deepwater wind,
a Rhode Island based developer, has submitted proposals to LIPA for two 900 megawatt wind farms, each consisting of up to 200 turbines. LIPA could purchase 600 megawatts of power from each of the two projects, which combined could serve a remarkable 20% of Long Island’s power needs. One project, called the Hudson Canyon Wind Farm, would be located approximately 35 miles south of the western end of Long Island, and another one, called the Deepwater Wind Energy Center, is to be built in Rhode Island Sound, approximately 30 miles east of Montauk. Given the distances to land, the turbines will be virtually invisible from shore.
offshore wind in the u.s. could generate three times as much as conventional electricity produced today
The Rhode Island Sound project is designed to supply power to New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut — via submarine cables connecting southern New England with eastern Long Island. Construction is planned to begin in 2015, with the first phase in operation by 2017 and the second in 2018.
13 to 15 miles off the Rockaway Peninsula, with electricity to be shared. And in May of 2011, LIPA received a proposal for two offshore projects that could supply 20% of Long Island’s electricity needs by 2019 (see sidebar). In another encouraging development, Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC), funded by Google, is planning a network of transmission lines for 7,000 megawatts of offshore wind power spanning 300 miles along the Eastern Seaboard, from New York to Virginia. This will make it easier and less costly to transport electricity from offshore turbines to population centers along the coast. The benefits of wind power over conventional power generation are significant. Wind turbines operate without emitting greenhouse gases and other air pollution, consume no fossil or nuclear fuels, need no water for cooling, and cannot experience catastrophic melt-downs. Offshore wind parks must be carefully designed and located in order to minimize harmful effects on birds, marine life and the sea floor. While these impacts depend on the individual site, many years of experience at European offshore farms shows that birds typically avoid flying through wind farms, and that impacts on marine life, including marine mammals, from the operation of properly sited wind farms are insignificant. Still, potential impacts should be minimized by locating wind parks away from busy bird flyways and taking steps to minimize dangers to marine mammals during construction. Offshore wind farms are not only good for the environment but help keep energy costs stable and predictable. Once built, there are no fuel costs and surprise surcharges to pass along to utility ratepayers. The fuel that powers a wind turbine is free and not controlled by OPEC. So instead of exporting consumers’ energy dollars to pay for imported fuel, more of it stays in the local economy. Wind farms create jobs for highly skilled workers, during fabrication and installation of the foundations and turbines and with the construction of undersea cables. Skilled workers are also needed for ongoing operation and maintenance. Hundreds of workers are typically employed for each wind farm and even more in the manufacturing of products that go into wind farms. Nationally more than 85,000 employees work in the land-based wind industry. By some estimates the U.S. offshore wind industry can create tens of thousands of jobs in the future. Taking a walk on the beach and witnessing the vast ocean that surrounds us, often helps put things in perspective. Now, just beyond the blue horizon, we can envision a world where we can meet our energy needs using a sustainable technology that relies on an abundant and free fuel source, helps us create jobs and keeps money in the local economy, and last but not least, doesn’t pollute our air or change our climate. LIGreenGuide.org
The Hudson Canyon project will supply western Long Island, northern New Jersey, and possibly New York City, via submarine cables linking the three regions. Construction is envisioned to begin in 2016, with the first phase in operation in 2018 and the second and final phase in operation in 2019. Deepwater Wind is also planning a large-scale wind farm for New Jersey and a smaller 30 megawatt offshore demonstration project for Block Island that is on track to be the first offshore wind project in North America. The company has already won two competitive state solicitations to become the preferred offshore wind developer for these projects and is now hoping to win LIPA’s approval to supply 1,200 megawatts of wind power to Long Island.
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Long Island Green Guide