Officials mark completion of Milestone South Fork Wind project

MONTAUK, N.Y. — It was a landmark day in Montauk on Thursday as Governor Kathy Hochul today, along with other elected officials, announced the completion of the South Fork Wind project, with construction of all 12 offshore wind turbines and the wind farm delivering successfully energy on Long Island and the Rockaways.

New York is now home to the nation's first utility-scale offshore wind farm, he said.

“When I started the South Fork project, I promised to build a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “I'm keeping that promise, and South Fork Wind is now providing clean energy to tens of thousands of Long Island homes and businesses. With more projects in the pipeline, this is just the beginning of New York's offshore wind future, and I look forward to continuing the working with the Biden administration and local leaders to build a clean and resilient energy grid.”

At full capacity, the roughly 130-megawatt wind farm will generate enough renewable energy to power about 70,000 homes, Hochul said. The renewable energy is generated about 35 miles off the coast of Montauk and will eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over the life of the project, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road over the next 20 years, he said.

First approved by the Long Island Power Authority board in 2017, South Fork Wind has begun construction in February 2022, starting with terrestrial cable extraction system which connects the project to the Long Island power grid. The wind farm reached “steel in water“A milestone in June 2023 was the installation of the project's first monopole foundation and its final turbine was installed in February, Hochul said.

The successful completion of South Fork Wind supports progress toward New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requirements to achieve 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 and install nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035 , Hotchul said. It also recently announced two offshore wind project awards, Empire Wind I and Sunrise Wind, for over 1,730 megawatts and $2 billion in short-term economic development investments.

Hundreds of U.S. workers and three Northeast ports supported South Fork Wind's construction, helping lay the foundation for a new domestic supply chain that creates local union jobs in the Northeast and beyond, Hochul said.

The terrestrial cable range The work alone created more than 100 union jobs for Long Island's skilled trades, Hochul said.

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Basil Seggos said he applauded Hochul's commitment to promoting a clean energy economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of Long Islanders and all New Yorkers.

Ørsted Group EVP and CEO Americas David Hardy added, “From the first steel in the water to the final turbine, our hard-working offshore wind construction team has put South Fork Wind on track to make American energy history. We are incredibly proud of our dedicated project, permitting and construction teams, and all those who made this milestone possible. We are also grateful for the tremendous leadership of Govs. Biden and Hochsul and the steadfast support of the East Hampton community and beyond .”

Eversource Energy chairman, president and CEO Joe Nolan said, “We are incredibly proud to complete South Fork Wind, the nation's first utility-scale offshore wind farm in federal waters. Thanks to the local workers and contractors who helped us build South Fork Wind's transmission system and onshore substation, clean energy flows into the Long Island grid.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine commented, “Today, history is being made in Suffolk County. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and our representatives in the federal government, we were able to set an example for the rest of New York State to adopt new technologies and bringing wind-generated energy to an entire region while making utility costs more affordable for our residents. It's a great achievement.”

East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez also praised the efforts: “We are extremely proud to witness the completion of the South Fork Wind Farm project, 10 years after the East Hampton Town Board demonstrated the courage and vision to become the first township in New. York State to set a goal of meeting 100 percent of our community's energy consumption needs with renewable energy sources by 2030. We are thrilled to have played a direct role in the project's success when the city council voted 4 to 1, giving justice to bring the power of wind onshore, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future for generations to come. And we are grateful to Governor Hochul for her outstanding leadership, dedication and continued commitment to championing renewable energy initiatives across the state.”

Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito said, “Offshore wind paves the way to free our nation from our addiction to fossil fuels and creates a gateway to new beginnings for cleaner energy production. We're excited. celebrating this momentous occasion where yesterday's dream becomes today's reality. There are very few moments when we can see positive changes for our future and this is one of them.”

Long Island Renewable Energy Executive Director Gordian Raacke said the completion of the South Fork Wind Farm marks a pivotal moment for offshore wind energy “and the urgently needed transition to renewable energy here on Long Island and New York. The years of hard so many paid jobs and prove that we can, in fact, build a clean energy economy.”

Group for the East End President Bob DeLuca added, “We welcome the completion of South Fork Wind and the hope it inspires for both a clean energy future and an ongoing commitment to meaningful climate action for Long Island and across New York State. “

And, Concerned Citizens of Montauk Executive Director Kay Tyler said: “For more than 50 years, Montauk has been at the forefront of protecting the environment, and we are so proud to have South Fork Wind associated with our tiny but mighty village .a landmark project, right in our backyard, ushering in a new era of clean and renewable energy for our community, our state and our country, now and for generations to come.”

Not everyone was thrilled with the project: Over the years, some concerns have been raised by environmentalists. Also, local fishermen had questions about the potential impact on their catch, the future of the cod fishery — and also whether the project would be visible from shore, which Hochul assured it would not be.