New offshore wind energy system to be developed off the coast of Long Island
October 26, 2017Statoil is bringing a new offshore wind energy project to the US
A new wind farm is taking form off the coast of Long Island. The new wind farm is being developed by Statoil, a Norwegian company that specializes in the development of wind power. The new project is called Empire Wind and it represents the latest offshore wind energy project to come to the United States. Statoil successfully bid on some 79,000 acres of ocean where the new wind farm will take form. The company reportedly bid $42.5 million on the project.
New wind farm may have as many as 100 wind turbines
Currently, Statoil plans to erect as many as 100 wind turbines 14 miles off the coast of Long Island. The company predicts that, once completed, the new offshore wind energy system will produce up to 1,000 megawatts of electrical power. The wind farm’s actual energy production will be based on negotiations with the New York government as well as the state’s power companies. Statoil is currently surveying the site at which the new offshore wind energy system is meant to take form.
Empire Wind project faces some significant challenges
The new project faces serious logistical challenges, not the least of which involves actually transporting and installing wind turbines in the ocean. The Long Island Commercial Fishing Association has joined a lawsuit that aims to block the development of Empire Wind. The organization is concerned that the wind farm will have a detrimental impact on history fishing grounds and also argues that federal regulators may not have taken into account the importance of these fishing grounds.
Offshore wind energy is gaining more support in the US
While the Empire Wind project faces challenges, offshore wind energy in general has a promising future in the United States. The federal government has been showing strong support for offshore wind projects, which have the potential to produce vast amounts of electrical power when compared to their onshore counterparts. Statoil predicts that its Empire Wind project will be fully operational at some point in 2024.