Governor Hochul has announced the commencement of construction on Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project to date, developed by Ørsted. The 924-megawatt project, upon completion, will generate sufficient clean energy to supply approximately 600,000 New York households. This announcement aligns with New York’s 10-Point Action Plan. Additionally, Governor Hochul revealed the launch of the state’s fifth offshore wind solicitation, inviting proposals by September 9, 2024, to further advance clean energy initiatives along New York's coastline. 4b4529

800 direct jobs, 700 million dollars investment

The groundbreaking ceremony marked the official start of the Sunrise Wind project, which will create over 800 direct jobs during construction and deliver economic benefits across the state, including a 700 million dollars investment in Suffolk County alone. The project, located about 30 miles east of Montauk, New York, will connect to the state’s electrical grid via the Holbrook Substation in Brookhaven, Suffolk County.

As a mature project, Sunrise Wind has cleared all major federal and state permitting hurdles and received the green light for its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on June 21, 2024.

This development builds on a series of significant offshore wind milestones for New York in 2024, including the completion of the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S., Ørsted’s South Fork Wind, the finalization of contracts from New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation, and a groundbreaking event at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. This terminal will serve as a staging area for assembling offshore wind components and as an operations hub for the Empire Wind 1 project.

New York’s Fifth Offshore Wind Solicitation (NY5)

The Governor also announced the launch of New York’s fifth offshore wind solicitation, managed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). This competitive solicitation is a crucial step in bolstering the state’s large-scale renewable energy sector. The solicitation includes key provisions such as inflation indexing, labor requirements, stakeholder engagement, and commitments to disadvantaged communities, ensuring a competitive and valuable process for all New Yorkers. Proposals for the offshore wind projects are due by 3:00 p.m. ET on September 9, 2024. Interested parties can apply on NYSERDA's website.

As the leading hub for offshore wind in the nation, New York State continues to expand its offshore wind energy portfolio through diverse project proposals, leveraging both public and private capital to build a robust supply chain. In coordination with the fifth offshore wind solicitation, NYSERDA is also promoting significant manufacturing investments in New York to the regional offshore wind industry.

New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's climate agenda envisions a just transition that creates well-paying jobs, fosters a green economy, and ensures that at least 35%, aiming for 40%, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. With some of the nation’s most ambitious climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. The state aims for a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030 and overall carbon neutrality by mid-century.

Key investments include over 28 billion dollars in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects, 6.8 billion dollars to reduce building emissions, 3.3 billion dollars to scale up solar power, nearly 3 billion dollars for clean transportation initiatives, and over 2 billion dollars in NY Green Bank commitments. These investments more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector and have led to over 3,000% growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. The state has also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, mandating all new enger cars and light-duty trucks sold be zero-emission by 2035. Through various partnerships and initiatives, New York continues to advance its climate action goals, with significant participation from local communities.