On January 25, 2017, the Long Island Power Authority approved a proposal to construct the South Fork Wind Farm between Long Island and Massachusetts, 30 miles off the coast of Montauk.. This approval is a big step towards Governor Cuomo’s plan to transition New York’s energy to 50% renewables by 2030. New York will place itself at the forefront of sustainable and clean energy within the United States, powering the homes of thousands of New Yorkers. Jeffrey Grybowski, CEO of Deepwater Wind, the company behind the project further explains, “The South Fork Wind Farm will be the second offshore wind farm in America, and its largest. There is a huge clean energy resource blowing off of our coastline just over the horizon, and it is time to tap into this unlimited resource to power our communities.” By building the wind farm, New York will be able to further diversify and improve its energy sector using clean wind energy.
The wind farm allows New York to expand its energy supply, which permits the state to adjust to future changes within the energy market. The wind project in the long-term will reduce energy costs. Governor Cuomo also conveyed the multiple job opportunities that will be created for New Yorkers by building the wind farm. Deepwater Wind confirms this claim, conveying how they have already created 60,000 jobs through their European projects. Outside of the positive economic impacts, the project will significantly improve public health while combatting climate change through the promotion of clean and renewable energy.
The wind farm will make important contributions environmentally, which include improving air quality by reducing New York’s reliance on pollution inducing fossil fuels. The decrease in fossil fuel usage will also allow New York to better combat climate change. Moreover, the farm’s offshore location makes it more reliable, while providing room for further energy potential. The technology used by Deepwater Wind and its competitors allows them to site the turbines so far from shore that they are barely visible to the human eye and will not disturb with marine or economic activity close to harbors and ports.
The Wind Farm is to be built within a 256-mile zone with government support and will be operational by 2022. The farm will contain 15 six-megawatt turbines, each 600ft tall, with the capacity to power 50,000 homes. By 2030 Governor Cuomo hopes to power 1.25 million homes using wind energy. By utilizing wind energy, New York will be able to tap into an unlimited resource advancing New York further towards a more sustainable future.