Offshore Wind Project Developer Sets Sights on Long Island Coast

Long Island could soon be home to one of the largest and most efficient wind farms in U.S.  Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind is looking to build an offshore wind project 30 miles east of Montauk, New York.  The Deepwater Wind Energy Center will consist of 150-200 turbines capable of producing 900-1200 megawatts of clean, renewable energy.

Project developer Deepwater Wind estimates the proposed offshore wind farm will meet about 10 percent of Long Island’s electricity needs and eliminate more than 1.7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The $4.5 billion project will connect to the Long Island Power Authority’s electric grid through a 98-mile, 600-megawatt undersea cable. Deepwater Wind says this New England to Long Island Interconnector will also allow Long Island to import conventional energy from New England during low-wind periods.

Work on the Deepwater Wind Energy Center could start as early as 2014, with the first phase of the project complete in 2017.