.
Chronological Highlights by
Graph Data Source:
Jim Lazar, Consulting Economist
NGW and EVA, Inc.
The Regulatory Assistance Project

Baseload, Intermittent, and Peak Generation
vs. 24-hour Demand Curve
Demand Peak
Combustion Turbine Gas
Intermittent Generation (Hydro, Wind)
Steam Turbine Coal, Oil, Natural Gas Baseload
Nuclear
12:00 12:00 12:00
midnight noon midnight

Good for our Energy Future:
Energy Security in Uncertain Times
“Home-grown” energy
Decreases reliance on non-renewable supplies
from unstable parts of the world
President Bush calls for 20% of national energy to
come from wind (Advanced Energy Initiative,
Feb. 2006)

Good for the Environment
Zero Air and Water Emissions,
Zero Hazardous Waste
Minimally Impacts Wildlife,
Natural Habitat

Good for the Environment:
Zero Air and Water Emissions,
Zero Hazardous Waste
Burning fossil fuels to make electricity releases toxins into
our air and water:
Carbon dioxide (CO2) – global warming
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) – acid rain
Nitrous oxides (NOX) – smog
Mercury and lead – impair neurological development
Nuclear power is emission free, but creates radioactive
waste

Good for the Environment:
Windparks Minimally Impact
Wildlife, Natural Habitat
Wildlife needs clean air and water, too!
No build-up of toxic mercury in environment and
biological food chain, i.e. fish
Preserves open space, providing more habitat
Responsibly sited windparks do not pose a threat to
avian and bat species

Good for the Local Economy
Creates Jobs
Helps to Stabilize Electricity Costs
State Wide
Promising Job Future

Good for the Local Economy:
A 100 MW Windpark Creates Jobs, Tax Revenue
Hundreds of short term jobs during construction phase,
several permanent jobs once operational
Wind parks create 27% more jobs per kilowatt hour than coal
and natural gas plants
Payments to host communities can be used to reduce local
taxes, improve schools, services, infrastructure
Lease payments to participating land owners are also
significant source of income
Over 20 years, the economic impact of Noble’s three 2006
North Country windparks is estimated to be
$360,000,000

GE orders propel
port activity
By Eric Anderson,
Deputy business editor
Albany Times Union -
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Work at Albany docks is
picking up as wind turbine
blades, sugar pass through.

Good for the Local Economy:
Stabilizes Local Electricity Costs
Price of electricity from most sources is affected by fuel prices (esp.
natural gas) – but not wind!
Most fossil-fuel based generators won’t enter into long-term (> 3
year) contracts, and even then, they may require a “fuel price adder”
as protection against rising fuel prices
Wind generators are generally happy to sign 10 or 15 year contracts
improves stability of electricity prices
GE Energy Study – Noble’s seven New York windparks will save
ratepayers $40,000,000 annually in electricity prices
Buying coal, oil, and gas sends New York dollars out of state -- wind
projects keep energy dollars in state

Good for the Future: A Promising Job Future
For The Next Generation of Rural New
Yorkers
An emerging market for permanent operations and
maintenance jobs
New opportunities for college degrees: SUNY Canton
Alternative and Renewable Energy Applications degree
program
Good for rural economic development and homegrown
industry jobs, reinvigorating rural NYS

Part III. Myths and Facts
Property values
Wind energy is expensive
Birds / wildlife
Noise
Reliability
Infrasound
Electromagnetic interference (EMI)
Shadow Flicker

Myth:
“Wind turbines lower
property values.”

FACT: Multiple
studies have shown
that wind turbines do
not cause a decline in
property values.
If anything, the studies
indicate that property
values may increase
slightly – most likely
because of lowered
taxes and improved
local services.

Myth:
“Wind energy
is expensive.”

Don’t let anyone tell you that wind
energy is expensive!
Today, wind is one of the least
expensive options for new sources of
electric generation.
(…and that’s without even factoring in
the cost of the environmental impacts
from other generation sources…)
Comparing the price of electricity from a
new windpark to the price of electricity
from a 30 year-old coal plant is
meaningless – you have to compare
apples to apples.

Myth:
“Wind turbines pose a
threat to wildlife such as
birds and bats.”

FACT: The top three killers of birds in the United States are:
#1 –Buildings/windows (5,500 per 10,000 deaths)
#2 – Housecats (1,000 per 10,000). Some estimates
say cats kill up to a billion birds per year in the U.S.
#3 – high tension lines, vehicles (1,500 per 10,000)
…and wind turbines? On average, about 1.2 birds
per turbine, per year…not biologically significant.
The National and New York Audubon Societies
and the American Bird Conservancy, along with
numerous other environmental groups, all support
wind power.

Myth:
“Wind turbines
are noisy.”

FACT: Modern wind turbines
are very quiet – and the GE 1.5
megawatt turbines that Noble
plans to use in New York are one
of the quietest turbines made.
A commonly used reference is that
at a distance of 750 to 1000 ft., a
modern wind turbine is no noisier
than a kitchen refrigerator or a
moderately quiet room.
In high-wind conditions, the sound
of the wind will be far louder than
any sound from the turbine.

Myth:
“Wind energy
isn’t reliable.”

FACT: Wind energy is
intermittent, but that doesn’t
mean it’s unreliable.
Wind energy is actually quite
predictable, and studies have shown
that New York State could easily
get 10% or more of its electricity
from wind energy without having
any negative impact on the grid.
Wind turbines have been in
commercial operation around the
world for up to twenty years, and
wind energy has proven to be
highly reliable and predictable.

Myth:
“Wind turbines produce
‘infrasound’ which has
negative impacts on
human health.”

FACT: Everything emits
infrasound (even you!), but
scientists agree that the levels of
infrasound from wind turbines
are so low that they do not affect
anyone’s health.
There are approximately 60,000
wind turbines in operation around
the world – some of which have
been producing clean energy for
twenty years! – and there is
absolutely no documented
evidence of negative health effects
resulting from the operation of wind
turbines.

Myth:
“Wind turbines cause
‘shadow flicker’,
an annoying
strobe-like effect.”

FACT: Wind turbines may cast
moving shadows under the right
conditions, but proper siting
can minimize or eliminate any
potential impacts.
Complex computer programs are
used to indicate where and when
shadowing could occur, so any
potential problems can be
identified – and mitigated –
before the windpark is developed.

Allison Finley
Community Outreach, Public Affais
Office: 518.497.3414
Mobile: 518.534.1439
Fax: 518.497.3421
Email: Finleya@noblepower.com
Noble Environmental Power, LLC
8 Railroad Avenue
Essex, CT 06426
| info@noblepower.com
www.noblepower.com