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New York task force holds first talks on offshore wind

New York officials are discussing preparations to lease an area off Long Island for offshore wind turbines

Federal officials met with local, tribal and state officials in New York State yesterday, to kick off preparations for a commercial leasing process for offshore wind in the state.

The very first meeting of the state’s offshore renewable energy task force saw discussions about the process of awarding commercial leases for offshore wind projects on the Outer Continental Shelf.

The task force, which was set up to ease communications between all levels of government, looked at options for starting the leasing process and timelines for specific actions as the state develops its offshore wind resources.

The Bureau of Ocean Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) took part in the meeting, along with representatives of New York Governor David Paterson.

BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich said: “BOEMRE created this task force to facilitate the efficient and effective review of proposed renewable energy projects on the OCS offshore New York. We will continue to work together to initiate the commercial leasing process that will enable New York to meet its renewable energy development goals and expand our nation’s energy resource portfolio.”

BOEMRE has now put in place task forces to help coordinate offshore wind development in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Maine and Maryland.

It is also in the process of setting up task forces for North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

NY Offshore

New York announced plans this summer to begin developing a 350-700MW offshore wind project in its Atlantic waters (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

The project is to involve the city governments of both New York and Long Island, along with power utility Con Edison, the New York Power Authority and the state government.

A 64,500-acre area has been sketched out for a possible installation, 13 to 15 miles out to sea from Long Island’s Rockaway Peninsula.

New York’s Acting Secretary of State Ruth Noemí Colón said: “We know that the Department’s efforts to plan for offshore renewable energy projects and to protect important ocean habitats will benefit greatly from task force discussions.”

Separately, the state is also looking at offshore wind development in its Lake Erie and Lake Ontario waters (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).