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Tag: sunrise wind

  • LI leaders unite to bring Sunrise Wind to finish line | Long Island Business News

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    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Long Island leaders call on to lift lease suspension.

    • Project is 45% complete and expected to power 600,000 homes.

    • Sunrise Wind supports , , and .

    • Court injunction allows construction to continue amid BOEM challenges.

    Long Island leaders gathered in Melville Friday to call on the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to lift its lease suspension on Sunrise Wind, a project already 45% complete, to secure its economic benefits.

    In a letter to Acting BOEM Director Matthew Giancona, the group emphasized the project’s benefits, including stabilizing energy prices, supporting union jobs and boosting the downstream supply chain. The group stressed the need to advance the project without further delays.

    Sunrise Wind, under construction 30 miles off Montauk, is slated for operation next year and is expected to generate enough electricity to power 600,000 homes. The project has encountered obstacles following a recent BOEM suspension order, which developer is challenging in court. A preliminary injunction currently allows construction to continue while the lawsuit proceeds.

    “The LIA urges the federal government to rescind their suspension order immediately, and allow this job-creating project that supports a stable grid capable of accommodating future economic growth to make it to the finish line,” Matt Cohen, Long Island Association president and CEO, said, in a news release.

    “The economic benefits to Long Island and New York are undeniable – and the LIA supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that incorporates all potential sources into our portfolio so our region can be prosperous,” he added.

    “Sunrise Wind is well on its way to being completed and has already undergone an extensive government approval process, and should continue as planned,” Lawrence Waldman, LIA chairman, said, in the news release. “In addition to the significant job creating and other economic benefits, it helps Long Island and New York integrate another source of energy into our portfolio, which is critical for a reliable and affordable grid.”

    Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said in the news release that Long Island leaders “respectfully request that the BOEM adhere to the court’s decision and allow this project to proceed. The Sunrise Project will provide much-needed alternative energy solutions … and has created hundreds of jobs for skilled laborers. We want to see this project move forward.”

    Kyle Strober, executive director of Association for a Better Long Island, said in the news release that “Long Island’s unique geography positions it well to benefit from the tens of millions of dollars in economic activity and thousands of jobs this project represents. As Sunrise Wind moves forward, we must not only recognize its enormous economic and energy benefits but also sustain our support for its construction in a manner that underscores a unified alliance of public-private Long Island leadership.”

    Terri Alessi-Miceli, president and CEO of HIA-LIA, stressed the importance of the project.

    “This critical infrastructure project strengthens Long Island’s energy future while creating good-paying jobs and long-term economic benefits for our region,” she said in the news release. “Sunrise Wind represents a practical step toward diversifying our energy mix and investing in in a way that supports reliability, sustainability, and continued growth for Long Island and New York State.”

    Mike Florio, CEO of Long Island Builders Institute, said that projects “like Sunrise Wind are critical to Long Island’s future as we work to diversify our energy mix and invest in practical, reliable offshore wind infrastructure. Affordable and dependable energy is directly tied to housing production and the overall cost of living in our region. If we are serious about building more homes, supporting the workforce, and keeping Long Island competitive, we need energy solutions that are sustainable, scalable, and planned with growth in mind.”

    Marc Herbst, executive director of the Long Island Contractors’ Association (LICA) agreed.

    “This project represents a major opportunity to create good-paying union jobs, strengthen Long Island’s workforce, and deliver long-term economic benefits for our region,” he said in the news release. “Now is the time for Long Island’s business and labor leaders to keep the momentum going and continue advocating for the economic growth, local investment and job creation Sunrise Wind will bring to our communities.”

    John Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said in the news release that region “cannot afford further delays to critical .  Lifting the stop work order allows Sunrise Wind to move forward delivering union jobs, strengthening our energy grid, and advancing the kind of real progress Long Island needs.  After repeated attempts to disrupt this project, the court’s ruling is a much-needed win for Long Islanders.”

    Ryan Stanton, executive director of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said in the news release that the “court’s decision on Sunrise Wind is a win for Long Island and a win for the rule of law.  This project delivers exactly what Long Island needs: power generation, energy resiliency, and thousands of good-paying union jobs.  It has already proven its economic value, and this court decision reinforces [that critical] energy infrastructure must not be politicized.”

    Matthew Aracich, president of The Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties, said in the news release that his organization offshore wind development represents “a critical investment in good-paying, union jobs and long-term economic stability for our region. Restarting the region’s projects has immediately put skilled tradespeople back to work, supporting thousands of positions in the construction, and manufacturing jobs that strengthen local supply chains. Labor believes we can grow our economy while protecting our environment, and offshore wind allows us to do both—creating union jobs here at home while advancing clean, reliable energy.”

    Robert Fonti, chairman of the Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers, said in the news release that the project ”represents both an energy investment and an economic opportunity for Long Island. Our small businesses want to see projects that create jobs, support local contractors, and move our region forward responsibly.”


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    Adina Genn

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  • Court allows $700M Sunrise Wind project to resume | Long Island Business News

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    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Federal judge grants injunction allowing to resume work

    • ‘s 924-megawatt project is located 30 miles off

    • Trump administration suspended five wind project leases in December

    • Project is nearly 45% complete and expected to power 600,000 homes

     

    Sunrise Wind, the 924-megawatt  project that Ørsted is developing 30 miles off Montauk, can resume construction, after being granted a preliminary injunction Monday to overturn the federal government’s suspension order.   

    The $700 million Sunrise Wind now joins the other four offshore wind projects to win orders from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to resume after the U.S. Department of the Interior suspended the leases of five offshore projects on Dec. 22, citing a Pentagon complaint that the wind turbine blades would cause radar interference and create a national security risk.  

    President Trump has long railed against wind power, calling the turbines ugly and inefficient, a criticism that’s been echoed for offshore projects by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is now running for governor with Trump’s endorsement. The move to suspend the wind projects was slammed by state and local officials, trade groups and organized labor, and the court injunctions to allow them to continue have been applauded. 

    U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said the court decision allowing Sunrise Wind to immediately resume construction is a win for New York’s working families and the economy. 

    “As energy costs continue to soar, the Trump administration’s ridiculous attempts to halt this project would have killed good-paying jobs and raised energy costs on New Yorkers — all to score political points and benefit powerful special interests,” Gillibrand said in a written statement. “I will continue pushing back on the Trump administration’s brazen political attacks on New York that are raising costs and hurting families. New Yorkers should not be forced to pay more because of reckless and politically motivated interference by the Trump administration.” 

    Sunrise Wind is nearly 45 percent complete, and at the time of the lease suspension order, the project was expected to begin generating power as soon as October. The project is expected to provide enough energy to power about 600,000 homes. 

    In its court argument, Sunrise Wind claimed that the stop-work order was costing the project at least $1.25 million per day, and if the suspension lasted much longer, it could force cancellation of the project.    

    Empire Wind, a $5 billion wind power project off Long Island being developed by Equinor, won its court injunction on Jan. 15. The other three wind projects that can now resume include Revolution Wind, which is another Ørsted project off Rhode Island, Vineyard Wind for Massachusetts and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. 


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    David Winzelberg

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  • Long Island leaders debate future of offshore wind energy | Long Island Business News

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    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Regional leaders discuss at LIA State of the Region event

    • Officials push an “all-of-the-above” strategy to meet energy needs

    Does wind energy have a future on Long Island?

    That was the question Matt Cohen, the president and CEO of the Long Island Association,  posed at the organization’s State of the Region breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on Friday.

    About 1,200 local leaders gathered for the annual event, which included a discussion moderated by Cohen with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine.

    When it comes to generating energy, the LIA, Cohen said, supports an “all of the above approach,” which, according to the organization’s priorities, includes investing in .

    The dialog comes just days after filed a lawsuit to allow its construction to continue once the Trump administration suspended its $5 billion wind power project off Long Island.

    At the breakfast, Cohen asked Blakeman, who has the support of President Donald Trump, about his position on the stop-work orders.

    “Residents of Nassau County do not want offshore wind turbines – they made that very clear,” Blakeman said. “We have a very robust commercial fishing industry. We have … one of the largest recreational boating communities in the United States. We have seen damage to marine life and [wind energy] is the most expensive form of energy generation.”

    Still, Blakeman said, “I agree with the LIA. I think we should have an all of the above attitude toward cheap energy generation.” Blakeman pointed to the southern tier of New York “that has one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the United States,” and tapping into that, he said, “would make gas cheaper for all of us.”

    As for Suffolk, “there is a future to finish ,” Romaine said to a round of applause in the room. Sunrise Wind, which is 70 percent completed, he said, would supply wind from Montauk to Brookhaven Town.

    Romaine pointed to the South Fork Wind Farm, which was “an extremely controversial project,” but “it got done, it’s producing power. Sunrise Wind is not controversial at all.” Still, he said, upon completion, he would “see how it affects the ocean.”

    Romaine said he is working with Long Island Power Authority to tap into solar energy, especially at the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, and other industrial parks. “Imagine all those flat roofs” tapping into solar, he said, adding that he was working to announce a program that would provide incentives to adapt solar energy.

    Still, he said, the region needs “all of the above. We have an energy deficit, and artificial intelligence is going to make a huge drain on our energy future. We want to be on the cutting edge. We need energy in all sources.”

    Blakeman said that Empire Wind wouldn’t benefit the local community the way Sunrise Wind would. Also, he said he wasn’t against wind energy, and added that “there are many communities upstate that will welcome wind energy and wind farms.”

    DiNapoli said that the emphasis on the region’s “growing energy needs” are absolutely on target.

    Still he said, “Suffolk County was number one in the state” in a recent report on the regions that are vulnerable to severe weather incidents.

    , he said, “is real,” and the region does need to “get off the reliance on fossil fuel.”

    He added that leaders must “stay focused on that energy transition – it’s absolutely essential.”

    Additional panel topics included further discussion about infrastructure, the environment, housing, education and affordability.

    The breakfast also included opening remarks from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and closing remarks from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

    Hochul announced a five-year $3.75 billion commitment to support the state’s water infrastructure as part of her 2026 legislative agenda.

    Both Hochul, a Democrat, and Blakeman, a Republican, are running for governor this year.

    The morning started with the National Anthem sung by Jillian Cerrato, a 12 year-old who attends Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts.

     


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    Adina Genn

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  • Trump administration halts Long Island wind projects | Long Island Business News

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    Two major power projects off Long Island have been stopped by the Trump administration, which suspended their leases on Monday. 

    Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind, located in the waters off Long Island, were two of five East Coast wind projects that received stop work notices from the U.S. , as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on renewable clean energy. 

    The reason cited for the lease suspensions was that the Pentagon complained that the wind turbine blades would cause radar interference and create a national security risk. In a statement from Department of the Interior, the halting of the wind projects is aimed at providing federal agencies “time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects.” 

    This is the second time this year that the $5 billion Empire Wind project has been stopped by the federal government. It was halted in April by an order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who claimed the Biden administration had rushed its approval, even though the lease for Empire Wind was approved in March 2017 during the first Trump administration. The project was restarted a month later the result of a compromise between the federal government and New York State to revive plans for the NESE gas pipeline project between Pennsylvania and New York that was cancelled five years ago, according to published reports.  

    President Trump has long railed against wind power, calling the turbines ugly and inefficient, a criticism that’s been echoed by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is now running for governor with Trump’s endorsement. 

    Gov. Kathy Hochul bashed the halting of the wind projects. “The Trump administration will look for any excuse to continue its assault on clean energy — and the thousands of good-paying jobs these projects bring — but there is no credible justification for this stoppage,” Hochul said in a statement. 

    Equinor, the company behind Empire Wind, said the project is more than 60 percent complete. 

    “In total, dozens of vessels, around 1,000 people, and more than a hundred companies in the U.S. and globally have been working in coordination on the Empire Wind project,” the company said in a written statement. “The stop work order threatens the progress of these activities and without a swift solution there may be significant impact to the project.” 

    Once completed in 2027, Empire Wind is expected to supply enough power to electrify 500,000 homes. The $700 million Sunrise Wind project, being developed by Ørsted about 30 miles off Montauk, is projected to create enough energy to power 600,000 homes. Both projects combined have created thousands of jobs. 

    Along with Sunrise, Ørsted also had its Revolution Wind project stopped. That project off Rhode Island, had been halted by the Trump administration in August, before a federal judge lifted the ban. 

    “Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind are both in advanced stages of construction and will be ready to deliver reliable, affordable power to American homes in 2026, with Revolution Wind expected to begin generating power in January,” said an Ørsted statement. 

    The company said it is “evaluating all options to resolve the matter expeditiously, together with its partners,” including “the evaluation of potential legal proceedings.” 

    The 90-day suspension of the leases can be extended by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

    The move to suspend the wind projects has been slammed by state and local officials, trade groups and organized labor.

    “Right in the midst of the holiday season, we learned that President Trump is once again pulling the rug out from under New York workers,” Hochul wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday by the Empire Report. “… The jobs building these wind farms aren’t just good union jobs that keep families afloat – they are also jobs that will create clean energy and keep energy costs down.” 

    Hochul added that the wind projects “reduce pressure on energy prices for families already stretched thin. And they anchor a robust offshore wind supply chain, from ports and manufacturers to electricians, ironworkers, and longshoremen who depend on these projects to keep working.”   


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    David Winzelberg

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  • Rugile: Offshore wind powers jobs and growth for Long Island | Long Island Business News

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    In Brief:
    • project invests $5B to power 500,000 homes
    • South Fork Wind already powers 70,000 Long Island homes
    • Orsted, 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 , 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 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.


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    Opinion

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  • LI firm lands $200M contract in Sunrise Wind project | Long Island Business News

    LI firm lands $200M contract in Sunrise Wind project | Long Island Business News

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    Melville-based Haugland Energy Group has been awarded a contract worth at least $200 million to install an underground duct system for Sunrise Wind’s onshore transmission line. 

    The contract awarded Haugland Energy, an affiliate of Haugland Group, is the largest so far to come out of the offshore wind-power project and is expected to create more than 400 union jobs, according to a statement from Sunrise Wind’s joint venture partners Eversource and Ørsted. 

    Haugland Group had already completed similar work for Eversource and Ørsted’s South Fork Wind project, which will power some 70,000 homes annually when it begins operations at the end of the year. 

    Sunrise Wind is a 924-megawatt offshore wind project to be located about 30 miles east of Montauk. The project by itself will achieve roughly 10 percent of the state’s offshore wind goal of 9,000 megawatts by 2035, while also bringing $700 million of investment to Suffolk County and creating 800 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs in the state, according to the statement. 

    In Nov. 2022, the New York Public Service Commission approved the project’s underground transmission route that will deliver electricity from Sunrise Wind to the existing Long Island electrical grid via a 124-mile submarine export cable. The onshore transmission cable will make landfall deep below the beach at Smith Point County Park in Shirley and follow an 18-mile route below publicly owned roads and rights-of-way to an interconnection point at the existing Holbrook substation. 

    Onshore construction work is expected to begin later this year, with Sunrise Wind expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025. 

    “Haugland Group LLC thanks Eversource and Ørsted for their continued confidence, as we are proudly named their local, chosen partner for Sunrise Wind,” Billy Haugland II, CEO of Haugland Group, said in the statement. “As New York State takes its boldest step towards carbon neutrality, Haugland Group is proud to cement its leadership role in the renewable energy industry. Sunrise Wind represents amplified opportunities for all Long Islanders, invigorating the local labor force and creating more than 400 union jobs, as well as new opportunities for local businesses and the contracting communities alike. Haugland Group is honored to be entrusted with Long Island’s utility infrastructure, while creating economic opportunities for Long Islanders.” 

    Joe Nolan, chairman, president and CEO of Eversource Energy said the award is one of the largest offshore wind supply chain investments ever made in the United States.  

    “And together with our state partners, we are committed to building a new clean energy future for the Empire State that will provide not only significant new benefits for local communities but also greater economic opportunity for workers,” Nolan said in the statement. 

    “

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    David Winzelberg

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