About the Project - Number 3 Wind

Number Three
Wind Farm

Current Efforts

Spring 2015

Invenergy began development of the Number Three Wind Farm in 2015 and is working to obtain necessary permits and agreements to support a 2019 construction start.

March 2016

Invenergy began completing the comprehensive application required by New York's Article 10 regulations. The application will include studies of wildlife, noise, visual impacts, shadows, wetlands, geology, archeology, historic structures, economic benefits and many other topics required by state regulations. In parallel with the Article 10 certification process, we are working continually to discuss the project with stakeholders and landowners interested in participating in the Project, refining our understanding of the area's wind resource, selecting the best wind turbines for the project, and refining the project design. The project's website maintained by NYS Department of Public Service is linked here.

May 2016

Invenergy's New York development team submitted the PIP, or Public Involvement Plan, for the Number Three project to the State of New York for review.
For community outreach with our Number Three project, we began to engage local stakeholders, including local leaders and employees of the towns, fire districts, and county IDA while we awaited response from the state on our PIP submission.

July 2016

Having received the state's feedback on the PIP submission, we revised the document to reflect all input and requests returned with the original copy. This document is available on our website as well as the Department of Public Services website for Number Three linked above.

August 2016

The New York development team hosted two open house-style public meetings which featured displays detailing the Number Three project plans, wind energy, generally, and the Article 10 process.

July 2017

Another open house was scheduled at our local office in the Village of Lowville. Large maps were on display featuring the full project area layout as well as other informational posters and fliers. We were happy to meet with nearly 30 interested community members.

May 2018

Invenergy's New York development team hit a major milestone for the Number Three project, submitting its Article 10 Application to the state for review. This document is available on our website as well as the Department of Public Services website for Number Three linked above.

July 2018

After receiving the state's response to Number Three Wind's Article 10 Application, the Invenergy New York development team submitted the first supplement to its Article 10 Application. This document is available on our website as well as the Department of Public Services website for Number Three linked above.

August 2018

Having received further input from the state on the Article 10 Application for Number Three Wind, the second revision the project's application was submitted to the state. This document is available on our website as well as the Department of Public Services website for Number Three linked above.

Economic Benefits

In the first 20 years of project operation, the Number Three Wind Farm is projected to pay millions of dollars in property taxes, lease payments to landowners, salaries to employees, and payments for local goods and services, resulting in a significant increase in economic activity in the Clinton County area. Benefits to schools and town and county governments will be realized from annual payments made under payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) and host community agreement payments.

$160M capital investment

$0.9M property taxes
annually

$0.7M landowner payments
annually

Why New York?

New York has set ambitious targets to generate up to 50% of its electricity from renewable sources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. New York is starting with a significant base of renewable energy generation. Using sources such as hydropower, solar, and wind, New York percentage of renewable energy generation was 20% in 2010 and 22% in 2013. To reach 50%, New York plans to encourage installation of more wind, solar, and renewable generation and improved efficiency to reduce electricity consumption.

As of March 2017, over 1,800 MW of wind energy was operating in New York, generating enough electrictity to power over 600,000 New York households. This generation offsets the need to import or burn other fuels, helping to reduce fuel prices and air emissions.

Wind energy and other renewable energy projects generate substantial economic benefits for New York. A 2013 study by the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) found that between 2005 and 2012, wind energy projects paid over $800 million dollars to New York businesses, landowners, and municipalities.

Wind Benefits New York

Total Investment: Wind developers like Invenergy have invested over $3.7 billion in New York
Annual Landowner Payments: Every year, wind farms in New York pay landowners $5 to 10 million
Wind Industry Employment: The wind industry employs between 1,000 and 2,000 people in New York
Wind Manufacturing Facilities: 9 facilities in New York produce electrical components utilized by the wind industry

Why Lewis County?

The Number Three Wind Farm is an unparalleled development opportunity for the host towns, with millions to be invested in the local economy over the life of the project. After careful evaluation, we selected this area for the project because of:

A verified, strong wind resource;
Existing transmission lines, minimizing the need for new infrastructure;
Landowner interest and community support;

We take our commitment to our local host communities seriously and look forward to continuing to work closely with the host towns and Lewis County, contributing to the area's economic development, and to providing an additional supply of clean, homegrown energy in New York.

Environmental
Benefits

Environmental Benefits

To avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife and other natural resources, we work with state and federal agencies and other interested stakeholders to site, build, and operate our facilities responsibly. The cornerstone of that effort is our commitment to act in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines, which includes robust pre-construction wildlife and habitat surveys, early and frequent communication with wildlife agencies, and operational monitoring to ensure risk to wildlife is minimized.

Impact on
Roads

Impact on County Roads

Local roads and infrastructure will be left in the same or better condition than they were prior to their use for the construction or on-going maintenance and repair of the wind project. Invenergy will enter into road agreements with the host town and county to put this commitment in writing.

Land

Wind turbines and access roads have a very small footprint. After construction is completed, landowners can use approximately 98-99% of their land for its previous purpose, whether it be for agriculture, hunting, or timber.

Events & Updates