Wind Facility Bolsters Local Economies and is Expected to Provide $63 Million in Investment

Project Expected to Create Nearly 70 Good-Paying Jobs and Provide Significant Tax Payments to Local Governments and School Districts     

Brings 100 MW of Clean Energy to Some 17,000 Average-Sized Homes

ALBANY — The New York State Department of Public Service (Department) today announced the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) has issued a final siting permit for Liberty Renewables, Inc. to develop, operate and decommission Hoffman Falls Wind, LLC, a 100 megawatt (MW) solar facility in the towns of Fenner, Nelson, Eaton, and Smithfield, Madison County. The project will create good-paying jobs, invest in crucial infrastructure, and increase tax revenues for local schools and other community priorities through tax and host community agreements.

“This important project approval demonstrates we continue to strengthen our commitment to improve grid reliability and build clean energy,” said Department CEO Rory M. Christian. “This project joins the more than 30 projects that New York has approved over the last few years. This is a testament to New York’s commitment to sustainability, affordability, and resiliency.”

The Madison County facility will contribute 100 MW of clean, renewable energy to New York’s electric grid while offsetting nearly 130,000 metric tons of CO2 and providing power for approximately 17,000 average-sized homes. The project is expected to be operational in 2027.

With the Hoffman Falls Wind’s decision, New York State has approved 34 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, including 28 permitted by ORES, which was created to accelerate permitting for renewable energy generation, and six approved by the NYS Siting Board under Article 10, the statute that governed solar and wind projects over 25-MW prior to the creation of ORES. The 34 permitted facilities represent 4.3 gigawatts of new clean, renewable energy.

Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission Executive Director Zeryai Hagos said, “The approval of the Hoffman Falls Wind permit indicates New York’s commitment to improve grid reliability and build clean energy. ORES is committed to advancing the State’s nation-leading clean energy policies while being responsive to community feedback and protecting the environment.”

The facility was approved after a thorough, timely, and transparent review process that included public comment periods and hearings. ORES received more than 135 public comments regarding the project and held a well-attended public comment hearing in April.

According to the developers, the facility is expected to provide $63 million in local investment to the Towns of Fenner, Nelson, Smith field, and Eaton, Madison County, the Cazenovia and Morrisville-Eaton Central School Districts, and participating landowners. Additionally, the towns are expected to share approximately $400,000 annually through the development of a host community agreement, with additional annual payments of $100,000 through a shared community payment program which will be paid out to neighbors of the facility.

Hoffman Falls Wind is expected to create approximately 66 full-time construction jobs and up to three permanent operations and maintenance jobs, in addition to contracting local labor for ongoing services such as road repair, snow removal, and vegetation management.  

The facility will include up to 24 wind turbines, as well as an associated underground medium voltage collection system, a permanent meteorological (MET) tower, an aircraft detection lighting system (ADLS), a medium voltage-to-transmission voltage collection substation, a short 115- kilovolt (kV) gen-tie line that will connect the facility to the New York power grid via a point of interconnection (POI) switching station that will connect to the existing Fenner-Cortland 115-kV transmission line, owned and operated by National Grid.

ORES’s decision to approve permitting this facility follows a detailed and transparent review process with robust public participation to ensure the proposed project meets or exceeds the requirements of Article VIII of the New York State Public Service Law and its implementing regulations.

The Hoffman Falls Wind application was deemed complete on December 20, 2024, with a draft permit issued by ORES on February 18, 2025. This wind power project meaningfully advances New York’s clean energy goals while establishing the state as a leading location for efficient, transparent, and thorough siting permitting processes for major renewable energy facilities.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Department’s Documents section of the website at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 23-02976 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Department documents may also be obtained from the Department’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.