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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the completion of the South Fork Wind project on Thursday, March 14, capping off more than two years of construction that began in February 2022.
As of Thursday, all 12 of the project’s offshore wind turbines were up and running roughly 35 miles off the coast of Long Island, delivering power to Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaways, the governor’s office said.
Hochul was joined by US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and other elected officials for a ceremonial flipping of a giant light switch marking the milestone.
“With the flip of a switch, utility-scale offshore wind power is officially being generated in the United States,” Hochul said on X. “An incredible moment for Long Island, New York, and our entire country.”
The approximately 130-megawatt wind farm is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power nearly 70,000 homes once at full capacity.
Hochul said the project will eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over its life, the equivalent of removing 60,000 cars from the road for the next 20 years.
“When I broke ground on the South Fork project, I made a promise to build a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” 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.”
The Long Island Power Authority’s board of trustees approved the South Fork Wind project in 2017. In February 2022, crews started installing the onshore export cable system connecting the project to the Long Island electric grid.
Crews celebrated the “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation. The final turbine was completed in February 2024.
Hundreds of US jobs supported construction, including more than 100 trade workers from Long Island who handled the onshore cable installation. Turbines were staged and assembled by local union workers at State Pier in New London, Connecticut. Additional components were built in Rhode Island.
State leaders are hoping that by the year 2035 offshore wind farms will produce 9,000 megawatts capable of powering nearly 30 percent of New York State’s electricity needs, equivalent to nearly six million homes.
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