Environmentalists Urge NY Governor Cuomo to Seize Offshore Wind Momentum

US Environmental organisations have called on the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to seize the opportunity presented by the recently announced commercial wind lease sale and commit to a long term, large scale offshore wind program for New York this year.

Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, National Wildlife Federation, Renewable Energy Long Island and the Sierra Club issued a joint statement in which they applauded ”the federal government for making New York a top priority for offshore wind development and moving the leasing process forward off the Rockaways.”

”Responsibly developed offshore wind power must play a major role in New York’s energy future. A strong commitment to offshore wind as part of the Governor’s Clean Energy Standard would help launch an entirely new industry, with the capacity to power millions of homes, produce millions of dollars in economic investments and spur new economic development and manufacturing opportunities statewide. Now is the time for Governor Cuomo and New York’s leaders to embrace the massive, job-creating power source needed to meet the states clean energy and climate goals,” the statement said.

As previously reported, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the proposed lease sale of 81,130 acres offshore New York for commercial wind energy leasing on 2 June.

Following the announcement, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said it will participate in the auction, and if successful, focus mainly on keeping the cost of the project down.