New York has set an ambitious goal of achieving 70 percent renewable electricity statewide by 2030. Community Offshore Wind’s proposal -- which already received more than 40 letters of support from New York lawmakers, labor leaders and community organizations -- would see its first offshore wind power delivered in 2030 and both phases fully operational in 2032. This would mark significant progress towards the state’s clean energy targets, at a key moment for New York to secure capacity to ensure grid reliability and build on the momentum of the burgeoning industry.
The project’s large size will utilize two proposed interconnection points. In Brooklyn, one phase of the project will interconnect at the ConEd Clean Energy Hub in the Vinegar Hill neighborhood. This phase could connect with the coordinated transmission solution for which the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) is currently evaluating proposals. On Long Island, another phase would interconnect at the E.F. Barrett Power Station in Island Park, enabling a clean energy transition while securing long term tax revenue for Island Park and surrounding communities. The project will connect to the transmission infrastructure constructed as part of New York Transco’s Propel NY Energy project, driving job growth and reducing local emissions.
The final proposal includes commitments to invest in and build up the New York economy, driving broader economic growth across the state. The proposed project will put nearly 700 New Yorkers to work, delivering up to $300 million in wages, and drive approximately $3 billion in economic activity, including over $2 billion in direct in-state spending.
Community Offshore Wind is committed to building a diverse, equitable and highly-skilled offshore wind workforce, including an unwavering commitment to New York’s union labor. The project will utilize a union workforce for construction of the project, and will hire workers from disadvantaged communities to fill at least 35 percent of its direct jobs. Community Offshore Wind is supporting these commitments by investing $64 million in new job training, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to ensure more New Yorkers can access good-paying, family-sustaining union careers.
To enable residents across the state to benefit from these economic opportunities, Community Offshore Wind will invest an additional $121 million to support local communities. This includes funding for programs and services that address barriers that frequently prevent workers, especially working parents, from accessing job opportunities, including reduced-cost childcare services for the state’s offshore wind workforce.
The funding will also support free swimming lessons for 10,000 New York children from disadvantaged communities; a career-readiness curriculum and mentorship programs; investment in K-12 STEM education; and a supply chain fund to build a local offshore wind supply chain in New York
These community investments would add to Community Offshore Wind’s commitment to New York to date, including donating more than 3,000 STEM-focused books to families in Brooklyn, cleaning up more than 1,000 pounds of garbage from the Long Island and Brooklyn waterfronts, and providing nearly 40,000 fresh seafood meals to food banks throughout the state.
Community Offshore Wind brings together the global expertise of RWE as the second-largest developer of offshore wind in the world with National Grid’s experience as the developer of the world’s longest HVDC transmission infrastructure and as a long-time partner to New York, with 5,000 employees statewide.
Community Offshore Wind is committed to the safe and responsible development of offshore wind and to supporting the region’s recreational and commercial fishing industries. The new proposal includes more than $67 million in funding for conservation and fisheries support programs. These investments will build on Community Offshore Wind’s groundbreaking Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that will transform environmental monitoring for offshore wind projects and increase transparency between researchers and developers.
