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Bettesworth Construction
Madison County

Why New York’s First Wind Farm, Madison Wind, Was Torn Down

Madison Wind began commercial operation in 2000 and reached the end of its lifecycle in 2025. EDP Renewables says obsolete turbines and costly, difficult repairs made continued operation uneconomic.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 2 min read
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New York’s first commercial wind site, Madison Wind in Madison County, reached the end of its lifecycle in October 2025. Its owner, EDP Renewables, says the seven-turbine project was no longer economically viable because its turbines were out of production and increasingly difficult and costly to repair or supply with replacement parts.

Which wind farm was removed?

The project was Madison Wind, also known as the Madison Windpower Project, in Madison County. EDP Renewables identifies it as New York’s first commercial wind site. NYSERDA’s 2013 final report says commercial operation began on October 12, 2000; the county lists seven turbines with a combined capacity of 11.55 MW.

Madison Wind is distinct from the separate Fenner and Munnsville wind farms, which are also in Madison County. EDP Renewables’ Madison Wind project page, NYSERDA’s final report, and the Madison County wind-power presentation describe the project.

Why did Madison Wind close?

EDP Renewables says the project had reached the end of its lifecycle and was no longer economically viable. The owner’s explanation is that the turbines were out of production, making repairs and replacement parts increasingly difficult and expensive to obtain. This is the owner’s stated rationale for retiring this particular site.

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The project’s anticipated operating life was 20 to 25 years. EDP Renewables wrote, “At the time of Madison’s construction in 2000, the wind site was anticipated to have an operational lifespan of 20 to 25 years.” The commercial-operation date and the owner’s October 2025 lifecycle-end date align with that expected span.

EDP Renewables describes decommissioning in September–October 2025 and says the land was restored to its natural use. The available project information does not give an audited lifetime electricity total, detailed maintenance records for individual turbines, the dismantling method, or the final disposition of each component.

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What does the closure say about wind power in New York?

It documents the retirement of one project built in 2000; it does not establish that wind power generally failed in New York or that the site’s wind resource caused the removal. At a New York Department of Public Service proceeding, a county chairman said the turbines were being taken down and that the owner did not want them back; his characterization is an interpretation, not the owner’s stated explanation.

Madison Wind’s age and the owner’s account of obsolete equipment and costly repairs matter to understanding this closure. The available sources do not provide a like-for-like comparison with newer wind farms, so the project should not be treated as evidence of how newer turbines or projects perform.

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How are future wind projects expected to handle removal?

For covered projects, the New York Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) says its process requires decommissioning plans and financial security for facility removal and land restoration when a project stops operating. That describes the state’s process for covered projects; it does not establish the terms of Madison Wind’s original arrangements in 2000.

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