Offshore Wind Will Keep New York’s Grid Reliable and Affordable
The Trump Administration’s most recent offshore wind stop-work order is the latest assault on New York’s two flagship projects, Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind, that are not only bringing millions of dollars in economic benefits to our state, but also supporting an all-of-the-above strategy that advances energy reliability and consumer affordability – two top priorities of Governor Hochul. While President Trump has publicly shared the same goals, his actions in this case speaker louder than words. The stop work orders issued by the Trump administration on Monday threaten the jobs of thousands of skilled workers during the holiday season, an action that is simply inconceivable. At the same time, it goes against his stated desire for U.S. energy independence.
It is well known that both projects underwent extensive federal reviews, including working with the Department of Defense, and receiving all federal and state permits. The facts are these—combined, these projects will support more than 2,600 family-sustaining jobs that are now in jeopardy and will deliver much needed power to more than 1.1 million homes at a time when the reliability of our electric grid consumes the national media. Here in New York, there are already warnings of potential energy shortages downstate beginning next summer, which is why these projects are so essential. In fact, Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind combined will provide 10 percent of New York City’s electric load while infusing millions of dollars into local community-driven training, workforce development, and manufacturing. Any attempts to stall the progress of this once-in-a-generation economic powerhouse will halt progress toward a sustainable energy future.
The administration must stop these recurring and politically motivated attacks that put the future energy and economic security of our state and country at risk. As we look to take advantage of 21st century economic development opportunities, including advanced manufacturing, we know this will create the jobs of the future, but also cause a tremendous increase in demand for electricity. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, offshore wind is a crucial component of the State’s strategy to invest in a diverse energy portfolio that reflects the complexity of the challenge while ensuring an affordable, reliable, and abundant energy supply for future generations. That means leaving no option off the table, whether it’s offshore or land-based wind, solar, advanced nuclear, other zero-emission technologies, or, yes, extending essential legacy energy systems like natural gas. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which oversees our energy grid, has repeatedly found that clean energy projects like offshore wind and new transmission contribute to providing reliable electricity service. At a time when the NYISO has flagged reliability risks to the downstate region over the coming decade and called for increasing the speed of deployment of new energy generation, taking already-in-progress projects off the board creates unacceptable risks.
The federal government’s blatant and continued interference in already permitted projects, this time under the guise of nebulous national security concerns, sends a damaging signal to companies looking to invest in the U.S. economy at large—all of whom will take their investments elsewhere if they can’t count on regulatory certainty to proceed here. And it does a disservice to the many communities that have the most to gain from the economic and societal benefits these projects afford.
New York will stay the course in advancing the offshore wind industry, not only because we believe in its promise, but because we’ve already seen the positive impact it can have on our economy and energy supply. The State’s South Fork Wind project is complete and generating enough energy to power 70,000 Long Island homes. During a summer heatwave, it operated at an 87% capacity factor at evening peak – reliably delivering power when needed to keep the lights and air conditioning on in New York. We recently made available $300 million aimed at leveraging New York’s maritime infrastructure to capture sustainable supply chain benefits, ensuring port infrastructure and resources are resilient and available for both offshore wind projects and multi-use purposes. Our forward-thinking strategies are creating new workforce development opportunities and fostering job growth, not stunting it, like those by the Trump administration.
For fifty years NYSERDA has led the state in the critical role of energy planning and policy analysis. New York was built on innovative thinking and new technologies, and today is no different. Offshore wind has a place in our energy future.
Doreen M. Harris is the President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).