South Fork Wind completes construction offshore of New York

New York Governor Kathy Hochul today, alongside the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and other elected officials, announced the completion of the landmark South Fork Wind project, with all 12 offshore wind turbines constructed and the wind farm successfully delivering power to Long Island and the Rockaways. Today marks a historic milestone as New York becomes home to America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm.

South Fork Wind. Credit: Orsted

“When I broke ground on the South Fork project, I made a promise to build a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m keeping to that promise and South Fork Wind is now delivering clean energy to tens of thousands of homes and businesses on Long Island. With more projects in the pipeline, this is just the beginning of New York’s offshore wind future and I look forward to continued partnership with the Biden Administration and local leaders to build a clean and resilient energy grid.”

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said, “Every day, the Interior Department is answering President Biden’s call and moving rapidly to create a robust and sustainable clean energy economy that creates jobs, boosts local economies and helps address environmental justice. We’re thrilled to celebrate the completion of the South Fork project, which will deliver 130 MW of wind energy to Long Island. That’s enough to power more than 70,000 homes and businesses! Today is further proof that America’s clean energy transition is not a dream for a distant future – it’s happening right here and now.”

All 12 of South Fork Wind’s turbines are installed and the wind farm is delivering clean power to the local Long Island electric grid, with commissioning in its final stage. At full capacity, the approximately 130-MW wind farm will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 70,000 homes. The renewable energy is generated roughly 35 miles off the coast of Montauk.

First approved by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind began construction in February 2022, beginning with the onshore export cable system that links the project to the Long Island electric grid. The wind farm reached its “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation, and its final turbine was installed in February.

South Fork Wind’s successful completion supports progress toward New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requirements to achieve 70% renewable energy by 2030 and install nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. This milestone follows Governor Hochul’s recent announcement of two offshore wind project awards, Empire Wind I and Sunrise Wind, for over 1,730 MW and $2 billion in near-term economic development investments.

Hundreds of U.S. workers and three Northeast ports supported South Fork Wind’s construction, helping to stand up the foundations of a new domestic supply chain that’s creating local union jobs across the Northeast and beyond.

South Fork Wind’s turbines were staged and assembled by local union workers at State Pier in New London, Connecticut. The project’s advanced foundation components were completed by local union workers at Ørsted and Eversource’s fabrication hub at ProvPort, in Rhode Island. Its crew vessels and crew change helicopter is based out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island. South Fork Wind includes the first U.S.-built offshore wind substation, built by more than 350 U.S. workers across three states, with New York union workers supporting its installation offshore.

Long Island-based contractor Haugland Energy Group LLC (an affiliate of Haugland Group LLC), installed the underground duct bank system for South Fork Wind’s onshore transmission line and led the construction of the project’s onshore interconnection facility. LS Cable installed and jointed the onshore cables with support from Long Island’s Elecnor Hawkeye. The onshore cable scope of work alone created more than 100 union jobs for Long Island skilled trades workers. Roman Stone, also on Long Island, manufactured concrete mattresses to protect the undersea cables, and Ljungstrom, located in western New York, in partnership with Riggs Distler & Company, Inc., provided specialized structural steelwork.

News item from New York

Filed Under: News, Offshore wind