The project, which could potentially be expanded to 700 MW, would be located 13 to 17 miles off the coast of the Rockaway Peninsula in Brooklyn, NY and Long Island. Development of the project is projected to cost between $2.7 billion and $4.7 billion.
The three utilities, Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison), the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), have dubbed their partnership the “Long Island–New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative.”
Based on studies they’ve been conducting since 2009, the utilities say the wind farm could create up to $2.7 billion in new economic activity, including 2,300 to 4,700 jobs during construction and 85 to 170 permanent jobs, depending on the project’s ultimate size.
During the studies, the collaborative created a series of visualization simulations to head off opposition to the project and completed an interconnection feasibility study.
The utilities also issued a request for information and received responses from over 30 wind developers and technical firms who they said expressed “a substantial interest” in developing what could be the largest offshore wind farm in the country.
“While additional information and studies are still needed, including a comprehensive review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), preliminary studies by the Collaborative and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) have indicated that the project can be economically productive, environmentally responsible, and technically feasible.,” the utilities said in a joint statement.
They filed a lease application this week with the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement accompanied by letters of support from Consolidated Edison, Inc.; the New York City Mayor’s Office; New York State Governor’s Office; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and numerous Environmental Groups including the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Advocates of New York, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York League of Conservation Voters, Pace Energy and Climate Center, and Renewable Energy Long Island.
Earlier this year New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced awards totalling $191 million to 17 renewable energy projects statewide.
It is expected that approximately $1.85 billion will be awarded to additional renewable energy projects over the next four years to meet the state's goal to meet 30 percent of its electricity demand with renewable resources by 2015.
For additional information:
