924-Megawatt Sunrise Wind Project Receives Final Approval from U.S. Department of the Interior

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

---

Offshore Construction on New York’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm to Begin Later this Year

Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project, has received approval of its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which is the final decision needed from the federal agency to move the project toward the start of offshore construction.

At 924 megawatts, Sunrise Wind will generate enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 New York homes.

Sunrise Wind will help New York achieve its mandate of 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030, while accelerating the state’s growing offshore wind workforce and supply chain. Sunrise Wind will create 800 direct New York jobs, thousands of indirect jobs, and economic benefits from the Capital Region to Long Island – including a $700 million investment in Suffolk County alone.

“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,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “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.”

“I am very glad to see Sunrise Wind breeze past another critical milestone,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Sunrise Wind is built by the men and women in union labor and will change the energy landscape in New York for the cleaner and better. New York’s energy needs are vast, and I will continue working with New York, the Biden administration, Governor Hochul, Long Island officials and all stakeholders to move offshore wind and other renewable energy projects forward.”

“This approval is critical to New York becoming the leader in U.S. offshore wind,” said U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko. “Sunrise Wind will play an important role in achieving our state’s clean energy requirements and building upon our region’s leadership in this emerging industry. I’m grateful to Ørsted and Eversource for their partnership and investment in our region, and I look forward to seeing the impact of this project on our state, our economy, and our environment.”

“I am pleased to see Sunrise Wind continuing to move forward,” said U.S. Congressman Andrew Garbarino. “This project, which is expected to power nearly 600,000 homes with domestically produced wind-powered energy, will bring jobs, access to clean and affordable energy, and economic growth to Long Island.”

“NYSERDA congratulates Ørsted and Eversource on this critical milestone for their Sunrise Wind project,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “It is an exciting time for the U.S. offshore wind industry and New York State as pivotal projects like this continue to move forward and help us progress toward a zero-emission electric grid and delivering clean offshore wind power to New Yorkers.”

The Sunrise Wind team will now accelerate work on the onshore transmission system, with offshore construction ramping up later this year at the project site approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, N.Y. The project is expected to be in operation in 2026.

“Sunrise Wind is a centerpiece of New York’s clean energy vision, and with this final federal approval we can officially put the construction phase in-motion,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “BOEM’s approval is an important milestone not just for New York but also for America’s domestic energy sector. We’re grateful for the continued leadership of BOEM Director Klein and all the federal, state, and local leaders who are committed to offshore wind. Sunrise Wind builds on our success of South Fork Wind and will deliver more jobs, economic development, and clean energy to New York.”

“Sunrise Wind is a historic investment in New York’s economic and environmental future, and today’s decision by BOEM represents a key step in bringing this project to fruition,” said Joe Nolan, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Energy. “This project will deliver offshore wind energy at-scale, and hundreds of New Yorkers are already hard at work building the onshore transmission system that will bring this power to our homes and businesses. Sunrise Wind is a groundbreaking project, creating good union jobs across New York and supporting hundreds of millions in local infrastructure investments, and we are excited to move forward.”

“I am pleased that the Bureau of Ocean Management has given its approval to Sunrise Wind’s Construction and Operation Plan,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “This is the final approval needed for Sunrise Wind to move forward and supply Long Island with non-polluting, carbon free power.”

“As Sunrise Wind moves forward, I am proud that Brookhaven continues to be a leader in this important project,” said Dan Panico, Supervisor for the Town of Brookhaven. “From hundreds of local jobs building the onshore transmission system to a new, state-of-the-art Operations and Maintenance Hub in East Setauket, Sunrise Wind is bringing an influx of economic activity to our community, and we look forward to continuing to grow together.”

“Port Jefferson is uniquely positioned to support the growth of New York’s offshore wind industry, and we’re pleased that Ørsted is locating an important wind operations hub here in our community,” said Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “Today’s federal approval helps ensure that Sunrise Wind will continue to have positive economic impacts in our community, and across New York, for decades to come.”

The COP approval outlines the project’s one nautical mile turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species. BOEM’s final approval of the COP follows the agency’s March 2024 issuance of its Record of Decision, which concluded the thorough BOEM-led environmental review of the project. Ørsted and Eversource reached these provisions and protections working closely with a range of external organizations and experts, a commitment the companies carry to all stakeholder relationships to help ensure coexistence.

“Today is a great day for New York and its effort to tackle the climate crisis because we need to transition off of fossil fuels and start delivering on clean energy like offshore wind,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We congratulate Ørsted and Eversource on receiving BOEM’s final approval for Sunrise Wind, which will allow the state to begin realizing the benefits of this shovel-ready project, starting with hundreds of well-paying construction jobs on its way to delivering 924 MW of renewable offshore wind energy, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air for New Yorkers.”

“Climate change is here. The start of summer has kicked off with an extreme heat event. How do we fight climate change and its impacts? We know the answer – change the way we produce energy. New York is doing that,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for Environment. “We are excited that Sunrise Wind has reached the final hurdle and can break ground for this critical infrastructure. Sunrise Wind will be the largest offshore wind farm in America! Its clean renewable wind energy will power over 500,000 homes on Long Island. A true celebration for moving us forward in a clean energy revolution. Congrats to the leadership of Ørsted and Eversource and to New York for their diligent commitment to renewable energy.”

“Offshore wind is a crucial part of New York’s clean energy future, and we applaud Ørsted and Eversource for their leadership and congratulate them on this important milestone,” said Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. “We look forward to celebrating many more.”

“All New Yorkers should celebrate this momentous occasion. Sunrise Wind is a huge step closer to providing the state with clean, renewable power, and will be a model for many projects to come,” said Alicia Gené Artessa, director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance. “We congratulate Ørsted and Eversouce on the success of their hard work and thank BOEM for issuing this important approval.”

“America’s clean energy transition is union built, and it’s being built on Long Island,” said John R. Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “Hundreds of local trade union men and women will have good-paying jobs building Sunrise Wind onshore and offshore. Moving this project forward will help power our grid, as well as our regional economy. We expect the union movement to maintain and operate Sunrise Wind, thus we are excited the Biden administration continues to live up to their commitment to the working men and women of Long Island.”

“As New York’s offshore wind industry continues to grow, the demand for skilled tradeswomen and tradesmen is growing alongside it. We showed the world that we are ready and willing to push forward offshore wind with South Fork Wind, and with today’s approval, we’re ready to advance towards a greener future here on Long Island with Sunrise Wind,” said Matthew Aracich, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. “Building the next generation of American energy infrastructure is a monumental undertaking, and there’s no one more prepared to take it on than the members of the Building Trades.”

“New York has always been at the center of America’s economy, and projects like Sunrise Wind are ensuring we stay that way,” said Kevin S. Law, Chair of the Empire State Development Board. “Sunrise Wind is transforming our energy system, moving us toward energy independence, and helping us combat climate change – but it’s so much more than that. It’s about hundreds of New Yorkers finding good-paying, purposeful jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in our businesses and communities. Offshore wind is a growing American industry, and Sunrise Wind is keeping New York in the driver’s seat.”

“We are delighted that BOEM has approved Sunrise Wind’s Construction and Operations plan,” said Robert B. Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University and Chair and President of the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium. “This final approval from the lead federal permitting agency on the project allows this important project to go forward to provide a source of clean renewable energy to help N.Y. State meet its environmental goals. We congratulate Ørsted and Eversource for their perseverance and leadership in making this project a reality.”

As part of Sunrise Wind, Ørsted and Eversource are already making significant investments in the state’s offshore wind workforce and supply chain, including:

• A record $200 million offshore wind supply chain award to Long Island-based contractor Haugland Energy Group LLC, which is creating more than 400 jobs for New York union workers to install the underground duct bank system for Sunrise Wind’s onshore transmission line in Brookhaven, in Suffolk County.
• $86 million supply chain contract with Riggs Distler & Company, Inc., bringing construction and steel manufacturing work to Capital Region and Western New York companies supporting the construction of advanced foundation components for wind turbines at the Port of Coeymans. That contract is creating 230 family-sustaining jobs.
• Supporting the development of New York’s National Offshore Wind Training Center on Long Island with a $10 million investment.
• Advancing the first offshore wind project in America to use high-voltage direct current transmission technology.
• Investing $5 million in a research partnership with Stony Brook University.
• Establishing an operations and maintenance hub in East Setauket and harbor facility in Port Jefferson to support wind farm operations and the long-term associated operations and maintenance jobs.
• Completed a host community agreement with the Town of Brookhaven.

Sunrise Wind recently finalized its agreements with NYSERDA on the project’s 25-year Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (OREC) contract.

News release from Sunrise Wind.