All 12 South Fork Wind turbines complete and power flowing

Image: Ørsted

In a milestone development for U.S. offshore wind, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul yesterday announced the completion of the landmark South Fork Wind project, with all 12 offshore wind turbines constructed and the wind farm successfully delivering power to Long Island and the Rockaways. The announcement gave New York state the bragging rights of becoming home to America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm.

“When I broke ground on the South Fork project, I made a promise to build a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m keeping to that promise and South Fork Wind is now delivering clean energy to tens of thousands of homes and businesses on Long Island. With more projects in the pipeline, this is just the beginning of New York’s offshore wind future and I look forward to continued partnership with the Biden Administration and local leaders to build a clean and resilient energy grid.”

Among those present for the formal announcement was U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the completion of the South Fork project, which will deliver 130 megawatts of wind energy to Long Island,” said Secretary Haaland. “That’s enough to power more than 70,000 homes and businesses! Today is further proof that America’s clean energy transition is not a dream for a distant future – it’s happening right here and now.”

“Instead of denying climate change, the Biden-Harris Administration is building the infrastructure that allows us to take on this crisis,” said National Climate Advisor to President Biden Ali Zaid. Under President Biden, we are building an American offshore wind industry that activates factories, ports, and shipyards across the country, catalyzes Made in America supply chains, and prioritizes our workers and communities. With the South Fork Wind project now complete and more underway – all approved and supported by the Biden-Harris Administration – we celebrate the massive progress that’s been achieved thanks to strong partnerships with leaders like Governor Hochul. This historic milestone will not only advance President Biden’s ambitious climate goals but also create good-paying jobs, strengthen our power grid, support workers and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers.”

All 12 of South Fork Wind’s turbines are installed and the wind farm is delivering clean power to the local Long Island electric grid, with commissioning in its final stage. The renewable energy is generated roughly 35 miles off the coast of Montauk, and will eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over the life of the project, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road for the next twenty years.

South Fork Wind is a joint development by Ørsted and Eversource Energy.

Ørsted Group EVP and CEO Americas David Hardy said, “From the first steel in the water to the final turbine, our hard-working offshore wind construction team has put South Fork Wind on the path to making American energy history. We’re incredibly proud of our dedicated project, permit and construction teams, and all those who have made this milestone possible. We’re thankful, too, for the tremendous leadership of the Biden and Hochul administrations, and for the steadfast support of the East Hampton community and beyond.” 

Eversource Energy chairman, president and CEO Joe Nolan said, “We’re incredibly proud to complete South Fork Wind, the country’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm in federal waters. Thanks to the local union workers and contractors who helped us build South Fork Wind’s transmission system and onshore substation, clean energy is flowing to the Long Island grid. Building South Fork Wind was a true regional effort and couldn’t have been realized without the support and investment in ports at ProvPort in Rhode Island and the New London State Pier in Connecticut.”

First approved by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind began construction in February 2022, beginning with the onshore export cable system that links the project to the Long Island electric grid. The wind farm reached its “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation, and its final turbine was installed in February.

South Fork Wind’s successful completion supports progress toward New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requirements to achieve 70% renewable energy by 2030 and install nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. This milestone follows Gov. Hochul’s recent announcement of two offshore wind project awards, Empire Wind I and Sunrise Wind, for over 1,730 megawatts and $2 billion in near-term economic development investments.

South Fork Wind’s turbines were staged and assembled by local union workers at State Pier in New London, Connecticut. The project’s advanced foundation components were completed by local union workers at Ørsted and Eversource’s fabrication hub at ProvPort, in Rhode Island. Its crew vessels and crew change helicopter are based out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island. South Fork Wind includes the first U.S.-built offshore wind substation, built by more than 350 U.S. workers across three states, with New York union workers supporting its installation offshore.

Long Island-based contractor Haugland Energy Group LLC (an affiliate of Haugland Group LLC), installed the underground duct bank system for South Fork Wind’s onshore transmission line and led the construction of the project’s onshore interconnection facility. LS Cable installed and jointed the onshore cables with support from Long Island’s Elecnor Hawkeye. The onshore cable scope of work alone created more than 100 union jobs for Long Island skilled trades workers. Roman Stone, also on Long Island, manufactured concrete mattresses to protect the undersea cables, and Ljungstrom, located in western New York, in partnership with Riggs Distler & Company, Inc., provided specialized structural steelwork.