The developers of an offshore wind farm in eastern Long Island are allowed to move forward with the burying of high-powered transmission cables in East Hampton. The decision comes after years of opposition and negotiations.
The East Hampton Town Board greenlit the project. Orsted and Eversource plan to bring to shore cables from the South Fork Wind Farm, underground them at Wainscott beach, through town right-of-ways, to an electrical substation in town.
In exchange, the developers will pay the town $29 million over the next 25 years. And they’ll have to work with frustrated commercial fishermen on a fisheries mitigation plan.
The project still has its obstacles. Opponents could get enough signatures to force a public vote on the project.
Wainscott residents also want to incorporate as a village government to claim control of the beach. That could jeopardize the construction deal with delays.
And federal and New York regulators, however, likely still have to complete their review of the project.
