New York electricity costs are well above the national average and they are expected to keep going up in the future. But you can insulate your family or business from surging electric rates by installing your own wind power generator.

he best part is the State will pay for at least half of it!

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), now provides rebates of 50 - 70% for qualified purchases of small wind systems. This is one of the best clean energy incentive programs in the country. The rebates are 50% for homes and institutions, 60% for farms, and 70% for schools incorporating wind energy in their curriculum.

The NYSERDA rebates are only available through NYSERDA Eligible Installers. NYSERDA also has a Provisional Eligible Installers designation with some limitations.

With the NYSERDA incentives, the payback may be in as little as 6 -9 years! But, remember, you will be paying the money anyway - to the utility company. Financially, buying a home wind system is vastly superior to just purchasing all your electricity from the power company. It's like the difference between renting a home and buying a home. So, rather than calling it a pay back period, it would be more accurate to call it a payment transfer period. At the end you have free electricity.

A small wind system will provide you with a return on your investment of 10 - 20% - tax-free - depending on your usage and wind resource. This is equivalent to a 14% - 28% return on a taxable investment! Compare that to 4% from a money market account, 5% from a long-term CD, or negative earnings from mutual funds over the last few years.

A small wind system really helps the environment! Over its minimum 30 year operating life, a residential/farm wind system in New York will save approximately 430,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, 3,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 1,000 pounds of nitrogen dioxide that would have been produced by the utility's fossil fuel power plants. It is the equivalent of planting 2 acres of trees or taking 1.25 vehicles off the road.

Modest wind resources are fine for small wind systems. Wind resources are sufficient in most parts of New York. In some places they are excellent.