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Crews working on the South Fork Wind farm, located approximately 35 miles off the coast of Long Island, have finished installing the first of 12 wind turbines, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced Monday, Nov. 20.
It comes months after crews wrapped up work on the project’s first monopile foundation in June 2023.
Once completed, the wind farm will connect to the power grid via an underwater cable that can power 70,000 Long Island homes, according to Hochul’s office.
It will mark the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the United States and is one of five offshore wind projects that New York has in active development, the largest portfolio in the country.
“New York is paving the way towards a clean energy future, and the installation of our first offshore wind turbine marks a momentous step forward,” Hochul said.
“We are not only generating clean energy, but also pioneering a healthy and safe environment for future generations of New Yorkers.
"We are shaping a brighter, greener tomorrow, committed to a future where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand."
The South Fork Wind project is expected to eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road annually over a 25-year period.
Once all five of the state’s offshore wind farms are in operation, they are expected to produce a combined 4,300 megawatts of electricity that can power over 2.4 million New York homes.
The projects will also create more than 6,800 jobs in project management, component manufacturing, installation, and operations and management, Hochul said.
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.
All 12 turbines are expected to be installed by the end of 2023 or early 2024.
Construction of the project is being handled by Ørsted US Offshore Wind in partnership with Eversource and the Long Island Power Authority.
More information on South Fork Wind can be found on the project's website.
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