Sunrise Wind, dubbed “New York’s largest offshore wind farm,” has just received the official greenlight from the US government to kick off development.
Major milestone
Sunrise Wind proudly announced in a recent press release that it has attained the necessary approval of its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
The BOEM’s approval is apparently the final clearance for the project to begin offshore construction. For context, the approved COP details the project’s one nautical mile wind turbine spacing, construction methods for work in federal ocean waters, and measures to mitigate the impact on marine habitats and species.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her delight with the project, emphasizing the city’s commitment to clean energy and sustainability.
“With the final approval of Sunrise Wind and the recent completion of South Fork Wind, it is clear that New York is leading the nation in building the offshore wind industry. We’re grateful for the Biden Administration’s commitment to advancing clean energy projects, and New York will continue to build a green economy, create good-paying jobs, and combat the climate crisis.”
Kathy Hochul, New York Governor
Sunrise Wind
The Sunrise Wind project is a 50-50 joint venture between Danish multinational energy giant Ørsted and utility company Eversource. It is located approximately 30 miles east of Montauk Point, Long Island.
It has a total generation capacity of 924 megawatts of clean, renewable energy owing to its up to 84 wind turbine generators.
Sunrise Wind promises sufficient clean energy generation capacity to meet the energy demand of nearly 600,000 New York households per year.
New York’s ambitious clean energy goals
Sunrise Wind will significantly aid the government of New York in hitting its mandated 70% renewable energy by the end of the decade while expanding its offshore wind workforce and supply chain.
It is expected to generate 800 direct jobs in the city, thousands of indirect jobs, and economic benefits such as the $700 million investment in Suffolk County alone.
Ørsted and Eversource aim to immediately ramp up work on the project’s onshore transmission system. Meanwhile, offshore construction will commence later this year at the site. Sunrise Wind is expected to officially launch operations in 2026.
