January 10, 2006
* AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK STATE * CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT * ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK * ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE * GREEN GOLD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION * GREENPEACE USA * GROOVYGREEN * HUDSON RIVER SLOOP CLEARWATER * NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL * NEW YORK CITY APOLLO COALITION * NEW YORK INTERFAITH POWER AND LIGHT * NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS * NEW YORK PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP * PACE LAW SCHOOL ENERGY PROJECT * RENEWABLE ENERGY LONG ISLAND * RIVERKEEPER, INC. * SCENIC HUDSON * SIERRA CLUB ATLANTIC CHAPTER * THOMPKINS REWABLE ENERGY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION * UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS * WIND ACTION GROUP OF BUFFALO * WESTERN NEW YORK SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION *

Out With the Old, In With the Wind!
Public Health and Environmental Groups Celebrate New York’s Newest and Largest Wind Farm,
Issue Statement of Support for Wind Power Development in New York

Albany, NY – New York’s environmental community gathered today to celebrate the commencement of the new Maple Ridge wind facility in Lewis County at the start of 2006. The project is currently 198 MW, making it the largest wind project in the eastern United States, with further expansion planned. Its turbines are already transforming wind into enough electricity to power 67,000 average New York homes each year. The project quadruples the amount of pollution-free wind power in New York.

A broad group of twenty-two prominent environmental and public health organizations also released a statement titled “New York Needs Renewable Wind Power”. Many of these organizations actively advocated for New York’s latest renewable energy policy, which seeks to ensure that 25 percent of the electricity used in New York be produced by clean, renewable technologies, like wind, solar, fuel cells and low-impact hydropower, by 2013. Maple Ridge is one of the first projects to be constructed under this new renewable energy policy and is by far the largest.

The organizations also announced the launch of www.aceny.org, a new internet resource to promote clean renewable technologies and energy efficiency in New York.

"With wind power we have a proven technology that can provide substantial amounts of reliable, affordable and pollution-free electricity to New Yorkers across the state," said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island. "I'm proud to be part of this unprecedented effort of environmental organizations and clean energy companies coming together to promote wind power and other clean energy technologies throughout our region."

“Here’s a New Year’s Resolution come true — the New York environmental community is coming together to celebrate the opening of the Maple Ridge wind project and the many clean air and public health benefits of wind power,” said Katherine Kennedy, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council. “We need to support sustainable energy solutions, and well-sited wind power is an important part of the answer to New York’s energy needs.”

John Stouffer of Sierra Club-Atlantic Chapter said, "Wind energy is a key component of a secure and sustainable energy future in New York State."

Jason Babbie of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) stated, “Developing more clean and green renewable energy is good for New York State and its residents. Consumers benefit from renewable energy's price stability, local economies benefit by keeping energy dollars in the state, and everyone benefits from power that doesn't cause public health problems and global warming.”

“From Long Island to Grand Island, CCE has reached out to tens of thousands of households and found strong public support to increase our use of wind power,” stated Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE). “Wind power is the most effective, large scale renewable energy technology available today. New York is poised to lead the nation bravely into the energy future by supporting and investing in this safe, clean domestically produced energy.

Larisa Washburn of Environmental Advocates of New York stated, “Wind power could supply 20 percent of our energy needs, providing electricity for 2.5 million homes. As a safe, abundant, and pollution-free source of energy, wind power not only helps to safeguard human health and the environment, it offers tremendous benefits for local communities.”

“We welcome the shift to clean renewable power,” said Edward Bennett of New York Interfaith Power and Light. “The faith community believes wise environmental stewardship protects the least among us and all of God’s creation. We’re encouraging congregations to be good stewards of God’s creation by using renewable energy and reducing demand by taking energy efficiency and conservation measures in their houses of worship and personal lives.”

"Wind promises to be the next cash crop, providing a much needed economic boost to the Upstate New York economy," said Fred Zalcman, Executive Director of the Pace Law School Energy Project.

"Wind is a great primal energy source, said Jim Tripp, General Counsel of Environmental Defense. Harnessing it to produce electrical energy reduces stresses on climate, ocean and ecological systems. Wind energy is increasingly cost-competitive. Its impacts can be mitigated. NYS has plenty of wind from Long Island to the Great Lakes. The State should pursue aggressively a broad array of initiatives to capture this indigenous source of energy."