A Long Island utility is expected to sign off on approval for Deepwater Wind’s second US offshore wind farm, a 90MW project 30 miles southeast of Montauk.
“Our proposal to Long Island is a huge step forward and a validation of our long-term plans,” said Deepwater chief executive Jeffrey Grybowski.
The Long Island Power Authority has recommended its board of trustees approve the project at a meeting on 20 July, LIPA chief executive Thomas Falcone told reNEWS.
The board will authorise negotiation of a power purchase agreement. “Deepwater has submitted what their terms are and we’re fairly close,” said Falcone.
When contract terms are finalised it will be sent back to the board for final approval.
The developer bid for the 15-turbine Deepwater One South Fork project in response to PSEG-Long Island’s request for new local energy resources serving that area.
“We’re shooting for commercial operation in December of 2022,” said Falcone.
It would be the first phase of a regional offshore wind farm the company is developing roughly 30 miles southeast of Montauk, New York, where Deepwater holds a 1GW commercial lease. The site lies east of the company’s under-construction 30MW Block Island wind farm.
As part of its Long Island bid Deepwater also proposed two battery energy storage facilities totalling 15MW composed of GE lithium-ion battery technology, however they were not selected, added Falcone.
Image: the 15MW Block Island wind farm currently in construction (Deepwater)
