Clean Energy in the United States: Long Islands New Offshore Wind Farm

Renewable energy in the United States has lagged behind most other developed nations. As the world continues to push for the advancement of clean energy the United States has begun taking steps to bolster their own clean energy infrastructure. The US will now be constructing the second ever offshore wind farm within the states. The location is set off the shore of Long Island and recently passed approval with a unanimous vote.

The first offshore wind farm was constructed off the coast of Block Island by Deepwater Wind. Deepwater is also behind this second project as well. This new project in Long Island is a part of New York’s ambitious renewable energy plan. The state wants to generate 50% of their total energy required using renewable energy sources by 2030. This will mean renewable energy sources need to produce 2.4 gigawatts, enough to power 1.25 million homes.

Long Island’s wind farm will be named South Fork Wind Farm and will include 15 turbines which will sit on a 256-square-mile parcel of land. This section of ocean has the potential to support up to 200 turbines so they have plenty of room to expand. Costing an estimated $740 million dollars to construct, this could offer a major economic boost to the area as jobs and components will be in high demand. Furthermore, the NY governor’s office assured the public that the wind farm will be out of sight from Long Island’s beaches, offering more incentive and creating less of a reason to object to the new project.

Land based wind farms have become extremely prevalent throughout the United States. The industry continues to soar and job growth is growing at a staggering rate. American wind power supported a record 88,000 jobs at the start of 2016. This is an increase of 20% in just one year. Now that companies are starting to dive into offshore wind installations, this number may continue to rise and grow even faster. This could even offer the kind of economic boost the American manufacturing industry has been looking for. Clean energy offers a plethora of benefits for industrial sectors and as the White House continues to push for more American manufacturing jobs, the wind energy industry could be a fantastic option.

Deepwater Wind has been a huge proponent when it comes to clean energy in the US. They even proposed another offshore wind farm to be situated adjacent from the South Fork Wind Farm, estimated to be able to produce 201 MW of sustainable power. This project however is still awaiting approval. As these projects continue to become more common, the wind energy industry will continue to expand at an extraordinary pace.

It will be exciting to see what this form of energy will do to the economy, job market and manufacturing industry. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the developments surrounding the renewable industry and its impact on manufacturing. Check back soon for the latest updates.

Sources:

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/02/20/inbw-hohe-see-500-mw-offshore-wind-farm-proceed-siemens-enbridge/

http://mashable.com/2017/01/25/us-offshore-wind-farm-deepwater-wind/#e0Wb8JTtwPqX

http://www.magoda.com/local/u-s-s-largest-offshore-wind-farm-just-approved-for-long-island/
http://www.awea.org/MediaCenter/pressrelease.aspx?ItemNumber=8736