US Issues Clean Air Permit for 2.1 GW Empire Wind

February 16, 2024, by Adnan Memija

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a Clean Air Act permit to Empire Offshore Wind, owned by Equinor.

The air quality analysis, conducted by EPA, showed that the impacts on air quality from the construction and operation of the offshore wind project will not cause or contribute to a violation of federal air quality standards.

EPA’s approval is in concert with other federal approvals and actions for the project, including the issuance of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Record of Decision.

“EPA is happy to partner with New York state in leading the way to a clean energy future. When built, this project is expected to generate more than 2,000 megawatts of electrical power for New York State – enough to power as many as a million homes,” said Lisa F. Garcia, Regional Administrator.

“This project is part of a larger effort by the Biden Administration to invest in America and generate 30 gigawatts of clean, abundant energy from offshore wind by 2030.”

Empire Wind US LLC, a joint venture between Equinor and BP, plans to develop two offshore wind farms known as Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2.

The wind project is located in federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf about 12 nautical miles south of Long Island, New York, and 17 nautical miles east of Long Branch, New Jersey.

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The Empire Wind project, for which EPA has issued a permit, will include up to 147 offshore wind turbines, two offshore substations, and the associated cables needed to transport the renewable electricity.

There will also be onshore components associated with the project that are not addressed in the air permit but are conveyed in separate federal, state, and local permitting or government processes.

The expected commercial operation date of the 816 MW Empire Wind 1 is 2027, while the 1,260 MW Empire Wind 2 is a year later, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Recently, Equinor and BP reached an agreement to restructure the ownership of their joint US offshore wind projects which, following completion, will result in BP taking ownership of Equinor’s 50 per cent stake in the Beacon Wind 1 and 2 projects and Equinor taking ownership of BP’s per cent stake in the Empire Wind 1 and 2 projects.

Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is currently anticipated to close around mid-2024.