The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday approved the start of construction for the 132-MW South Fork Wind Project being built for the Long Island Power Authority, subject to the terms of the plan greenlighted in November by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“This milestone underscores the tremendous opportunity we have to create a new industry from the ground up to drive our green energy economy, deliver clean power to millions of homes and create good jobs across the state,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
A joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES), South Fork is expected to begin operations at the end of 2023 and will be located approximately 19 miles southeast of Block Island, R.I., and 35 miles east of Montauk Point, N.Y.
The construction and operations plan, which will create 100 union jobs, promised that the developer would install 12 or fewer turbines and adopt a range of measures to help avoid, minimize and mitigate potential impacts. (See Interior Greenlights 132-MW South Fork COP.)
The Biden administration has been moving to speed up the leasing and permitting of offshore wind energy areas, earlier in January announcing that it will auction six lease areas in the New York Bight on Feb. 23, enough to site at least 5.6 GW of generation. (See BOEM to Auction Six New Lease Areas in NY Bight.)
New York has targeted 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035 and is basing procurement of offshore wind renewable energy credits in part on economic benefits provided by the projects, including domestic supply chain and port infrastructure investments, benefits to disadvantaged communities and creation of jobs and workforce training programs.
“As New York’s first offshore wind farm, South Fork Wind is already contributing to a new statewide and U.S. manufacturing era and maritime industry, including good-paying union jobs through our labor partnerships and vision for the industry,” CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America David Hardy said.
“With onshore construction expected in the coming days, New Yorkers are closer than ever to realizing the benefits of clean energy,” Eversource CEO Joe Nolan said.
Kiewit Offshore Services is already fabricating the project’s 1,500-ton, 60-foot-tall offshore substation at a facility near Corpus Christi, Texas. The developers have contracted Long Island-based Haugland Energy Group to install the duct bank system for the project’s underground onshore transmission line and to lead the construction of the onshore interconnection facility in East Hampton.
Work will begin in summer 2023 to install the project’s offshore monopile foundations and 11-MW Siemens-Gamesa wind turbines.