Long Island Construction Law does not own this content. This content was created by David Winzelberg, and was published to the Long Island Business News on November 17th, 2022.
The New York State Public Service Commission approved a transmission line that will deliver electricity from a proposed wind-power project off the coast of Long Island to the existing electrical grid.
The 25-mile offshore/onshore transmission line will carry electricity from the planned Sunrise Wind installation to an existing substation in Brookhaven.
The proposed 924-megawatt project is the largest offshore wind farm to be connected to New York’s electric grid so far. The wind farm project, which has the potential capacity to power nearly 600,000 homes, is being developed as a partnership between Ørsted and Eversource, with support from Con Edison Transmission and the New York Power Authority, who will assist the development of the transmission facilities needed to deliver the offshore wind energy to the electric transmission grid, according to a statement from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.
“New York is taking bold action to address the climate crisis, and projects like Sunrise Wind demonstrate our leadership on clean energy,” Hochul said in the statement. “As we work to advance our nation-leading climate goals and create the jobs of the future, offshore wind projects will be critical to deliver clean energy to all New Yorkers.”
Developers expect the offshore wind farm will be fully operational by 2025, resulting in a direct investment of more than $408 million in New York and the creation of 800 direct jobs in the state, plus thousands of indirect jobs, according to the statement. The transmission line just approved by the PSC is being built by Sunrise Wind, which is entering negotiations with contractors and trade labor organizations on a project labor agreement to cover construction activities for the project and committing to paying prevailing wages.
“Today we take the next great step in connecting Long Island’s workforce to the heart of our new economy for New York State,” Matthew Aracich, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, said in the statement. I’d like to express my sincere appreciation to Governor Hochul for her leadership in advancing the offshore wind industry here on Long Island. The governor has delivered on her promise of making workforce development her top priority through the creation of the new offshore wind industry here on Long Island. The governor’s approval of the transmission line for Sunrise Wind will actively put our members to work. When we create good paying, union jobs, especially in the emerging green energy industry, we are really creating careers.”
The approved transmission project includes a high-voltage, submarine export cable bundle up to 5.2 miles long that will enter New York State territorial waters 3 nautical miles from land. The transmission line will then transition from an offshore cable to an onshore cable that will travel up to 17.2 miles to an onshore converter station.
“We have a historic opportunity on Long Island to capitalize on the economic benefits from the new offshore wind industry and the approval of the Sunrise Wind transmission cable brings us one step closer to creating hundreds of union jobs and powering Long Island with clean energy,” Matt Cohen, CEO of the Long Island Association, said via email.
John Caravella Esq., is a construction attorney and formerly practicing project architect at The Law Office of John Caravella, P.C., representing architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and owners in all phases of contract preparation, litigation, and arbitration across New York and Florida. He also serves as an arbitrator to the American Arbitration Association Construction Industry Panel. Mr. Caravella can be reached by email: John@LIConstructionLaw.com or (631) 608-1346.
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Long Island Construction Law does not own this content. This content was created by David Winzelberg, and was published to the Long Island Business News on November 17th, 2022.
