Last fall, New York officials imploded seven wind turbines in the Town of Madison. Only 25 years ago they were heralded as harbingers of New York state’s green-energy future. Today, they are trash.
The turbines made up the 11.5-megawatt facility Madison Wind Power Project, owned by EDP Global. Operators decided to raze the windmills due to end-of-life factors and lack of parts. The facility also has a track record of lower-than-expected performance.
“At the time of Madison’s construction in 2000, the wind farm was anticipated to have an operational lifespan of 20 to 25 years,” wrote EDP Global in a statement announcing the demolition. “As of 2025, the project has come to the end of that lifespan and is no longer considered economically viable, primarily due to the current turbines being out of production, making repairs and obtaining replacement parts increasingly difficult and costly.”
Taking Advantage of Taxpayers
EDP Renewables North America acquired the wind farm from a conglomerate of developers that had built it. They took advantage of the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), a per-kilowatt-hour tax credit for electricity generated over the first 10 years of operation, which amounted to millions in taxpayer dollars funneled into a project fraught with “degradation and failure,” according to industry experts. Nevertheless, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority also provided a $2 million grant to fund the project.
But these weren’t the only financial incentives. Like all renewables, the project received priority treatment for power sold into the local grid. Madison also generated revenue from the sale of renewable energy certificates that other entities can use to claim they are reducing their carbon emissions. Additionally, wind farms like Madison commonly use accelerated depreciation for capital equipment, which reduces federal taxable income in initial years. The project also received favorable property-tax treatment available to “renewable energy” projects.
EDP Global is based in Portugal, and has an annual revenue of around $18 billion. The company has already announced its next project in the Madison, New York, area: the Rolling Upland Wind Farm. Mr. Taxpayer, who do you think will be funding the construction?
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