Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the finalisation of new contracts for Empire Wind 1, a planned 810 MW project developed by Equinor, and Sunrise Wind, a planned 924 MW project developed by Ørsted and Eversource, as the result of New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.
Empire Wind 1, located 15 miles off New York’s shore, and Sunrise Wind, located more than 30 miles east of the eastern point of Long Island, have already completed most federal and state permitting milestones. To support the wind farms' connection to New York’s electric grid, onshore construction for the Sunrise Wind project is well underway, having received approval for its proposed onshore cable route on Long Island in November 2022. Empire Wind 1 achieved a critical milestone last month when the New York State Public Service Commission approved the project’s plan to connect to New York’s electric grid. Work is underway to transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a state-of-the-art staging and assembly port and long-term operations and maintenance hub for project developer Equinor.
Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind were initially awarded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2019 as part of NYSERDA’s first offshore wind solicitation and re-awarded in 2023. As part of the new contracts, the projects will be held to new provisions that bring additional benefits to the state, including:
- New economic benefit commitments above what was originally contracted, including $32 million committed to community-focused investments in New York’s disadvantaged communities and $16.5 million towards wildlife and fisheries monitoring.
- Commitments to purchasing a minimum of $188 million of U.S. iron and steel, supporting U.S. manufacturing and the New York Buy American Act.
- Requirements for Labour Peace Agreements for operations and maintenance services.
