Norwegian energy company Statoil has chosen the name of Empire Wind for the offshore wind project located off the southern coast of Long Island, New York.
The 79,350 acre site, secured by Statoil in a federal auction in December 2016 with a record price of USD 42.5 million, has the potential to generate up to 1GW of offshore wind power, making it a key part of New York State’s plan to deploy renewable energy sources to meet the state’s electricity needs.
Statoil has also announced the launch of the Empire Wind website where members of the public can obtain information on the project and register to receive updates.
“The name Empire Wind captures the pivotal role that this important project will play in helping New York achieve its ambitious renewable energy goal,” said Statoil’s Empire Wind Project Director Christer af Geijerstam .
“Empire Wind also speaks to the leading role that New York State is taking in advancing the deployment of offshore wind technology in North America.”
Statoil is in the early stages of developing the offshore wind farm. The Empire Wind project team is currently conducting an evaluation process, gathering detailed information about the seabed conditions, grid connection options and wind resources characteristic to the area.
New York’s Clean Energy Standard mandates an increase in the share of renewables in its energy mix to 50 percent by 2030. As part of that effort, Governor Andrew Cuomo recently called for the development of up to 2.4GW of offshore wind power by 2030.
“Statoil looks forward to working with all stakeholders as we move forward with the job of bringing offshore wind energy to New York,” said Geijerstam.
“We are committed to working with other developers, state officials, unions and the business community to develop a U.S. supply chain for this and other offshore wind projects. Our goal is to help make offshore wind a leading option for generating clean and affordable energy in New York.”
Statoil currently has seven offshore wind projects online or under development in Europe, including the world’s first floating offshore wind project in Scotland—a technology which could prove pivotal in generating offshore wind power for the U.S. west coast and Hawaii, the company said.