Offshore Wind Projects
Over 4,300 megawatts under active development statewide
To help meet New York’s nation-leading renewable energy targets, NYSERDA issues competitive solicitations for offshore wind energy and contracts with offshore wind developers to purchase offshore renewable energy certificates (ORECs).
In July 2022, New York State launched its third competitive solicitation, ORECRFP22-1, to procure at least 2,000 additional megawatts of offshore wind energy for New Yorkers. This solicitation comes on the heels of a record-setting auction by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for leases in the New York Bight in February 2022, which drew bids from six companies and totaled $4.37 billion. To learn more about this exciting solicitation, including the addition of a nation-leading $500 investment in the State’s offshore wind ports, manufacturing, and supply chain infrastructure that prioritize Disadvantaged and Frontline communities, see the 2022 Solicitation page.
In the State’s second offshore wind procurement, NYSERDA selected two projects for contract negotiation: Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind of Equinor Wind US LLC. Together, these projects total nearly 2,500 megawatts, enough to power 1.3 million homes. For more information about the projects, see the 2020 Solicitation Awards Fact Sheet [PDF].
New York now has five offshore wind projects in active development – the largest offshore wind pipeline in the nation totaling more than 4,300 megawatts and representing nearly 50 percent of the capacity needed to meet New York’s nation-leading offshore wind goal of 9,000 megawatts by 2035.
The map (full size image here) and photographs display New York’s five offshore wind projects, proposed port facilities, key infrastructure investments, and proposed points of interconnection.
Quick Facts
Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind will bring tremendous economic benefit to New Yorkers. Together with Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind, the awarded projects from NYSERDA’s inaugural solicitation, the projects will:
- Power more than 2.4 million New York homes.
- Bring a combined economic impact of $12.1 billion to upstate, downstate, and Long Island.
- Invest approximately $730 million in combined private and public funds in long-term port facilities and cutting-edge technologies, including the nation’s first offshore wind tower manufacturing plant at the Port of Albany.
- Support more than 6,800 jobs in project development, component manufacturing, installation, and operations and maintenance.
- Directly offer well-paying careers with salaries averaging approximately $100,000 per year.
- Deliver significant economic benefits to disadvantaged communities and support the responsible retirement of aging fossil-fuel power plants near key environmental justice communities.
NYSERDA Contracted Offshore Wind Projects
NYSERDA has executed contracts with Equinor Wind US LLC for its 816 megawatt Empire Wind Project and Sunrise Wind LLC (a joint venture of Ørsted A/S and Eversource Energy) for its 880 megawatt Sunrise Wind Project to deliver clean, affordable, renewable energy to New Yorkers.
To learn more about how the projects were selected and to read the full executed contracts (including environmental and fisheries mitigation plans), see our 2018 Solicitation page.
Through its second solicitation, ORECRFP20-1, NYSERDA has executed contracts with Equinor Wind US LLC for the 1,260 megawatt Empire Wind 2 Project and 1,230 megawatt Beacon Wind Project. These two projects will generate enough clean energy to power 1.3 million homes and will be major economic drivers in New York State. To learn more about these two projects were selected, see our 2020 Solicitation page.
Beacon Wind
| Project Capacity: | 1,230 megawatts |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Equinor Wind US LLC |
| Expected Commercial Operation Date | 2028 |
| Website: | Beacon Wind  |
Beacon Wind 1 Key Facts
- The project is located over 60 miles east of Montauk Point and will be the first offshore wind project in the U.S. to utilize High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission technology.
- The project will connect to New York’s electricity grid through the Astoria Substation in Queens.
- The project will establish an operations and maintenance base in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Beacon Wind Progress
| Stage | Status |
|---|---|
| Data Collection | Ongoing |
| Permitting Processes | Article VII application filed |
| Manufacturing | To come |
| Construction and Installation | To come |
| Commissioning |
To come |
Empire Wind 1
| Project Capacity: | 816 megawatts |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Equinor Wind US LLC |
| Expected Commercial Operation Date | 2026 |
| Website: | empirewind.com |
Empire Wind 1 Key Facts
- At its closest point, the project is located approximately 14 miles from Jones Beach State Park.
- The project will connect to New York’s electricity grid at the Gowanus Substation in Brooklyn.
- The project will establish an operations and maintenance base in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Empire Wind 1 Progress
| Stage | Status |
|---|---|
| Data Collection | Ongoing |
| Permitting Processes | Article VII certificate pending, DEIS published by BOEM |
| Manufacturing | In Progress |
| Construction and Installation | To come |
| Commissioning |
To come |
Empire Wind 2
| Project Capacity: | 1,260 megawatts |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Equinor Wind US LLC |
| Expected Commercial Operation Date | 2027 |
| Website: | empirewind.com |
Empire Wind 2 Key Facts
- At its closest point, the project is located approximately 14 miles from Jones Beach State Park.
- The project will connect to New York’s electricity grid in Nassau County at the Barrett Substation in Oceanside.
- The project will establish an operations and maintenance base in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Empire Wind 2 Progress
| Stage | Status |
|---|---|
| Data Collection | Ongoing |
| Permitting Processes | Article VII application filed, DEIS published by BOEM |
| Manufacturing | In Progress |
| Construction and Installation | To come |
| Commissioning |
To come |
Sunrise Wind
| Project Capacity: | 924 megawatts |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Sunrise Wind LLC |
| Expected Commercial Operation Date | 2025 |
| Website: | sunrisewindny.com |
Sunrise Wind Key Facts
- At its closest point, the project is located more than 30 miles off the east coast of Long Island.
- The project will connect to New York’s electricity grid at the Holbrook Substation in central Long Island.
- The project will fabricate key components for foundations in the Capital Region.
- The project will establish a regional operations and maintenance hub in Port Jefferson, NY.
Sunrise Wind Progress
| Stage | Status |
|---|---|
| Data Collection | Ongoing |
| Permitting Processes | Article VII certificate granted, DEIS published by BOEM |
| Manufacturing | In Progress |
| Construction and Installation | To come |
| Commissioning |
To come |
LIPA’s South Fork Wind Farm
The South Fork Wind Farm is a 130-megawatt offshore wind project in development off the east coast of Long Island and is expected to be New York State’s first operational offshore wind farm. The South Fork Wind Farm was awarded a contract by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) in 2017 as the result of a competitive solicitation for new sources of cost-effective power to meet the South Fork’s growing demand for electricity.
For more information, see:
