Local elected officials joined Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in Southampton on Thursday to announce the completion of the South Fork Wind project.
With all of its 12 offshore wind turbines built and the installation delivering power, South Fork Wind becomes the first utility-scale offshore wind project in the U.S., according to a statement from Gov. Hochul’s office.
Once it reaches full capacity, the 130-megawatt wind installation, located about 35 miles off Montauk, will generate enough renewable energy to power some 70,000 homes. It aims to eliminate up to 6 million tons of carbon emissions over the life of the project, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road for the next 20 years, according to the statement.
First approved by the Long Island Power Authority Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind began construction in Feb. 2022, the project’s first monopile foundation was installed in June 2023 and its final turbine was installed last month.
“When I broke ground on the South Fork project, I made a promise to build a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” Hochul said in the statement. “I’m keeping to that promise and South Fork Wind is now delivering clean energy to tens of thousands of homes and businesses on Long Island. With more projects in the pipeline, this is just the beginning of New York’s offshore wind future and I look forward to continued partnership with the Biden administration and local leaders to build a clean and resilient energy grid.”
Several local firms were instrumental in the infrastructure for South Fork Wind. The underground duct bank system for South Fork Wind’s onshore transmission line was installed by Melville-based Haugland Energy Group and LS Cable installed and joined the onshore cables with support from Hauppauge-based Elecnor Hawkeye. Another Long Island firm, Bay Shore-based Roman Stone Construction, manufactured concrete mattresses to protect the undersea cables.
“I’m very proud that Long Island is leading the way towards our green energy future. The South Fork Wind project is the culmination of efforts by Governor Hochul, NYSERDA, Ørsted, and Eversource,” Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties President Matthew Aracich said in the statement. “This industry defining project, which was nation’s first industrial scale offshore wind project on the Eastern Seaboard, will continue to provide residual benefits for years to come. Long Island’s youth should expect to see new opportunities in the very near future through apprentice training programs. The building trades pipeline, leveraging the best career training possible, will continue to provide opportunities for family sustaining wages.”
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said that the project has made history in Suffolk County.
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and our representatives in the federal government, we have been able to set an example for the rest of New York State on embracing new technologies and bringing wind-generated energy to an entire region while making utility costs more affordable for our residents,” he said in the statement. “It is a great achievement.”
Long Island Power Authority CEO Thomas Falcone agreed that the South Fork Wind completion is an historic achievement for the state and the nation.
“Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, LIPA is proud to be a partner in this landmark project, and we will continue to pursue our collective vision for a sustainable and resilient energy future that creates jobs, builds our economy, and protects our environment,” he said in the statement.
David Winzelberg
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