U.S.’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Just Approved For Long Island

Long Island is home to some of the most premium properties in the country thanks to it’s beautiful beaches, but this shoreline will soon have more to offer than just picturesque views. That’s because the waters off Long Island are set to be the location of the U.S. largest offshore wind farm. Part Of New York’s Renewable Energy Goal  To be built by Deepwater Wind, the South Fork Wind Farm will be part of an effort to get New York State running on 50% renewable energy sources by 2030. The target amounts to 2.4 gigawatts and enough to power 1.25 million homes. The current plans for the South Fork Wind Farm include 15 turbines situated on a 256-square-mile parcel of land that could potentially support up to 200 turbines. The project will cost an estimated $740 million dollars. For those worried about the site of the turbines disrupting their view from Long Island’s south shore, the NY governors office has assured the wind farm will be “out of sight from Long Island’s beaches.”, 30 miles southeast of Montauk. Image Source: Wikimedia Sustainable Power Push Following A Superstorm The South Fork Wind Farm comes out of necessity as much as an effort to create a more sustainable future. Deputy Director of Media Relations for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, Elizabeth BiBi noted that Superstorm Sandy has motivated the state to update its power grid with more reliable and resilient energy sources. New York has also recently announced that it would be closing Indian Point nuclear energy facility by 2021, citing concerns for safety and the facility’s close proximity to New York City and the rest of the metropolitan area. Image Source: Wikimedia Similar Projects On The Horizon The project is shaping up to be a notable development for New York and U.S. sustainable energy resources, but it may not be unique for long. Deepwater Wind has already proposed an additional offshore wind farm to be situated adjacent from the South Fork Wind Farm, which could produce an added 201MW of sustainable power, however that project is still awaiting approval from the Long Island Power Authority.   [embed]https://youtu.be/zwewK-hO-gU[/embed] What are your thoughts on this renewable energy development for New York and the rest of the U.S.? Leave a comment and let us know.   Articles Sources https://arstechnica.com http://www.computerworld.com https://www.nytimes.com

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