Maple Ridge Wind Farm
Maple Ridge Wind Farm, which achieved full operation in 2006, is a facility with 195 Vestas model V82 1.65 MW wind turbines. The Danish model machines were shipped in parts by sea to the United States, and via the St. Lawrence Seaway to Lake Ontario, where they were unloaded at the Oswego Port Authority. They were transported by numerous trucks to the area of the farm near Lowville, New York.
Each turbine tower is 260 feet (79 m) tall. Each turbine has blades 130 feet (40 m) long, which added to the hub diameter gives a rotor diameter of 270 feet (82 m). Collectively, the turbines can produce a maximum of 321 MW.
Maple Ridge Wind Farm became fully operational in June 2006.
The wind farm is located on Tug Hill in Lewis County, New York. The site was chosen because it lies at an elevation of 1,600–1,800 feet (490–550 m); strong winds are part of the area’s lake-effect weather patterns generated by nearby Lake Ontario.