Report Finds No Impact on Property Values from Wind Farm

June 7, 2006

Despite beliefs that wind farms adversely affect property values, a study examining the impacts on local property values of the Fenner wind farm in New York state finds that property values were unaffected by the 2001 installation of a 20-turbine wind farm in the Fenner Township of Madison County, New York.

"This study provides valuable information for communities considering wind farm developments," said Carol Murphy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY). "The Fenner wind farm is a showcase for New York showing how wind energy can bring economic development for rural communities with many positive attributes for local residents while producing pollution free energy."

New York, with its adoption of the Renewable Portfolio Standard, in 2004, plans to increase the percentage of renewable power produced in the state by 7% (over its current 18%) to reach the goal of 25% renewable energy generation by the year 2013. This could mean as many as 30 new wind farms across the state, the report states, and many states in the Northeast have similar goals for renewable energy use and production in their state.

"The likelihood that property values were affected in Madison County is negligible, thereby reducing similar concerns for other communities hosting wind farms," said Ben Hoen of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, author of the report titled "Impacts of Windmill Visibility on Property Values in Madison County, New York."

"As the Northeast's wind energy capacity grows, the frequency of clashes between communities and wind farms will likely increase," said Joanne Fox-Przeworski, director of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy. "Understanding the effects of these developments, through empirical studies of existing sites, is crucial."