Wind Energy Expands on Long Island

Long Island, NY ­- Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This is now the most comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation in the country and expected to produce 1,600 jobs.

The legislation mandates that at least 70 percent of New York’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by 2030. This bill titled the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act includes a provision that the state’s power system is 100 percent carbon-neutral by 2040. NYS now has a commitment to install 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035, 6,000 megawatts of distributed solar by 2025 and 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030. The bid winners including The Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind company of Equinor US Holdings, Inc. and Bay State Wind LLC, have committed to deliver 1,700 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than one million New York homes.

“Even in this chaos of political pandering and hyperbole, there are still facts, data, and evidence. And climate change is an indisputable scientific fact, said Cuomo. “To deny climate change is to deny reality. All credible scientists agree.”

 New York has awarded approximately 4,700 megawatts of new large-scale renewable energy contracts since March 2018 through three separate solicitations, a globally significant advancement in renewable energy in just two years. These projects will provide enough renewable energy to power up to two million households and meet nearly 10 percent of New York’s electricity needs by 2025.”

“The planet received good news about public policy taken by the State of New York,” John R. Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor said. “Governor Cuomo’s first large procurement of offshore wind power is a major step forward in the fight against climate change and an opportunity to develop an emerging industry. It is particularly significant for Long Island, whose workforce is ready to meet the challenges ahead.”

Matt Aracich, president, Building Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties said “With advancements in climate preservation technology and an aggressive policy focused on renewable energy comes a new job market accessible to working class New Yorkers.” “The Building Trades Council is proud of NYSERDA’s initiative to tackle climate change while still considering the standards and careers of the hard working men and women in labor. Programs such as the offshore wind development will significantly benefit our region while providing sustainable, green jobs for years to come,” said Aracich.