LIPA Expected to Vote Yes on First Wind Farm off New York

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Board is expected to approve a contract for New York’s first offshore wind farm this Wednesday, 25 January, according to the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

After receiving support for the project from environmentalists, labor groups, elected officials, civic organizations, and the public, LIPA is anticipated to vote yes on Deepwater Wind’s 90MW Deepwater ONE – South Fork offshore wind farm, the environmental group said.

The LIPA Board will vote on the project on Wednesday, 11 am local time.

The vote comes two weeks after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, during which he committed for the state to add 2,400MW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. Governor Cuomo has also called on LIPA to approve the Deepwater ONE – South Fork project.

The Deepwater ONE – South Fork project comprises 15 turbines installed some 30 miles southeast of Montauk.  The project represents the first phase of a regional offshore wind farm Deepwater Wind proposes to develop in the area.

To complement the wind farm, Deepwater Wind plans to build two new battery energy storage facilities, which will consist of lithium-ion battery technology designed and installed by General Electric.

Construction of Deepwater ONE – South Fork could begin as early as 2019, with commercial operations by 2022.

The company is behind the first offshore wind farm in America, the Block Island Wind Farm, which has been in operation since December 2016.

Deepwater Wind also plans to construct a 120MW offshore wind farm, the Skipjack wind farm, some 17 nautical miles northeast of Ocean City, Maryland.