What to know about New York's largest offshore wind farm on Long Island
Groundbreaking for NY's largest offshore wind farm
Long Island is leading the state in the push for clean energy. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Wednesday for New York's newest and largest offshore wind farm. FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso takes us to Sunrise Wind, a project that will create hundreds of jobs and provide thousands of homes with wind energy.
LONG ISLAND - History was made on Long Island Wednesday, soon to be the home to New York’s largest offshore wind farm.
"We are using innovation to harness the power of wind, not only to fight climate change but also to really transform our economy here on Long Island and beyond," said Doreen Harris, President and CEO of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the construction of Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project developed by Ørsted.
For a long time, developers struggled with higher-than-expected prices for materials like steel, increased borrowing costs, and supply chain issues, but now they say "shovels are in the ground."
NY electricity
It’s being called an energy revolution.
The goal is for 70% of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, and 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.
That's less than 15 years from now.
Offshore wind has also been a crucial component of New York's plan to transition to a carbon-free electricity system by 2040.
Suffolk County officials say the historic landmark will run through Brookhaven, Smith Point, William Floyd Parkway, Holtville, and the south side of the expressway.
FOX 5 previously reported on the South Fork Wind, the first offshore wind farm on Long Island-about 35 miles east of Montauk.
That windfarm has 12 turbines generating 132 megawatts of clean energy, powering 70,000 homes per year in east Hampton.
Sunrise Wind construction
The CEO of Ørsted, David Hardy, says the company is investing approximately $20 billion into the new American clean energy industry in New York, and millions into the latest creation in Suffolk County.
Once completed, the project is expected to provide enough clean energy to power approximately 600,000 New York homes and businesses on the island.
"84 wind turbines, 11 megawatts each--it's a huge project, but so are the local benefits. They're huge also, this projects are bringing in investments worth more than $700 million to Suffolk County alone," Hardy said.
And although New York State is on track to reach its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, other states are pushing back on the fight for clean energy.
Orsted has settled a lawsuit with the New Jersey public utilities after backing out of a plan for two large offshore wind farms off the Jersey coast.
The Sunrise Wind project is expected to be completed by 2026.
Officials would not say what the price tag for the project was, but instead call it a multi-billion dollar project.