Waters Off New York Opened for Offshore Wind Farm

The U.S. Department of Interior has created an 81,130 acre “wind energy area” in the open Atlantic about 11 miles south of Long Island.  The move is part of the Obama administration’s efforts to address climate change, in part by leasing federally-controlled waters off the East Coast for offshore wind power development.

The designation of New York’s offshore area is based on a 2011 proposal from the New York Power Authority to build 194 wind turbines that could generate 700 megawatts of power for Long Island and New York City.  That plan is scheduled to proceed following an environmental review of the wind farm later this year.

“The area is large enough for a large-scale commercial wind project, which could make substantial contributions to the region’s energy supply and assist local and state governments — including New York City — in achieving their renewable energy goals,” Abigail Ross Hopper, director of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said in a statement on Wednesday.

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