What Happened:
The first major wind installation in the U.S. has been completed off the coast of Long Island, New York. The completion of this installation achieves one of the many climate goals set out by the Biden administration. The project faced many setbacks, cancellations, and rising costs, but was eventually completed, drawing celebration from activists and politicians.
Gov. Kathy Hochul joined project officials to celebrate the completion of the project, stating, “Today, at long last, we flip the switch and turn on the future. The future of power generated by the winds” before continuing saying “the first of its kind, not just for New York, not just the Northeast, but for all of America.”
The Details:
The project was originally approved in 2017, when the Long Island Power Authority signed the deal for the South Fork land to be used for the wind farm. The project was forced to go through multiple pauses but eventually started delivering power to the grid as soon as June 2023, when the first foundations and turbines were set up. There are 12 total turbines, producing enough power to supply 70,000 homes.
The project survived multiple other projects that were cancelled due to costs that skyrocketed after COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In New York, regulators denied an attempt to raise consumer costs that was proposed by power companies.
The completion of this project has increased market confidence in green energy, with New York accepting 3 bids for offshore wind projects that are slated to be completed by 2030. The project has drawn the praise of U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Halaand, who stated, “You are helping to create the current excitement in the market that we see today.” There is hope that cancellations and setbacks will continue to decrease as investments in the projects pay off.
What’s Next:
Multiple states in the U.S. are working on green energy projects. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut agreed to collaborate on a new project after the developers withdrew their bid due to rising prices. New Jersey has approved 5 offshore wind farms, but none have yet begun construction due to permits, financial concerns, and contract issues.
Large cities in the U.S. have been proposing clean energy projects with variations of success and failure. Large-scale projects like New York’s are the first of their kind in the country, but other states are hoping to follow suit. Los Angeles is getting creative by using its successful bid to host the 2028 Olympics as a driver to bring in clean and efficient energy for the world to see.
