In a step toward keeping the state’s offshore wind ambitions afloat, New York on Thursday awarded two struggling offshore wind projects new contract rights.
The move is expected to help the offshore wind developments off the coast of New York and Rhode Island remain viable despite rising costs that have thrashed the nascent offshore wind sector and threatened President Joe Biden’s climate goals.
threatened President Joe Biden’s climate goals.
“Offshore wind is foundational to our fight against climate change, and these awards demonstrate our national leadership to advance a zero-emissions electric grid at the best value to New Yorkers,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Out of six bids from three developers, New York chose Equinor’s 810-megawatt Empire Wind 1 project and the 924-MW Sunrise Wind project, being developed jointly by Ørsted and Eversource. Together the projects total more than 1,700 MW. They are the largest power projects in the state in more than three decades.
