CANTON -- National Grid has presented SUNY Canton with a $750,000 Renewable Energy and Economic Development incentive to help with the completion of an on-campus wind-turbine project.

Construction of the wind-turbine project is estimated to total nearly $7 million and produce 1,800 to 2,200 kilowatts of energy, depending on wind activity, to supplement approximately half of the college’s electricity use, according to SUNY Canton officials. The turbine will be used as a learning tool for students, including those in the Alternative and Renewable Energy Systems and Electrical Engineering Technology programs, among others.

“National Grid is committed to renewable energy advancements and economic development in the communities we serve,” said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid regional executive of Central New York. “We support these types of initiatives to promote sustainability and energy efficiency, while ultimately lowering energy costs and environmental impact. This project has the added bonus of providing a working laboratory for the next generation of energy engineers.”

National Grid’s Renewable Energy and Economic Development program was launched in 2011. Over the past two years, the company has approved seven applications totaling nearly $4 million in Renewable Energy and Economic Development incentives to businesses across Upstate New York. Five of the projects have been completed and connected to the network.

The program funds a number of projects in the company’s service area that demonstrate renewable generation technologies while producing economic development benefits for the region.