| South Fork Wind Farm | |
| Coordinates: | 41.092°N -71.3112°W[1] |
| Country: | United States |
| Location: | WEA OCS-A 0486 Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Rhode Island [2] |
| Status: | Operational |
| Construction Began: | 2022 |
| Owner: | Ørsted US Offshore Wind |
| Ps Units Manu Model: | SG 11-MW |
| Wind Rotor Diameter: | 200m (700feet) |
| Wind Farm Type: | Offshore |
| Ps Electrical Capacity: | 130 MW |
| Website: | Ørsted US Offshore Wind |
South Fork Wind Farm is a utility-scale offshore wind farm on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Rhode Island, providing energy to New York state.[3]
The 130 MW, 12-turbine wind is 16.6nmi southeast of Rhode Island's Block Island and east of Montauk Point on the South Fork of New York's Long Island. The wind farm is projected to provide electricity to 70,000 Long Island homes.[4] [5] The turbines are Siemens Gamesa 11.0-200 DD machines. The substation is the first of its kind built in the United States, by Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd. The project is a 97498acres section of Wind Energy Area (WEA) OCS-A 0486 (North Lease).[6] The wind farm connects to the power grid through an underwater cable to East Hampton, New York.[7]
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland held a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2022 for the project,[8] being built by Ørsted US Offshore Wind in conjunction with Eversource and the Long Island Power Authority. Power from the first turbine began being delivered to the grid on December 6, 2023.[9] Governor Hochul announced the completion of the project on March 14, 2024, at an event with Secretary Haaland and other elected officials.[10]
On September 12, 2013, BOEM awarded two commercial offshore wind energy leases, OCS-A-0486 and OCS-A-0487, to Deepwater Wind New England LLC for development of a regional offshore wind energy project.[11] Deepwater ONE (formerly Deepwater Wind Energy Center) would be located in the Atlantic Ocean on 256 square miles on the outer continental shelf, approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, New York, and 15 miles east of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The project would consist of 150 to 200 turbines with a total nameplate generating capacity of 900 to 1,200 MW. It includes a 98-mile, 600 MW submarine transmission line, a new regional HVDC transmission system, and a New York-Long Island interconnector to link the electrical supply system in New England and Long Island.[12]
Deepwater Wind, the predecessor to Orsted, originally proposed a 90-megawatt, 15-turbine wind farm in area where it had leased 256 square miles the area in 2013.[13] [14] (The leased area has a potential of supporting 200 turbines.[15]) Long Island Power Authority recommended the project for approval in July 2016,[16] which was delayed in July 2016 at the request of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Regulatory approval for a 90 MW wind farm was granted in January 2017.[17] [18] Thomas Falcone, CEO of LIPA, said they hope to complete the contract in first quarter 2017 with construction beginning in 2019 and that it would be online in 2022. The target of the power to be generated is to power structures in Southampton and East Hampton on the South Fork of Long Island, the latter of which has vowed to have 100 percent of its energy coming from renewable sources.[19] [20] [21] The project was later expanded to 132 megawatt capacity in 2018.[22]
Ørsted US Offshore Wind acquired Deepwater Wind in 2019.[23] [24] [25] It partnered with Eversource Energy to construct the wind farm. The project uses twelve Siemens Gamesa 11 megawatt turbines.[26] Long Island Power Authority will purchase the electricity generated. NYSERDA has approved the project.
In 2020, the Citizens for the Preservation of Wainscott, a group of property owners in the hamlet of Wainscott started a petition to incorporate of the community as a village. A driving force of the petition was to fight a proposal for the preferred location for the 138-kilovolt electricity transmission line (export cable) to come ashore in the community at Beach Lane en route to an electrical substation in East Hampton.[27] [28] [29] The effort divided members of the community, with other residents organizing in support of the project.[29] The town board and town trustees have approved the project, granting an easement allowing for the export cable in Wainscott.[26] The petition to separately incorporate was rejected as "legally insufficient" in March 2021.[29]
In January 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal would be developed to include a wind turbine assembly plant to be partially funded by New York State.[30] Turbines assembled there will be used in three offshore wind farms off the east end of Long Island. South Fork Wind Farm, Beacon Wind[31] and Sunrise Wind[32] are projected to be supplied by 2025 from the new plant, built with $200 million in state funding and $200 million in matching grants. The project is part of a $29 billion 'Green Initiative' plan for New York.[33]
During the construction of South Fork Wind, hundreds of U.S. workers and three Northeast ports were engaged, laying the foundations of a new domestic supply chain and creating local union jobs. Under operation, South Fork Wind will be supported by U.S.-built, -crewed and owned crew transfer vessels and offshore wind service operations vessels.[34]
In November 2021, the Interior Department approved the project.[5] [4]
