News
New York State to participate in offshore wind lease auction
NYSERDA, 2 June 2016
Green Giraffe contributed last year to the study conducted by the University of Delaware’s SIOW for the NYSERDA setting out key strategic steps New York State can take to reduce costs of offshore wind power over the next decade.
Green Giraffe contributed last year to the study conducted by the University of Delaware’s Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW) for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) setting out key strategic steps New York State can take to reduce costs of offshore wind power over the next decade.
This week, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced it will participate in the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) auction for a commercial offshore wind energy lease off the coast of Long Island.
Stephanie McClellan, director of SIOW, acknowledged the added value of Green Giraffe in the process which lead to this major milestone in offshore wind in the US.
“Green Giraffe was instrumental in helping the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind illustrate to New York State early on the benefits of the approach they are now undertaking. With their seasoned experience and expert knowledge we were together able to quantify the benefits and provide New York policymakers with a real roadmap to cost-effective offshore wind. We are so incredibly grateful for their collaboration on that project. This is a great step for US offshore wind.”
New York State to Participate in Offshore Wind Lease Auction
NYSERDA to advance offshore wind, reduce project development costs, and protect the environment
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced today it will participate in the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) auction for a commercial offshore wind energy lease off the coast of Long Island. Offshore wind is a critical component in meeting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s aggressive clean energy goals, including generating 50 percent of the state’s electricity from renewables by 2030. By taking this action to participate in the lease auction, NYSERDA will seek to ensure offshore wind in New York will be developed at the lowest possible cost for electricity consumers while protecting the environment and growing the economy.
“Offshore wind will bring clean energy and economic development to New York’s coastal communities, growing the state’s economy and supporting Governor Cuomo’s commitment to protecting the environment,” said John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “Offshore wind offers our state great promise and NYSERDA is committed to ensuring this vast renewable energy resource is developed in a cost-effective way to augment New York’s energy infrastructure.”
The 81,000-acre lease area is located south of Long Island, off the Rockaway Peninsula. If NYSERDA is chosen as the winning bidder, it will be able to lead the development and timing of the site’s progress, providing the state the opportunity to benefit consumers with lower project costs and ensure that any project minimizes impacts on coastal communities, the environment, fisheries and maritime industries. NYSERDA will conduct robust stakeholder outreach and work closely with community members, environmental advocates, and federal and local partners.
As part of its pre-development work, NYSERDA will produce environmental studies and a resource assessment and site characterization to further reduce project costs and impacts. NYSERDA will then package this work with a power purchase mechanism and select a project developer through a competitive process. This strategy minimizes project risks and provides developers certainty to secure financing, maximizing competition and ultimately lowering project costs for consumers.
“The New York Power Authority, on behalf of the Long Island Power Authority and Consolidated Edison, originally proposed an offshore wind power project at this site and conducted initial assessments to confirm it was suitable for development. We are pleased to support NYSERDA as it will now advance what will be a transformational renewable energy project,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA President and CEO. “Harnessing offshore wind will not only help address growing energy needs, it will also offer the clean power more consumers are demanding as part of their energy mix.”
In his 2016 State of the State address, Governor Cuomo outlined his commitment to offshore wind by announcing the creation of an Offshore Wind Master Plan. Today’s announcement is the first step in furthering the state’s intentions to harness the power of clean, affordable offshore wind as part of its Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to build a cleaner, more resilient, and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.
Click here for the press release
Jérôme Guillet co-founded Green Giraffe in 2010 and was a Managing Director until 2021.