FEBRUARY 2022 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 25
PRESS BUSINESS
OFFSHORE WIND
NY, NJ PARTNER UP
BY JULIA MORO
With an eye on boosting the local economy
through wind farms, the Empire
and Garden States are teaming up to
sell off close to a half-million offshore
acres for wind energy development, officials
announced Wednesday.
In February, the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) will hold
an auction for more than 480,000
acres offshore New York and New Jersey,
bringing major developments in
wind energy and job creation to the
region.
The location is known as New York
Bight, the coastal region between Long
Island and New Jersey shores. On Feb.
23, the auction will allow offshore wind
developers to bid on six lease areas.
Sales could result in 5.6 to 7 gigawatts of
offshore wind energy, which is enough
to power nearly 2 million homes.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul joined the
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland,
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and
others to discuss the importance of this
historic initiative.
“Unlocking this opportunity is exactly
what we’ve been waiting for for over
four years since this was all pent up
during the Trump administration that
did not see the vision as clearly as all
of us do today,” Hochul said. “Here in
New York, we are already living with
the disastrous effects of climate change
through extreme weather that poses a
direct threat to our way of life. We must
chart an ambitious path toward a cleaner
energy economy now more than ever,
and today’s milestone further highlights
New York’s committment, creating a
greener tomorrow.”
Hochul also mentioned that this auction
will bring much-needed jobs to people
in her state and elsewhere.
“We do this to protect the future but
also to give people, typically those who
have been so hard hit by this pandemic,
an opportunity to transition into
jobs,” Hochul said, “as well as opening
the door for opportunities for women.
I don’t see as many women as I want to
see in these industries and also people
of color.”
New York and New Jersey hope the sale of offshore acres will lead to the development of a new wind energy farm
producing power for 2 million customers and generating new jobs in the process. (Getty Images)
This offshore auction will have set the
nation’s largest regional offshore wind
target of installing over 16 gigawatts
of offshore wind by 2035. The Biden-
Harris administration’s goal is to install
30 gigawatts of offshore wind by
2030, which is largely supplemented
by the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
developments.
Haaland said that the Biden-Harris administration
has put the climate crisis
at the forefront of their agenda.
“Offshore wind opportunities like the
New York Bight present a once-in-ageneration
opportunity to fight climate
change and create good-paying, union
jobs in the United States,” Haaland said.
“We are at an inflection point for domestic
offshore wind energy development.
We must seize this moment – and
we must do it together.”
According to Interior Department, a recent
report indicated that the growing
offshore wind industry could lend a
$109 billion opportunity in revenue to
businesses in the supply chain over the
next decade.
The New York Bight offshore wind auction
includes stipulations to promote a
robust supply chain for offshore wind,
enhancing the commercial fishing industry
and underserved communities.
The auction sale requires lessees
to identify fishing industries, underserved
communities and other ocean
users that could be affected by offshore
wind development. The Interior Department
will keep an eye on companies’ engagement
and transparency with these
communities.
Murphy said that offshore wind holds
“tremendous promise” for the future
as we seek to combat climate change,
boost the economy and strengthen the
workforce.
“New Jersey is already committed to
creating nearly one-quarter of the nation’s
offshore wind-generation market
and these transformative projects are
proof that climate action can drive investments
in infrastructure and manufacturing,
while creating good-paying,
union jobs,” Murphy said. “By acting on
this shared vision, we can promote our
joint offshore wind goals, and deliver
benefits to residents of both states, particularly
those in overburdened communities.
Together, with this critical
cooperation with the Biden-Harris administration
and our state partners, we
will turn this vision of becoming a leader
in the global offshore wind market
into a reality.”
During this announcement, the two
governors praised their collaboration
efforts and said their cooperation
should act as a model for what can be
accomplished when states work together
instead of competing.
This story first appeared on amNY.com.
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