Written by
Nick Blenkey
Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, “We’re fready to go to work”
The Bureau of Ocean Power Administration (BOEM) at the moment introduced its approval of Empire Wind’s Development and Operations Plan (COP). That is the Equinor challenge’s closing approval from BOEM, following the company’s Report of Choice approving the challenge in November 2023.
“We’re proud to announce BOEM’s closing approval of the Empire Wind offshore wind challenge,” mentioned BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “This challenge represents a significant milestone in our efforts to broaden clear vitality manufacturing and fight local weather change. The Biden-Harris administration is dedicated to advancing offshore wind tasks like Empire Wind to create jobs, drive financial progress, and reduce dangerous local weather air pollution.”
The accepted plan consists of building and operation of two offshore wind services, often known as Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2. The lease space is situated about 12 nautical miles (nm) south of Lengthy Island, N.Y., and about 16.9 nautical miles east of Lengthy Department, N.J. Collectively these tasks would have a complete capability of two,076 megawatts of renewable vitality that BOEM estimates might energy greater than 700,000 houses annually.
With this key allowing motion by BOEM secured, the challenge is on observe to start building in its federal lease space off the southern coast of Lengthy Island later this 12 months, says Equinor, which is growing the challenge. Already nicely superior in planning and growth, Empire Wind 1 might ship first energy to New Yorkers by 2026. As well as, building to rework the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a significant hub for offshore wind might start as early as this spring.
“We’re able to get to work,” mentioned Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, “At the moment’s COP approval follows years of rigorous assessment and collaboration with BOEM and different federal companies. Equinor is grateful for a shared dedication to attaining state and federal offshore wind ambitions and Empire Wind is one step nearer to delivering renewable energy to a whole bunch of hundreds of New York houses.”
Morris mentioned nothing at the moment about Empire Wind 2.
Beforehand Equinor was partnered with BP on each the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind tasks however again in January the 2 corporations introduced what they known as “a reset” of Empire Wind 2.
As enterprise consultancy Intelatus World Companions lately famous, “after reorganizing its Empire Wind and Beacon Wind portfolio, whereby Equinor takes full management of Empire Wind and BP assumes full possession of Beacon Wind, Equinor has put Empire Wind 2 on maintain, canceling a number of provide chain commitments. Nevertheless, the corporate nonetheless goals to safe an offtake within the New York 4 solicitation for Empire Wind 1 and to advance the challenge.”
