Happy New Year everyone! I'm confident in saying that 2022 will be quite the year for offshore wind development in the U.S., so let's get to all of the great announcements this month.

South Fork Fully Permitted

New York's first offshore wind project is completely permitted! On January 19, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved the Construction and Operations Plan, which is the final decision needed to start construction. This historic approval could not have been realized without local leaders doing what is right for their community and years of grassroots organizing by community organizations, including LI labor.

We should expect ground to break in a couple of weeks, including work by Long Island's own Haugland Group that won the contract to construct the underground duct bank system for the onshore transmission. This work will lead to 100 good union jobs. Please see more information here. 

NY Bight Final Sale Notice! 

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, joined by NY Governor Kathy Hochul, NJ Governor Phil Murphy, and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold a wind energy auction on February 23 for more than 480,000 acres in the New York Bight. The auction will allow offshore wind developers to bid on six lease areas – the most areas ever offered in a single auction – as described in BOEM’s Final Sale Notice. Leases offered in this sale could result in 5.6 to 7 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 2 million homes. 

Crucially, the sale notice includes:



• Stipulations concerning project labor agreements (PLAs) -- leaseholders will be required to make every reasonable effort to enter into a PLA covering construction of new wind farms
• New incentives for use of domestic supply chain – lessees will be given a credit off their rental fee for domestic assembly or manufacturing of major project components, which encourages locally sourced materials and jobs
• Stipulations concerning enhanced/early engagement with interested and affected stakeholders 

Following the February 23 auction, NYS is expected to promptly move forward with its third offshore wind solicitation.

It's all about the Grid!!

On January 20, the New York Public Service Commission issued its Order on Power Grid Study Recommendations for transmission and distribution investments needed to meet CLCPA goals. Most of the order focused on offshore wind development, including an order that directs NYSERDA to require developers in the upcoming bid to develop projects that could connect to an offshore transmission network. This would increase reliability and efficiencies and reduce long-term costs as the industry develops. The Commission also authorized NYSERDA to require developers to use HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) transmission lines, which prevents curtailments that are susceptible when using HVAC (High-Voltage Alternating Current) and standardize the radial designs for HVDC and the mesh-ready design parameters for projects. The order also touched on other transmission planning areas and directed Con Ed to submit a petition on an interconnection hub.

As always, please reach out with any questions or feedback, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to realize the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have with offshore wind. Be safe and well!

In solidarity

Mariah Dignan,

CJNY Regional Director, Long Island