"New York is proud to continue leading the way in offshore wind development while establishing a blueprint for building a locally-based green economy," Hochul said. "Today we are putting words into action and making it clear that New York State is the national hub of the offshore wind industry. The clean energy transition is driving significant private investment and family-sustaining jobs in communities across the state, and we are setting ourselves up for success with a brighter and more sustainable future."
As the nation's leading hub for offshore wind, New York State is seeking to procure at least 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy through a diverse set of project proposals while leveraging public and private capital to build a robust supply chain. In addition to the first phase of the state's $500 million investment in ports, manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure, additional notable provisions within the solicitation include:
- Introducing a first of its kind "meshed ready" offshore transmission configuration, based on recommendations from the New York State Power Grid Study, which will facilitate offshore wind projects' transition to a future system that can grow over time and provide greater reliability and flexibility while setting New Yorkers up to save approximately $55-$60 million annually;
- Awarding evaluation points for repurposing existing downstate fossil-based electric generation infrastructure and utilizing energy storage to enhance future system reliability and support more renewable energy on the grid;
- Emphasizing in-state manufacturing, inclusive economic development and climate equity, fostering relationships with New York's workforce including construction backed by prevailing wage, and encouraging project labor agreements;
- In promoting the intent of the New York Buy American Act, the solicitation sets a minimum U.S. iron and steel purchase requirement for all projects awarded under the solicitation to encourage domestic steel production and requiring developers to provide opportunities for U.S.-based steel suppliers to participate in the growing offshore wind industry;
- Enhancing stakeholder engagement, tracking, and requirements for New York jobs; and
- Continuing support for responsible development through environmental and fisheries mitigation plans and the requirement to support monitoring of fisheries and wildlife to better understand the interactions with offshore wind projects.
New York State currently has five offshore wind projects in active development, the largest portfolio in the nation. This initial portfolio totals more than 4,300 megawatts, will power more than 2.4 million New York homes, and is expected to bring a combined economic impact of $12.1 billion to the state. The projects are also expected to create more than 6,800 jobs in project development, component manufacturing, installation, operations and maintenance. Achieving the State's 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035 goal will generate enough energy to power approximately 30 percent of New York State's electricity needs, equivalent to nearly 6 million New York State homes, and spur approximately 10,000 jobs.
