30 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • OCTOBER 2021
OFFSHORE WIND
LABOR, BUSINESS LEADERS ASSESS
OFFSHORE WIND OPPORTUNITIES
BY BRIANA BONFIGLIO
Long Island’s wind farms will create
at least 6,800 jobs with annual salaries
averaging $100,000.
That’s according to NYSERDA — New
York State Energy Research and Development
Authority — the state agency
overseeing fi ve off shore wind projects
currently in early development. NYSERDA
aims to reach 9,000 megawatts
of off shore wind energy by 2035 — a
goal set to combat the ongoing threats
of climate change.
“Climate change is already here, and it’s
happening in every community, every
zip code,” said Liz Shuler, president of
the The American Federation of Labor
and Congress of Industrial Organizations
(AFL-CIO). “We have to transition
to a clean energy future. The question
is ‘how?’ And I would say the answer is
with good, union jobs, and that’s why
we are building a labor movement that
will meet the moment.”
The Sunrise Wind Farm, slated to be
located 30 miles off Long Island’s east
coast, is New York’s fi rst wind project, to
be completed as early as 2023. This project
and Empire Wind 1, which is planned
for 14 miles south of Jones Beach, are
still in the phase of securing permits before
manufacturing, construction, and
installation begin. They are currently
the two that are furthest along in the
years-long process of all fi ve anticipated
wind farms. Combined with three
others, the projects stand to generate
$12.1 billion for New York’s economy.
Many Long Island labor leaders, environmentalists,
and business owners
see wind energy as a win-win-win for
all parties involved: workers, the climate,
and the economy, as they expressed at
a Sept. 17 conference on wind energy
hosted by Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove).
At the conference, a representative
from NYSERDA, a union manager,
business leaders, representatives from
wind power companies Equinor and
Orsted, and more gathered and spoke
on panels to address how all these
stakeholders would come together to
make wind energy — and the jobs that
come with it — a reality.
Adrienne Esposito, president of Citizens
Campaign for the Environment,
however, noted that there is still public
opposition to wind energy, including
concerns about the costs and impacts
on communities. She referenced an initiative
she helped launch, Wind Works
Long Island, which raises awareness
and spreads the word about community
discussions about these projects.
“We work closely with our brothers and
sisters in labor in that group,” Esposito
said. “The naysayers are coming out; we
need you to come out as well. We need
to show up at those permit hearings.”
The projects, once fully approved,
would create thousands of jobs for
several groups of workers — manufacturers,
maritime laborers, turbine
technicians, maintenance crews, construction
workers, and more.
To transition people into these jobs in a
brand-new industry for the country, New
York has established training programs
at SUNY Maritime College and SUNY
Farmingdale. Labor leaders expressed
needing a healthy transition for workers
to be retrained to use new equipment.
“We acknowledge that it has to be more
than something we say — it has to be
action around climate, economics, and
accountability,” said Chris Erikson Jr.,
assistant business manager for the
Local 3 International Brotherhood of
Electric Workers (IBEW). “The scientific
proof is there that if we do this right,
we’re going to change the world for the
better.”
The conference also addressed the
manufacturing supply chain on LI
and how Long Island’s aerospace
companies and other businesses
might benefit from getting involved
in wind power projects. This is
where Ross Gould, vice president for
supply chain development at Business
Network for Offshore Wind,
came in. The nonprofit organization
has a diverse coalition of more than
400 members involved in labor,
supply chain, the environment,
and academics. It runs a database
of companies called Supply Chain
Connect that businesses can register
for to show interest in contributing
to wind projects.
“The network tracks the commercial activity
and policies that impact off shore
wind 24/7, 365 days a year,” Gould said.
“We also have other tools — we host
regular industry education events and
we host our annual International Partnering
Forum, which brings together
businesses, original equipment manufacturers,
to have conversations about
how they can work together. We’re also
in the process of developing a supply
chain road map.”
LI WORKS
“The scientific proof is there that
if we do this right, we’re going to
change the world for the better,”
said Chris Erikson Jr.
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) hosted a conference on Sept. 17 to discuss preparing for offshore wind energy opportunities
for Long Island workers and businesses. (Courtesy Office of Congressman Tom Suozzi)
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