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NY Expands Offshore Wind Projects, Bringing Wind Hub To Brooklyn
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Sydney Pereira
Published Jan 17, 2021
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Equinor
By
Sydney Pereira
Published Jan 17, 2021
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Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to vastly expand offshore wind farms along Long Island, a move expected to create 2,600 jobs across the state. Along with the new turbines, the project will launch manufacturing and assembly hubs at ports in Albany and New York City’s Sunset Park, as part of a contract with Equinor, a Norwegian-based energy company that specializes in oil, gas, wind, and solar.
"With this plan, New York state will now have five active port facilities serving the offshore wind industry—more than any other state," Cuomo said Wednesday during the third of his week-long state of the state addresses, outlining a host of “green economy" projects.
Equinor won a separate contract to build a wind farm off Long Island in 2019—called Empire 1—that is still in development. The company will now partner with BP, the British oil-and-gas giant, to add two additional sections called Empire 2 and Beacon 1. Equinor agreed in September that BP would be a 50% partner in the new projects, and the deal was expected to close early this year. Ninety turbines will be built 20 miles off Jones Beach and 60 miles off Montauk Point, which Cuomo claimed won't be visible from shore.
Map offshore wind farm locations that Equinor will develop.
The Port of Albany project is projected to create 500 construction jobs and 300 highly-skilled full-time jobs to build the 450-foot-tall turbine towers. The Sunset Park facility will serve as an assembly, operations, and maintenance site for the turbines, where 1,000 short-term and 200 long-term jobs would be created, according to Equinor. The company claims this facility at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal would be the "largest dedicated offshore wind port" in the nation at about 73 acres.
Environmental activists lauded the announcement due to its investment in a neighborhood that is nearly 70% Hispanic and Asian. UPROSE, an environmental justice group in Sunset Park, has been fighting to recreate Brooklyn’s industrial waterfront as a haven for renewable energy jobs.
The wind hub announcement concludes a broader push against the controversial rezoning of Industry City. After mounting resistance, developers withdrew an initial proposal for a 35-acre retail and manufacturing complex, which critics said would fuel displacement. The developers countered that the project would have created 20,000 jobs in the area. Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, a strong opponent to the Industry City rezoning plans, celebrated Cuomo's offshore wind expansion on Thursday. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "New York is one step closer to a cleaner environment and a more sustainable community for all."
As early as 1998, "we were talking about a green port," Elizabeth Yeampierre, the executive director of UPROSE and co-chair of the Climate Justice Alliance, said in a phone interview.
"The vision was that we would use the industrial sector to build for climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience," she said, while acknowledging the unusual partnership of activists, two oil-and-gas multinational companies, and a state agency. But, she added: "I think that this project does more than provide us with renewable energy and jobs. It also models how New York City should be moving forward in addressing climate change."
Yeampierre said UPROSE is working with unions on developing the workforce. A part of the governor’s announcement includes a $20 million training institute at SUNY Stony Brook and Farmingdale State College for wind and renewable energy careers.
New York State Energy Research & Development is awarding $200 million in funds for the project, while private funders will supply another $200 million. Both new offshore wind farms will bring 2,490 megawatts of wind energy, building on 816 megawatts committed by Equinor already.
The project is intended to help New York State meet its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050, set by climate legislation passed in 2019. By 2030, the state aims to reach 70% renewable energy under the law, called the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The legislation also requires 35% of green energy funds to be invested in low-income, communities of color, with goals to reach 40%.
Anders Opedal, the CEO of Equinor, called the projects a "game-changer for our offshore wind business in the U.S.”
Before developing the wind farms, Equinor must study wind conditions and the seabed to prepare for the actual construction of the turbines and their foundation. Construction at the site closer to NYC and then off Montauk would begin in 2023 and 2025, respectively, and last for three to four years, the company said.
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brooklyn
sunset park
Sydney Pereira
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