Governor Hochul Unveils South Fork’s First Offshore Wind Turbine
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the completion of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind. Once completed, the 130-megawatt wind farm will address reliability issues for Long Island’s electrical grid, power roughly 70,000 homes, and eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over a 25-year period. The project aligns with the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s aim to install nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.
New York’s Offshore Wind Energy Milestone
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind, marking a historic moment for the state’s offshore wind development. This is part of the first utility-scale wind farm in the United States in federal waters. This 130-megawatt offshore wind farm will not only improve Long Island’s electrical grid’s reliability but also generate enough renewable energy to serve around 70,000 homes. This will significantly reduce carbon emissions, equivalent to removing 60,000 cars off the road every year over a 25-year span.
“New York is making significant strides toward a clean energy future, and this installation represents a major step forward,” Governor Hochul stated. “We are not only producing clean energy but also fostering a healthier, safer environment for New York’s future generations.”
The offshore construction team installed the first of South Fork Wind’s 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine generators at the project site located 35 miles off Montauk, N.Y. The project has created numerous local union jobs across the Northeast, with all 12 turbines expected to be in place by late 2023 or early 2024.
The Long Island Power Authority CEO, Thomas Falcone, stressed that this project represents a significant step in New York’s clean energy journey. Doreen M. Harris, NYSERDA President and CEO, also expressed the importance of this milestone in efforts to bring the benefits of clean and renewable offshore wind energy to New York.
High-ranking officials including Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Ørsted Group EVP and CEO Americas David Hardy, and Eversource Energy President, CEO and Chairman Joe Nolan, among others, also expressed their support and excitement for the project.
The South Fork Wind project, approved by the LIPA Board of Trustees in 2017, began construction in February 2022, starting with the onshore export cable system that connects the project to the local energy grid. The wind farm reached its “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation.
The project, once operational, will be supported by U.S.-built crew transfer vessels and eventually by America’s first offshore wind Service Operations Vessel.
This milestone supports New York’s ambitious climate agenda, which aims for a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040 and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. New York is focused on making massive clean energy investments, including over $55 billion in large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, and adopting zero-emission vehicle regulations.
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