Iberdrola Begins Construction of New York Wind Farm

Iberdrola Renewables recently began construction at its newest wind farm project, in Herkimer County, New York.

The 74-megawatt (MW) Hardscrabble Wind Power Project in the towns of Fairfield, Norway, and Little Falls is expected to cost nearly $200 million. It is one of seven new wind farms Iberdrola Renewables currently has under construction around the U.S. The project is scheduled for completion before the end of the year.

Iberdrola says the project has already created nearly 200 wind jobs so far, which includes pouring turbine foundations, transporting components, installing electrical systems, and building roads, with the on-site crew increasing now that turbine installation has begun. Once complete, the project will permanently employ a staff of six technicians to operate the site.

In addition to job creation, the Hardscrabble Wind Power Project will make a number of one-time and recurring payments to landowners and local jurisdictions over the life of the project. Annual payments to the jurisdictions, which include the towns of Fairfield, Norway, and Little Falls, the West Canada School District, the City of Little Falls School District and Herkimer County, will total approximately $592,000, and escalate with inflation. Annual lease payments to participating landowners are projected to average $650,000 a year for the life of the project.

Hardscrabble will feature 37 American-made Gamesa (GAM.MC) wind turbines that will stand on 100-meter towers. The tower sections are manufactured in Wisconsin, while the rest of the turbine–the blades, nacelle, and hub–is manufactured in Pennsylvania. When complete, the project will produce enough electricity to power over 25,000 typical New York homes each year.

Portland, Oregon-based Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Spain’s Iberdrola Renovables (IBR.MC). Iberdrola Renovables is the world’s leading provider of wind power with more than 11,000 MW of renewable energy in operation around the world, and more than 3,800 MW of that wind power located in the U.S.

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