ABLI endorses proposed Deepwater Wind offshore wind farm 30 miles off Montauk

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI) has endorsed a proposal by Deepwater Wind to build a 200 megawatt wind farm some 30 miles off the east end of Long Island, calling it "a strategic response to the challenge of providing clean, affordable energy to Long Island."

"Faced with the burden of utility bills that threatens the competitive position of the Long Island economy, our membership seeks and supports those initiatives that will strategically lessen our dependency on fossil fuels and address the seasonal commodity price spikes that seriously harm every energy consumer," said ABLI Executive Director Desmond Ryan. "This wind farm proposal will tackle these problems, and we are urging the Long Island Power Authority to proceed with all due speed in making this proposal a reality."

In response to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)'s request for new sources of renewable energy, Deepwater Wind is proposing supplying Long Island with more than 200 megawatts of renewable energy from Deepwater ONE, an offshore wind farm to be located approximately 30 miles east of Montauk. At this distance, the wind farm will be "over the horizon," and not visible from any point on Long Island.

Deepwater ONE would provide a much-needed source of new, renewable energy to the East End of Long Island. The project would reduce fossil-fuel emissions, stabilize energy costs and generate new jobs and investment on Long Island. 

Over the years, the ABLI has been an outspoken advocate for affordable energy on Long Island. With its members comprised of $15 billion worth of commercial, industrial, residential and retail real estate, our association represents the largest energy consumers in the bi-county region.

Leveraging offshore wind for onshore job creation

"For that reason, the ABLI is supporting this innovative plan to site a wind farm far out at sea and beyond the visible horizon," Ryan said. "Our members are particularly impressed with this project's ability to produce power during the middle of the business day when it's needed most, and thereby bringing a measure of stability to energy prices in New York.  Over the long term, it is clear this will be a significant advantage for the state and the Long Island region as we seek to attract new business and create genuine job growth."

Deepwater Wind plans for all transmission cables from the wind farm to be buried deep below existing roads and under shoreline features, with no overhead cables or poles. Construction could begin as early as 2017, with commercial operations by 2018. It is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 120,000 homes, displace tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, and improve air quality on the East End.

"Based on the European experience, it's clear that offshore wind has become a significant worldwide industry," Ryan said. "It is projected to be a $20 billion industry annually for at least the next decade, and yet the United States currently reflects just a fraction of that statistic. The U.S. Dept. of Energy projects that by 2030 as many as 40,000 people could be employed in offshore wind on the East Coast alone.  Capturing even a portion of that would be a boom for Long Island's economy."

In the ABLI's letter to Governor Cuomo, Ryan notes: "As your Administration considers how best to proceed with a 21^st Century energy master plan for New York, the ABLI believes that renewable energy needs to be very much a part of the formula to ensure the state's economic success. Job growth, stabilized rates and one more alternative to fossil fuel commodity prices make it easy for our business leaders to endorse this proposal."

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SOURCE Association for a Better Long Island