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On Wednesday, Dec. 6, the first offshore wind turbine at South Fork Wind, located nearly 35 miles from Montauk, began “powering up,” successfully delivering power to Long Island, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
The turbine, which is one of two currently built, is not only the first offshore wind turbine in the state of New York but is also the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the US to begin delivering power.
Once the entire South Fork Wind project is completed, the farm will generate enough power to power approximately 70,000 Long Island homes – about 130 megawatts of renewable energy – and effectively eliminate six million tons of carbon emissions each year, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road
The news comes just a couple of weeks after the first turbine was built.
Earlier Report - 'Momentous Step': First Turbine Completed For Offshore Wind Farm To Power Long Island Homes
“New York's nation-leading efforts to generate reliable, renewable clean energy have reached a major milestone," Hochul said in a statement.
She emphasized that the wind farm will “power thousands of homes, create good-paying union jobs, and demonstrate to all that offshore wind is a viable resource New York can harness for generations to come."
Construction for the South Fork Wind began in February 2022 and includes the first US-built offshore wind substation, which was built by more than 350 US workers across three states.
Once all 12 of the wind turbines are installed at South Fork Wind by early 2024, three more offshore wind farms are expected to follow as part of the state’s investment into renewable energy, which Hochul claimed is the largest state investment in the country.
In addition to the offshore wind farms, New York State will invest in 22 land-based renewable energy projects.
These are expected to generate 6.4 gigawatts of clean energy, powering 2.6 million New York homes and covering nearly 12 percent of the state’s electricity needs – an important step towards the state’s goal of achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040.
South Fork Wind is handled by offshore wind leader Ørsted US, alongside Eversource.
The project was initially approved by the Long Island Power Authority in 2017.
For more information about South Fork Wind, click here.
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