Industry, Academia Join to Study Long Island’s Offshore Wind Resources

Deepwater Wind has announced a collaborative study of Long Island’s offshore wind resources with Stony Brook University (SBU), New York’s top-ranked public university, and AWS Truepower (AWS), an Albany, N.Y.-based renewable energy consultant. 

Already underway, this collaboration will provide SBU with tools and resources that will strengthen its research in the growing renewable energy industry and support the development of the Deepwater ONE project – a 210 MW offshore wind farm to be located approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, proposed by Deepwater Wind in response to a Long Island Power Authority request for proposals for renewable energy.

“Offshore wind energy can provide a much-needed source of new, renewable energy for the East End of Long Island while reducing fossil-fuel emissions, stabilizing energy costs and generating new jobs and investment,” said Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski. “We are proud to support research that will lead to a far better understanding of this important resource.”

As part of this study, Deepwater Wind is providing both equipment and funding to support SBU’s ongoing coastal wind research programs. Two wind monitoring devices, known as Light Detecting and Ranging systems (LiDAR), have already been deployed, one at the university’s Southampton campus and one on Block Island. Rhode Island. These LiDAR units continuously monitor wind speed and direction. Data collected from the devices will be combined with data from another SBU field study, funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, to improve wind predictions over the ocean and generate better regional wind resource maps.

“This collaboration is truly unique in that it brings together the best science from a world-class research university with the resources of a leading offshore wind developer and the knowledge of one of the world’s most respected wind consultants,” said Dr. Brian Colle, SBU School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Professor and Principal Investigator. “Combining our respective resources and knowledge should bring some very helpful and informed findings.”

“This special alliance will accelerate our understanding of how offshore wind farms can meaningfully add to the mix of energy resources,” said AWS Truepower CEO Bruce Bailey. “As a firm that has worked closely with developers, utilities, and government agencies, we fully appreciate what this unique opportunity can mean for Long Island, for New York State, and for a nation that seeks to tap into every viable resource and move closer to reliable energy independence.”

“These are historic times for renewable energy for the nation, the State of New York and Long Island because the technology has now matured to the point where renewables can compete with fossil fuels in providing business, commercial and residential communities with energy,” said Robert Catell, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Excellence for Advanced Energy and Research and Technology at Stony Brook University. “We need to have a more thorough understanding of the important role wind can play in power generation, and this collaboration is the first step in achieving that goal.”

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