Renewables are growing at a record pace across America, from the East Coast to the West Coast, and even domestic self-consumption has increased. However, we still have one more milestone to reach that is getting closer and closer: this is the project to turn New York into the largest energy generator ever known to mankind. Is the city of lights now going to be the city of power? Don’t let it sound so far-fetched.
New York, to be turned into the world’s largest energy generator: the world is on edge
Empire Wind is an offshore wind farm project with large-scale renewable energy implementation under development by Equinor Company, a Norwegian oil and energy company, in New York State’s Atlantic waters. Sustainable electricity generation as intended for the project is 2,000 MW, or 1 gigawatt (GW) of clean energy.
According to official sources, it will enable the provision of electricity to over one million households within the state of Minnesota. In this section, potential users of the project will be introduced, along with the progression of the work, scope, and outcomes of the project in the case of the New York energy environment.
The Empire Wind project is divided into two phases:
- Empire Wind 1 (EW1), with a capacity of 816 MW.
- Empire Wind 2 (EW2), with a capacity of 1.26 GW.
As you can see, it results in a combined output of 2.1 GW. The project will be sited about 24-48km southeast of Long Island and acquire an approximate area of 80,000 acres. Can you imagine the city of skyscrapers with its seas full of wind power generators? A landscape with contrast is difficult to forget.
Seven years to develop a project that will last for decades: the target is 2027
It all started in 2017, when Equinor established a commercial lease for the project’s development. Its construction has also undergone approval from the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) in December 2023. According to the plan, the project is aimed at reaching the first power output in 2026 while going into full commercial capacity in 2027.
The Empire Wind project generation plan will consist of 138 Vestas V236-15MW types. Nine meters for body width and the tip height of yet another 270 meters. The wind turbines that will be installed are onshore, and the turbines will be placed on monopile foundations and will interface two offshore substations.
So far, the project has received majority support from society, although there are always environmental groups that condemn the use of marine ecosystems for the installation of power generators. But of course, they will have to be installed somewhere (always with the protection of the fauna).
It’s not about 2024, but about what will happen in the future: this is how New York City will be transformed
The Empire Wind project is projected to generate several hundred construction jobs and result in additional private investments in economic development. It will also help New York reach its target of designing 9,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2035, as indicated in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).
The OREC Purchase and Sale Agreement is to be signed with NYSERDA in the second quarter of the year 2024, after which, the project moves to the last stage of the investment decision that is expected in mid-2024. The company intends to produce cash IRRs of 12%–16% for its nominal equity in the US East Coast Offshore Wind Project.
A city like New York, usually dominated by skyscrapers, is now going to see its landscape flooded with wind turbines of historic size and number. In fact, Empire Wind has already raised the optimism of investors, companies and other entities in the field of sustainability, which see an unrepeatable opportunity to generate electricity for the city that never sleeps and therefore always consumes it (and in disproportionate quantities).
