Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completed installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind, a historic milestone for New York’s offshore wind development and what will be the first completed utility-scale wind farm in the United States in federal waters.
Once completed, the 130-megawatt offshore wind farm will address a growing reliability challenge for Long Island’s electrical grid, while also generating enough renewable energy to power approximately 70,000 Long Island homes, eliminating up to six million tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road annually over a 25-year period. Today’s announcement supports progress towards the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to install nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.
“New York is paving the way towards a clean energy future, and the installation of our first offshore wind turbine marks a momentous step forward,” Governor Hochul said. “We are not only generating clean energy, but also pioneering a healthy and safe environment for future generations of New Yorkers. We are shaping a brighter, greener tomorrow, committed to a future where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.”
Some 35 miles off Montauk, NY, the South Fork Wind project is being developed by South Fork Wind (a joint venture project between Ørsted and Eversource) and will feature 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine generators with capacities of 11 MWs each. All 12 turbines are expected to be installed by the end of 2023 or early 2024.
(Photo courtesy of State of New York)
