Gov. Kathy Hochul has approved three offshore wind and nearly two dozen renewable energy projects to help New York shift to meet the state’s climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She also greenlit a $300 million investment to manufacture key turbine components upstate.
By the numbers:
- Three offshore wind projects would produce just over 4,000 megawatts
- The projects on land and at sea would provide enough power for 2.6 million households.
- Energy bills are anticipated to increase nearly $3 per month across the state.
- New York is already halfway toward its offshore wind goal of developing 9,000 megawatts by 2035.
The offshore and land-based projects will deliver 12% of New York’s electricity needs by 2030 — when the state aims to have shifted to generating 70% of its energy from renewable sources.
The trio of offshore wind projects are planned for the New York Bight, in federal waters between New Jersey and the south shore of Long Island. The closest to shore is Excelsior Wind, developed by Vineyard Offshore.
Last week, the governor just vetoed a bill that would have helped a different developer Equinor build Empire Wind 1 and 2, which is in the same leasing area more than 20 miles offshore, because of opposition from residents in the City of Long Beach. Earlier this month, the state Public Service Commission also rejected subsidies for the developer to combat rising costs due to regulatory delays and inflated material costs.
“We'll be judged by how we act in this moment,” Hochul said during the announcement Tuesday. “Do we have the courage, the will, to put the resources behind us and break through all barriers to get this done right?"
“The projects we're announcing today will do just that. It'll set us apart, and it'll help us help not just New York but the nation's transition to clean energy. And we'll lead by example for others to follow. That's what New York always does,” she added.
But perhaps there is more favorable wind for Vineyard Offshore. The company is responsible for Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first offshore wind farm under construction near Martha’s Vineyard. The first turbines — the size of the Statue of Liberty — are being staged onshore now.
The company plans to bring a “community first approach” to land high-powered transmission cables in Long Beach, as it did in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
“Excelsior Wind will provide clean and affordable energy, powering both economic growth and improvements in environmental and public health,” said Vineyard Offshore CEO Lars Pedersen in a statement.
The other two wind projects are Attentive Energy One, developed by TotalEnergies, Rise Light & Power and Corio Generation, and Community Offshore Wind, RWE Offshore Renewables and National Grid Ventures, closer to the Jersey shore to serve the New York City area.
Attentive Energy One “seeks to retire fossil fuel power generation in the heart of New York City and transition the current workforce to clean energy jobs,” according to the announcement. Community Offshore Wind will build off of a “new grid interconnection being developed by Con Edison in downtown Brooklyn.”
Some commercial fishermen in New York have opposed wind turbines, saying they will destroy prime fishing grounds. Regulators and developers have pledged to limit the impact on the industry.
