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Tag: union jobs

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

    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Long Island leaders call on BOEM to lift Sunrise Wind lease suspension.

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

    • Sunrise Wind supports union jobs, economic growth, and clean energy.

    • 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 Ørsted 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 offshore wind 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 energy infrastructure.  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.”


    Adina Genn

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  • Durso: Repowering aging power plants key to Long Island energy needs | Long Island Business News

    In Brief:
    • Electricity demand on Long Island is surging due to AI, manufacturing and electrification.
    • Nearly 6 gigawatts of New York’s fossil fuel generation is nearing the end of its lifespan.
    • Repowering existing plants can improve reliability, reduce emissions and control costs.
    • Modernizing facilities would support thousands of union jobs and protect local economies.

    Long Island, much like everywhere else, is facing a nearly unprecedented surge in electricity demand – from the boom in artificial intelligence supported by power-hungry data centers, to ongoing advanced manufacturing needs and electrification mandates.

    At the same time, nearly a quarter of New York’s fossil fuel generation—about 6 gigawatts—are nearing the end of their useful lifespan, poised to hit 80 years old by 2050, with the oldest plants concentrated downstate, particularly on Long Island.

    The older plants grow without refurbishment, the less reliable they are. That is a big problem, as these facilities are critical to the reliability of our electric grid. And, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonprofit tasked with managing the state’s power grid, made clear in its 2025 Power Trends report:
    (https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/2223020/2025-Power-Trends.pdf) that retiring these aging facilities can’t be done without threatening reliability and putting economic viability at risk.

    The union movement on Long Island supports continued investments in renewable energy sources, and the truth is they will not come online fast enough, and with enough capacity, to meet the state’s rising power demand. There is a way forward: repowering.

    Repowering, as the NYISO explains, is the process of retrofitting and modernizing existing plants to make more reliable, more cost effective, and cleaner; while extending their lifespans. This approach increases generation capacity at a time when it is desperately needed, and ensures reliability as we pursue a cleaner energy portfolio.

    Upgrading the units in our aging power plants will also create thousands of construction jobs that offer family-sustaining wages and benefits, while protecting the generation and maintenance workforce currently at these facilities.

    We owe it to them to create an energy future that respects the work they have done – in many cases, for generations – to keep our lights on and our economic engine turning. Therefore, we must invest in the infrastructure that we have relied on for so long, and in doing so, redouble our investment in the skilled workforce that has kept it running.

    When we modernize baseload facilities, it avoids the escalating repair and maintenance costs associated with keeping outdated units online, and replaces those expenses with long-term, efficient infrastructure that lowers operational costs, directly benefiting ratepayers. At the same time, the investment required drives a powerful economic ripple effect across Long Island by supporting thousands of union jobs, strengthening local supply chains, and protecting tax revenues in the communities that host this critical infrastructure. On Long Island, where electricity needs are expected to grow by as much as 50 percent from 2024 to 2050, the reliability boost from repowering will be significant.

    Upgrades to existing power plants on Long Island, like those owned by National Grid, will allow our power producers to generate far more electricity within their same footprint – reducing the need for entirely new energy facilities as we continue to make energy progress.

    Replacing older units with modern technology will deliver significant environmental benefits, slashing emissions. New units should be designed to be hydrogen-ready, as well, positioning them to seamlessly move to zero-emission generation if and when it’s practical and affordable.

    Building a cleaner grid must include New York’s skilled energy workers. By repowering our oldest power plants, New York can power its future, protect its workers, and ensure dependable and affordable energy supply for all.

     

    John Durso is the president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the fourth-largest central labor council in the United States, located in Hauppauge.


    Opinion

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