Equinor Selected to Develop Major Offshore Wind Projects Off New York State

Norwegian energy giant Equinor has been selected to develop two large offshore wind farms off New York State in what is said to be one of the largest renewable energy procurements in the United States history.

Under the procurement award, Equinor and its strategic partner BP will provide 1,260 MW capacity of offshore wind power from Empire Wind 2 project and another 1,230 MW of power from Beacon Wind 1. Combined with Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 project’s 816 MW capacity, the projects will total 3.3 gigawatts of renewable power to the State.

The award was granted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and is subject to the successful negotiation of a purchase and sale agreement.

The award includes stipulations that the companies will partner with the State to transform two New York ports, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) and the Port of Albany, into large-scale offshore wind industrial facilities, positioning New York to become an offshore wind industry hub.

Seperately, the State of New York announced plans develop the nation’s first offshore wind tower manufacturing facility at the Port of Albany.

“The U.S. East Coast is one of the most attractive growth markets for offshore wind in the world,” says Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor. “The successful bids for Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind 1 represent a game-changer for our offshore wind business in the U.S. and underline Equinor’s commitment to be a leading company in the energy transition. These projects will also create value through economies of scale and support our strategic ambition of becoming a global offshore wind major.”

“Together, Equinor and the State of New York will create a robust offshore wind supply chain capable of manufacturing, assembling, and staging these projects at scale,” says Siri Espedal Kindem, President of Equinor Wind U.S.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo today spoke of the state’s plans for renewable energy projects in his State of the State address. “This is the largest production of renewable energy by any state in U.S. history,” said Governor Cuomo.

“Altogether, our offshore wind and land-based renewable projects will reduce carbon emissions by almost 16 million metric tons per year—attracting nearly $26 billion in direct investments and creating over 17,000 good-paying jobs,” said Cuomo.

Updated: May 12, 2022 (Originally published January 13, 2021)

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