New York planning massive offshore wind farm

The Long Island Power Authority‘s (LIPA) board of directors will meet July 20 to approve Deepwater Wind‘s 90-megawatt, 15-turbine wind farm, according to Politico. Turbines would be placed 30 miles offshore—over the horizon and out of sight from land—and could provide energy to Long Island customers by the end of 2022.

“This is the first in New York, it’s the largest to date, but we’re looking at this and seeing a tremendous offshore wind resource that will be developed and it’s not the last,” Deepwater Wind CEO Thomas Falcone told the AP. “I think this is a very big step … for New York, but also for the United States.”

Deepwater Wind’s Long Island project got a major boost today when New York Gov. Cuomo announced his support for the planned wind farm. In a statement, Cuomo said:

The LIPA Board of Trustees Wednesday will consider advancing the development of the nation’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Long Island. I strongly encourage the Trustees to once again demonstrate New York’s leadership on climate change and help achieve the state’s ambitious goal of supplying 50 percent of our electricity from renewable energy by 2030.

Investing in New York’s clean energy economy strengthens our communities by providing access to clean, affordable power and good quality green jobs. Next week marks another opportunity for this state to lead the nation in creating a stronger, more resilient energy system and protecting the environment for future generations.

The Sierra Club applauded Cuomo’s announcement. Lisa Dix, the organization’s senior New York representative, said:

This announcement is the first step toward a bold, long-term, large-scale offshore wind program for New York and catapults New York to the forefront of America’s clean energy economy. Today was the result of years of hard work by concerned citizens across the island and around the state that understand that offshore wind is essential to moving New York to a 100 percent clean energy future, while protecting our wildlife, environment and coastal communities from the devastating impacts of climate disruption.

Deepwater Wind, a Rhode Island-based company, is currently building the nation’s first offshore wind farm near Block Island, Rhode Island. The 30-megawatt, 5-turbine project farm is expected to go online later this year, the Providence Journal reported.