New York is asking a federal district court for permission to defend an offshore wind project off its coastline against a lawsuit seeking to overturn its Interior Department approvals.
The state, as well as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) requested on Friday that a federal judge in Washington allow them to intervene on behalf of Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind.
The project is facing its latest potential setback after the Rhode Island nonprofit Green Oceans and other challengers sued Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in March, claiming its approvals violated a slew of federal laws.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said the state has a strong economic interest in the continued development of the 924-megawatt project, which is currently under construction and scheduled to be fully operational next year. It is expected to generate enough electricity to power 600,000 homes and will provide other economic benefits to the state.
