Osprey's Dominion Winery Gets Wind Power

Though they weren't the first vineyard to raise a wind turbine on the North Fork, was the first to announce that they had plans for wind power during a groundbreaking ceremony last November.

Wednesday morning, those plans became reality. Jamie Minnick, CEO of Mattituck-based alternative energy company Eastern Energy Systems, and crew members began the assembly of a 100-foot-tall, 20-kilowatt wind turbine on a field north of the tasting room near the vines. The turbine is expected to be up and running in about a week.

"The base was installed in April — we've just been waiting on parts from the manufacture," said winery manager Peter Carey, referring to Ontario-based alternative energy supplier ReDriven Power, Inc.

The turbine and electrical setup cost the winery $144,000 and is projected to save the business about $8,000 in annual energy costs. A Long Island Power Authority Rebate and a federal tax incentive will also help the winery save money.

Osprey Dominion now joins the ranks of wind-powered vineyards like in Mattituck and in Cutchogue, both of which had modern-day windmills installed on their properties earlier this year. in Aquebogue and in Cutchogue are also using alternative energy in the form of recently-installed solar panel systems.

Stay tuned for a video of the winery's windmill work later today on North Fork Patch.