The Wind Action Group was formed by Buffalo's Green Gold Development Corporation, in collaboration with Erie County, and a number of other public and private organizations, based on a recommendation from Wind Energy Initiatives for Greater Buffalo. This study was produced by Masters of UrbanPlanning students under Dr. Ernest Sternberg of the UB School ofArchitecture & Planning.

The UB report envisioned a Wind Action Group made up of elected officials, industry experts, regulatory agents, environmental representatives and others. The Action Group was tasked to connect the multiple stakeholders, including citizens, developers, government and industry representatives into a forum for public awareness and the development of economic and environmental opportunities in the Buffalo Niagara Region. Economic opportunities include wind farms and the potential growth of a wind manufacturing industry in our community. The Wind Action Group is actively pursuing those goals.

The Wind Action Group is making information available to the public on issues associated with wind power. This information is vital to the development of a demonstration project as well as to the development of commercial wind energy farms in Western New York. The Wind Action Group is working to accelerate the pace of wind development locally in order to capture wind-related manufacturing and service sector spin off jobs that are likely to land in areas that show early support and capacity for wind energy development.

The development of a demonstration project within the City of Buffalo is crucial to giving citizens a first hand experience with modern wind turbines and the opportunity to evaluate this exciting technology for themselves. Currently there are no operating urban wind farms in the U.S.

Erie County, with funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is conducting a comprehensive Urban Shoreline Wind study. The NYSERDA study will provide a regional understanding of existing shoreline wind resources and determine appropriate shoreline siting locations, both inside and outside of the City of Buffalo, for future development of urban wind farms. The Wind Action Group is providing important support to this County initiated effort. The results of the Shoreline Wind Study and the efforts of the Wind Action Group are considered synergistic and will result in future wind developments in the City of Buffalo and the greater Buffalo region.