December 18, 2019 — A New York board has approved plans to build 27 wind turbines despite a new local intended to block the project. The state’s Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment approved the 124-megawatt Calpine wind farm in eastern Broome County on Monday. A new zoning law adopted by the town of Sanford effectively banned the project but board Chairman John Rhodes said environmental impacts would be minimized, based on plans by developer Calpine. The state Public Service Commission says the decision demonstrates how the state is working to achieve Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s goal of a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040.
PAUL STEIDLER: New York’s reckless gamble on offshore wind power
November 14, 2019 — Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s all-out push for offshore wind power to be a major electricity source for New York City and Long Island takes the region into uncharted waters, fraught with recurring blackouts and significantly higher electricity costs. This is bad for public safety and the economy.
In July, Cuomo said, “New York will lead the way in developing the largest source of offshore wind power in the nation.” Currently, America has just one offshore wind facility, generating 30 megawatts of power, enough for about 24,000 homes.
The governor, though, wants 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. This is 300 times what is currently in use nationwide and 38% of New York’s current downstate electricity generating capacity of 25,007 megawatts.
NEW YORK: Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Dismissal of Case Regarding Fluke Quotas
September 3, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D-NY):
“New York’s commercial fishing industry is a critical driver of our economy that has been held back by outdated federal restrictions for decades. The hardworking men and women of this industry deserve equitable treatment so they can succeed and grow their businesses and continue to boost their local economies.
“New York will continue to challenge this unfair quota and explore every avenue to ensure that New York’s access to summer flounder is consistent with national standards and our state’s fishing industry can continue to thrive.”
Judge dismisses NY’s lawsuit over commercial fluke quotas
September 3, 2019 — A federal judge has dismissed New York’s lawsuit seeking to challenge the state’s relatively small portion of the East Coast commercial fluke quota as a. congressman called for local fishermen to not comply with the restrictive allotment.
With little fanfare, U.S. District Judge Sandra Feuerstein on July 30 issued an order dismissing the case, allowing the state 10 days to file a notice to reargue its claims by next April. Court records showed no such filing had been made. New York’s original complaint was filed Jan. 14. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo first threatened to sue over New York’s low quota at an event in Montauk in 2013.
Meanwhile, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) on Friday recommended that New York commercial fishermen go out of compliance with the fluke quota system in what would be a clear signal to Washington of their frustration with the process.
NY spending $2M to study offshore wind impact on waterways, fishing
August 9th, 2019 — New York State said Thursday it will spend more than $2 million for five studies to examine ways to reduce offshore wind farms’ impact on marine environments and commercial fishing.
The studies, awarded by the state Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, followed Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s announcement of the first two large offshore wind projects for the state power grid.
The projects will produce 1,700 megawatts of a potential 9,000 megawatts planned by the state by 2040. Hundreds of turbines upward of 800 feet high will spin in waterways off Long Island, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Another project by Norway-based Equinor for 816 megawatts will be located as close as 15 miles offshore from Long Beach.
New York funds $2m for offshore environmental R&D
August 8, 2019 — New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has chosen projects totalling more than $2m to study environmental and commercial fishing topics to support responsible offshore wind development.
The five projects advance Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Green New Deal goal of 9GW of offshore wind by 2035 as codified under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
The selected projects include National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) and others, for the initiative, ‘Collaborative Development of Strategies and Tools to Address Commercial Fishing.’
The project, which has received $500,000, will address the need to understand and develop solutions for safe and efficient access to fishing grounds, while also ensuring that offshore energy projects meet their operational goals.
Ørsted Wins Bid From New York State For Large New Wind Farm Off Montauk
July 25, 2019 — State officials announced last week that energy supply contracts will be awarded to two offshore wind farm developers for the construction of giant wind farms in the waters off Long Island—including one southeast of Montauk that could bring power ashore onto the South Fork, possibly Hampton Bays.
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office said it will seek to ink contracts with two projects, known as Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind, that could lead to the construction of more than 200 turbines in two areas of ocean, producing enough power for as many as 850,000 homes.
The Sunrise Wind project was proposed by Ørsted U.S. Offshore and Eversource, the companies that now own Deepwater Wind and the plans for the South Fork Wind Farm.
The Sunrise Wind proposal calls for as many as 100 turbines to be erected in the same general area of ocean as the much smaller South Fork Wind Farm, about 30 nautical miles southeast of Montauk. The company’s pitch to the state says it expects that the project could be constructed and operational by 2024, just two years after the South Fork Wind Farm is supposed to come online.
New York awards offshore wind contracts as governor signs climate bill
July 19, 2019 — New York on Thursday awarded two major offshore wind contracts to Norway’s Equinor and a joint venture between Denmark’s Orsted and U.S. utility Eversource, procuring more of the renewable power than it had planned as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s ambitious plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions.
Cuomo made the announcement at a New York City news conference just before signing into law a landmark climate bill to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. The law mandates reducing emissions by 85% from 1990 levels by 2050, and offsetting the remaining 15%, making the state carbon-neutral.
Offshore wind is expected to play a key role in reducing the state’s emissions, and the state has a goal of procuring 9,000 megawatts (MW) by 2035. The two contracts unveiled on Thursday add up to 1,700 MW of capacity, or enough to power 1 million homes, Cuomo said. The state’s first procurement had originally planned to be between 800 and 1,200 MW.
Instead, it awarded an 880-MW contract to Orsted and Eversource for the Sunrise Wind project off the eastern coast of Long Island and another 816-MW contract to Equinor for its Empire Wind farm that will supply New York City.
NEW YORK: Governor Cuomo Executes the Nation’s Largest Offshore Wind Agreement and Signs Historic Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act
July 18, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY):
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, joined by former Vice President Al Gore, today executed the nation’s largest offshore wind agreement and the single largest renewable energy procurement by any state in U.S. history – nearly 1,700 megawatts -with the selection of two offshore wind projects, that will create enough energy to power over 1 million homes, create more than 1,600 jobs, and result in $3.2 billion in economic activity. Governor Cuomo also signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA, which adopts the most ambitious and comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation in the country. Today’s announcement underscores New York’s undisputed position as a global leader in climate and clean energy, and advances Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading mandate of 9,000 megawatts by 2035. Additionally, today’s offshore wind announcement is expected to catalyze the first generation of major United States supply chain investments by the fast-growing offshore wind sector, positioning New York to be the hub of the nation’s burgeoning offshore wind industry.
“The environment and climate change are the most critically important policy priorities we face,” Governor Cuomo said. “They literally will determine the future – or the lack thereof. Even in today’s chaos of political pandering and hyperbole there are still facts, data and evidence – and climate change is an undeniable scientific fact. But cries for a new green movement are hollow political rhetoric if not combined with aggressive goals and a realistic plan on how to achieve them. With this agreement, New York will lead the way in developing the largest source of offshore wind power in the nation, and today I will sign the most aggressive climate law in the United States of America. Today we are true to the New York legacy – to lead the way forward, to govern with vision and intelligence, to set a new standard, and to match our words with action.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Climate change is real and must be addressed to better protect future generations. As Washington fails to act, New York State must step up to lead on this critical issue. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will help combat the damages caused by climate change, reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions, focus investments on green technology, protect disadvantaged communities, and ensure that workers are protected and good jobs are created as we transition to greener energy sources. I commend Senator Todd Kaminsky for sponsoring this bill, holding hearings throughout the state, and for his leadership in the fight against climate change.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “For years the Assembly Majority has fought for comprehensive legislation to address and mitigate climate change. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright and our Assembly Majority colleagues, New York State is leading the way in developing green energy alternatives and sustainable policies. While the administration in Washington rolls back environmental protections, we will continue fighting to protect our environment, economy and the well-being of New Yorkers from the damaging effects of climate change.”
Critics Say Wind Farm Rates Constitute Price Gouging
July 17, 2019 — There are a lot of ways to deflect the criticism, but really none to refute it: The South Fork Wind Farm will charge higher rates for the power it generates — three to five times more than its parent company, Ørsted/Deepwater, will charge in nearby markets.
Despite complaints from all sides, freedom of information requests, and now a lawsuit, neither the Long Island Power Authority nor Ørsted have shed any light on the matter. East Hampton Town doesn’t even know the cost per kilowatt-hour ratepayers will be charged. In fact, though, every ratepayer in the PSEG/LIPA system will pay for the wind power generated, and the power will not be earmarked for East Hampton, as many at first believed, but for the entire grid.
In January 2018 , the LIPA board, at the insistence of Governor Andrew Cuomo, entered into a 20-year agreement to purchase all the power generated by the South Fork Wind Farm. The price per KW hour was redacted.
The cat-and-mouse game to uncover the exact cost has been played ever since, though the 23¢/KwH has been bandied about and never refuted by either side.
When requests for disclosure first poured in officials of Deepwater Wind, which has since been bought by the Danish firm Ørsted, said LIPA requested the confidentiality agreement.
LIPA’s special counsel for ethics, risk, and compliance, James Miskiewicz, wrote on August 31, 2017 in response to a query from a citizens’ group that “Deepwater Wind explicitly asked that the redacted information be treated as confidential, as defined by New York’s FOIL law.”
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