South Fork Wind hopes to create a renewable energy future on LI
A massive change in the waters off of Montauk from South Fork Wind is charging a new industry and future for what powers Long Island.
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News 12 toured America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, South Fork Wind, that’s powering tens of thousands of homes on Long Island.
The massive change in the waters off of Montauk from the wind farm is charging a new industry and future for what powers Long Island.
“This is what change looks like,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “It is safe. It is clean. It is renewable. It is our future.”
Twelve wind turbines roughly 35 miles off the coast of Montauk Point make up South Fork Wind. It provides power to roughly 70,000 Long Island homes and businesses.
Orsted, one of the companies behind the wind farm, says the turbines are already producing more power than expected.
Suffolk County Legislator Steven Flotteron says it's something he wanted to see for himself.
“It’s a great opportunity for Long Island, for the jobs, the money that’s been invested from around the world to try this experiment off of our shores,” he said.
It’s so far off the coast that you cant see it from anywhere on Long Island.
The cables come ashore in East Hampton to a substation where it’s connected to the power grid.
Patty DiOrio, Orsted Offshore Development Origination Head, says Long Island plays a critical role in their ongoing development.
“Long Island is going to be quite central to our whole northeast operation,” she said.
Orsted estimates the wind farms will create thousands of jobs.
“We have a training center. We have our operations and maintenance hub also on Long Island and that’s where we have our control center,” said DiOrio.
There are some concerns about how the wind farms could impact one of the Island's oldest industries.
Rick Etzel, president of the Montauk Boatmen & Captains Association released the following statement:
"Most of the MBCA vessels are not directly affected by the windmills currently from Block Island east to Nantucket on a daily basis. However, the construction process has greatly affected some of our vessels that do fish in that area. The MBCA is also concerned about future windmill construction in our own area within close proximity to Montauk."
Each turbine at South Fork Wind is roughly one nautical mile apart from each other.
Orsted also estimates the next wind farm to power the Island, Sunrise Wind, could be ready as early as 2026.
