With the national growth of small-scale wind energy in decline, a new program by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority [1] is looking to jumpstart the industry by focusing on home and farm wind systems.

New York is ranked eighth in installed wind capacity and first in the Northeast.The Buffalo News [2] reports that NYSERDA's four-month-old grant program [3], which can cover up to a half of the purchase and installation costs of a turbine (generally $35,000 - $70,000), has received 17 applications totaling over $712,000.

Approval for the grant requires consent from all neighbors within 750 feet -- a feat not always easy to achieve.  However, the small-scale turbines are rarely over 120 feet tall, with comparatively small generators, and have met with widespread approval.

In addition to their environmental benefits and subsequent increase in U.S. energy independence, wind turbines can lower electrical bills by 10-90 percent, depending on location and weather - making the technology attractive at a time of rising energy prices. Furthermore, their owners can sell their excess energy back to the utility (a process called net metering) and still rely on the electrical grid when winds are light.