New York State has asked the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to consider identifying and leasing at least four new wind energy areas off New York’s Atlantic Coast.
Each of the areas are capable of accommodating at least 800MW of offshore wind generation, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said.
The proposal is the result of work undertaken by NYSERDA and requests BOEM to utilise the area for consideration in the identification process of new wind energy areas.
The state also requests BOEM to use the data and analysis for informing the areas for consideration to help quicken the identification process, which will encourage development of an offshore wind industry that is expected to result in economy progress, creating jobs and advancement in clean energy goals.
The advancement of four or more new wind energy areas will encourage competition, help reduce costs, and provide New York with enough capacity to meet its commitment of 2,400MW of offshore wind by 2030, helping reach Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s 2030 goals of 50 percent of all state’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels.
Rossana Rosado , New York Secretary of State, said: “The ambitious New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan provides a path to developing offshore wind in a way that balances new energy and economic opportunities with the many important uses and resources off New York’s Atlantic coast. As the state’s lead for the BOEM-New York Renewable Energy Task Force, the New York Department of State looks forward to working closely with BOEM and our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to make sure the Governor’s goal of 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind is reached by 2030.”
The area for consideration and the state’s Offshore Wind Master Plan have been informed by more than twenty surveys and studies and stakeholder outreach including coastal, maritime, and fishing communities; labor and business organisations; private industry; governmental entities and elected officials; non-governmental organisations and environmental groups; and ratepayer advocates, according to NYSERDA.
Offshore wind is expected to create 160,000 jobs in the US over the next thirty years.