The windfarm operator Statoil has announced the name of its latest offshore wind project off the south coast of Long Island, New York.
Project Empire Wind, a 79,350-acre site secured by Statoil in a federal auction in December 2016, has the potential to generate up to 1GW of offshore wind power.
“The name Empire Wind captures the pivotal role that this important project will play in helping New York achieve its ambitious renewable energy goal,” said Christer af Geijerstam, Statoil’s Empire Wind project director.
“Empire Wind also speaks to the leading role that New York State is taking in advancing the deployment of offshore wind technology in North America.”
Statoil is in the early stages of developing the offshore windfarm with the potential to provide New York City and Long Island with a significant, long-term source of renewable electricity.
The Empire Wind project team is currently conducting an extensive evaluation process, gathering detailed information about the seabed conditions, grid connection options and wind resources characteristic to the area.
New York’s Clean Energy Standard mandates an increase in the share of renewables in its energy mix to 50% by 2030.
As part of that effort, Governor Andrew Cuomo recently called for the development of up to 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030.
Statoil currently has seven offshore wind projects online or under development in Europe, including the world’s first floating offshore wind project in Scotland, a technology which it says could prove pivotal in generating offshore wind power for the US west coast and Hawaii.
By Anne-Marie Causer
