On December 7th the East Hampton Town Trustees Jim Grimes, David Cataletto, and Susan McGraw-Keber joined Orsted US, Eversource, PSE&G, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and a host of New York State agencies, representatives from the office of Governor Kathy Hochul and various environmental organizations and agencies on the Rhode Island Fast Ferry from Greenport to view the first operating wind turbine of the South Fork Wind project, New York’s first offshore wind farm. It was a historic trip – the media was there to cover the event, that was an all day voyage that took us 35 miles off the coast of Montauk Point to see the project’s first wind turbine at work!
We first motored by the Block Island wind turbines to observe and then continued on to the South Fork Wind project. A second turbine was ready to install the three blades, loaded horizontally on a vessel secured to the ocean floor. All the twelve mono columns are installed. The next procedure will be to install three blades on each column.
When completed, there will be a total of twelve turbines, a nautical mile apart from each other. The original proposal called for fifteen turbines, but technology has swiftly developed and the newer model is more efficient. The wind turbines will supply energy to 70,000 homes on the east end. Already, East Hampton is receiving energy from just one turbine! The project is expected to be completed by mid-winter.
Click on the tab below to read an article from NYSERDA – New York State Energy Research and Development Authority:
Another wind farm project, Revolution Wind, is soon to be installed. It will l hook up to the grid of SFWF, powering energy for approximately 400,00 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
“Large, ocean-based wind farms are a linchpin of government plans to shift to renewable energy in populous East Coast states with limited land for wind turbines or solar arrays. The Biden administration aims to power 10 million homes with offshore wind by 2030 and establish a carbon-free electric grid five years later.”
From WBUR – Jennifer McDermott – Associated Press -Read the article here:
Photos from our excursion – Susan McGraw-Keber & Jim Grimes
