State Sen. George Borrello was not Monday morning quarterbacking in criticizing the New York State Thruway last week over its poor decision to place turbines at its exits more than a decade ago. He was only speaking of the frustrations he’s heard from thousands of residents he serves.

Last Wednesday, Thruway Authority officials took down the turbine at Exit 59 that had been out of operation for nearly five years. The removal ended an embarrassing tenure for the agency.

“The Thruway Authority raised tolls because they claimed they are facing a multi-year, multimillion dollar deficit starting this year,” Borrello said. “Yet, when I asked the acting Executive Director, in the budget hearings, how much money was wasted on those nonworking turbines he refused to answer.

“The cost to do this was massive. All of the engineering, all the site planning, all of the electrical infrastructure needed, the cost of bringing these foreign-made wind turbines in and then assembling them.”

With the turbines gone, those expenses remain. Motorists are covering a portion through a recent increase — with another on the way in 2027.