Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration gave a tentative green light Tuesday to three new wind farms off New York City’s shores, including one project that would shift the hulking Ravenswood Generating Station in Long Island City to 100% renewable energy.
The long-awaited announcement marks a major step in New York state’s continuing shift to clean energy, as it works to meet its legally mandated goal of generatng 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. But it also comes after Hochul vetoed a bill last week that would have fast-tracked a similar wind farm off of Long Island, and took another action in recent weeks that drew condemnation from wind-power advocates.
Once they come online in 2030, the new wind farms are expected to generate about 4 gigawatts of power, according to the state. That number jumps to 6.4 gigawatts when combined with 22 additional land-based projects also approved on Tuesday, which the Hochul administration says is enough to account for about 12% of the state’s energy needs.
“This industry continues to just blossom, and we’re continuing to make sure that we make the investments now,” Hochul told reporters after making the announcement in Long Island City.
The three offshore wind farms all have their roots in New York City and Long Island, including a project known as Attentive Energy One, which centers on the Ravenswood facility — whose four red-and-white smokestacks loom over the East River on the Long Island City waterfront.
The 1.4 gigawatt wind farm will be located 54 miles from New York’s shore and will ultimately connect to the Ravenswood facility, which would be converted from natural gas and fuel oil to wind and geothermal energy.
The second project — known as Community Offshore Wind — would be located 64 miles offshore, and would connect to ConEd’s Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub. The third, Excelsior Wind, would be located 23 miles from the shore, and would connect to the East Garden City substation on Long…
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