New York’s largest offshore wind farm just got the official greenlight

Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind farm, now has the final permit it needs from the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to start construction.

Its permitted construction and operations plan outlines the offshore wind farm’s one nautical mile wind turbine spacing, the requirements for the construction methodology for all work in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species. 

The 924-megawatt (MW) Sunrise Wind, a 50-50 partnership between Ørsted and Eversource, will generate enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 New York households. It’s around 30 miles east of Montauk Point, Long Island, and is expected to be operational in 2026.

Sunrise Wind’s team will now ramp up work on the onshore transmission system, and offshore construction will kick off later this year at the project site.

The offshore power export cable will come ashore at Smith Point County Park in Brookhaven, New York, and a new converter station and an expanded existing substation will be in Holbrook, New York.

New York’s largest offshore wind farm will create 800 direct New York jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. John R. Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said, “Hundreds of local trade union men and women will have good-paying jobs building Sunrise Wind onshore and offshore. Moving this project forward will help power our grid and our regional economy.”

Sunrise Wind recently finalized its agreements with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on a 25-year offshore wind renewable energy certificate (OREC) contract. It will help New York State achieve its mandate of 70% renewable electricity by 2030.

The project previously canceled its contract, part of New York’s first offshore wind solicitation in 2019. Still, it reached viable power purchase agreements in February this year in the state’s fourth offshore wind solicitation. 

Read more: A major US offshore wind hub just broke ground in New York City

To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –affiliate link*