Big offshore wind project proposed for New York as other sites are evaluated in 3 states

BRIGANTINE, N.J. -- Offshore upwind power projects successful New York, New Jersey and Maryland are moving forward, arsenic national regulators analyse nan proposals and opponents escalate their ineligible challenges to nan work.

A ample offshore upwind workplace is being projected successful nan waters disconnected New York arsenic national agencies are pressing up pinch reviews of 7 different water sites.

Community Offshore Wind, a business betwixt Essen, Germany-based RWE and New York-based National Grid, connected Friday projected a upwind workplace that would make 2.8 gigawatts of electricity, aliases capable to powerfulness 1 cardinal homes.

The institution besides has an progressive connection to build a separate task successful New Jersey disconnected nan seashore of Long Beach Island.

It says its New York task is nan largest offshore upwind task ever projected to New York regulators, though it did not opportunity astir really galore upwind turbines it mightiness build there.

“New York and New Jersey are some pursuing immoderate of nan astir eager cleanable power goals successful nan country, and offshore upwind will beryllium captious to each state’s success,” said Dan Sieger, nan company's caput of development. He said nan task would beryllium built 64 miles (100 kilometers) disconnected nan New York seashore and 37 miles (60 kilometers) from New Jersey.

In July, Community Offshore Wind submitted plans to build an offshore upwind installation successful New Jersey that could powerfulness 500,000 homes.

On Monday, nan U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released an biology reappraisal of six offshore upwind sites covering astir a half cardinal acres (200,000 hectares) successful New York and New Jersey, examining their imaginable impacts connected marine life, shorebirds, aerial and h2o value and different areas.

It recovered that offshore upwind projects could effect marine mammals and food during construction, though they predicted specified impacts would beryllium temporary.

But it besides wrote that moreover pinch mitigation and monitoring procedures successful place, “development would still consequence successful unavoidable adverse impacts" including an accrued consequence of impermanent aliases imperishable proceeding nonaccomplishment successful whales and different marine mammals, higher consequence of decease for oversea turtles struck by vessels and birds struck by turbine blades, and alteration of water views from shore.

The American Clean Power Association called nan biology reappraisal “a captious step" toward getting caller projects approved efficiently.

On Tuesday, nan National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wished that building of a 32-acre (13-hectare) installation successful New York City wherever offshore upwind towers will beryllium assembled “is apt to adversely affect, but is not apt to jeopardize” nan continued beingness of oversea turtles aliases Atlantic sturgeon successful nan area. The Arthur Kill Terminal Project is being planned for nan Staten Island conception of New York.

That aforesaid day, successful a reappraisal of a seventh projected site, nan agency besides said a Maryland offshore upwind task is not expected to termination aliases earnestly injure immoderate marine mammal species.

The Maryland Offshore Wind Project could spot 114 upwind turbines, 4 offshore substation platforms and up to 4 offshore export cablegram corridors built astir 11.5 miles (18.5 kilometers) disconnected that state's coast. Two phases, known arsenic MarWin and Momentum Wind, already person preliminary authorities approval.

And nan U.S. Environmental Protection Agency precocious granted New Jersey's Atlantic Shores upwind farm task a licence nether nan national Clean Air Act. That led 1 of galore vocal guidance groups to adhd to its ineligible challenges to nan project.

The grassroots nonprofit Save LBI is appealing nan approval, and has revenge announcement of its intent to writer nan EPA. Bob Stern, nan group's president, said nan agency did not adequately see imaginable aerial value impacts connected nan Brigantine National Wilderness Area and nan Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge successful confederate New Jersey.

As of past month, location were 13 cases pending successful national courts targeting offshore upwind projects, according to nan American Clean Power Association. An undetermined number of further lawsuits are progressive successful authorities courts, they said.

___

Follow Wayne Parry connected X astatine www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC