In Brief:
- Empire Wind project invests $5B to power 500,000 homes
- South Fork Wind already powers 70,000 Long Island homes
- Orsted, Equinor projects have created thousands of local jobs
- Offshore wind strengthens energy security and U.S. supply chains
- Long Island manufacturing and workforce training benefit directly
If you’ve walked along Brooklyn’s Sunset Park waterfront lately, you may have noticed a new barge near the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, with a unique set of equipment onboard. This American-flagged vessel is loaded with American-made cable, manufactured in South Carolina and now being installed with help from union workers into the seabed off the coast of New York. That cable will soon connect the Empire Wind offshore wind project directly to New York City’s electric grid.
In today’s tough economic climate, it may feel like New York’s clean energy ambitions have been put on pause. But that’s far from the truth. This barge is one indicator that projects like Empire Wind 1 are moving forward—creating jobs, strengthening local economies and proving that offshore wind is not some distant hope, but a real and rising industry.
On Long Island, we face real economic headwinds: A shrinking youth population due to high housing costs, sluggish job growth and tariff exposure. But we also have valuable assets: over 2,000 manufacturing companies, a resilient defense sector, and world-renowned research institutions like Cold Spring Harbor and Brookhaven labs.
When population trends are shifting, and job growth is slowing, one of the best responses is to encourage emerging industries that create well-paying, future-ready careers. That’s exactly what we’re seeing now as a handful of major, federally approved offshore wind projects begin to deliver real economic momentum across the region.
For the first time since the exit of Grumman Aerospace from Long Island, we are building an industry that could rival the post-World War II defense boom. Offshore wind brings with it advanced manufacturing jobs, supply chain investments and innovation-driven careers. These are not abstract promises—they’re already taking shape. As Long Islanders know, Orsted’s South Fork Wind project is already operational and powering 70,000 homes. The company’s Sunrise Wind development is next in line, and between the two, Orsted has already supported more than 1,400 workers logging over 3 million hours, with a local economic impact estimated at $58 million.
Building on this momentum, Equinor’s Empire Wind project represents the next major leap in New York’s offshore wind ambitions, with $5 billion in capital investment and the capacity to power half a million homes. Work is underway at the 73-acre South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which will become the project’s control center and maintenance base. So far, Empire Wind has supported more than 2,000 jobs and activated a broad network of American suppliers, from steel fabricators to underground utility crews.
We see the same momentum elsewhere. In Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind has employed 1,700 local workers and is set to come online soon. In Virginia, Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, first leased in 2013 and fully permitted in 2023, is on track to power 660,000 homes by 2026.
And there’s more to come. Developers like Community Offshore Wind are actively engaged in the bidding process for future New York contracts, and others like Attentive Energy could re-enter the market if conditions improve.
These projects don’t happen overnight. They require years of planning, permitting, technical studies and public engagement. What they truly require, above all, is sustained commitment. Success doesn’t come from short-term thinking—it comes from staying the course.
Offshore wind represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvest in domestic manufacturing, modernize our infrastructure, and expand the workforce training programs that prepare people for tomorrow’s jobs. It’s also a matter of national security. Strengthening our energy independence makes us more resilient in a volatile global economy.
This must be part of a broader strategy that includes solar, hydrogen, thermal, existing fossil fuel production and other emerging technologies. The goal is not to replace one energy source with another. It’s to build a balanced, secure and forward-looking system.
We’re not starting from scratch. Long Islanders have powered this country before—designing complex systems, solving big problems, and helping America lead. Offshore wind is our chance to do that again, and this time with cleaner, smarter tools. The foundation is in place, the progress is real, and the potential is enormous. Now is the time to keep building.
Phil Rugile is the president for the Institute for Workforce Advancement and co-chair of the Regional Economic Development Council’s workforce and education and energy committees.
Opinion
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