Wind Farms Fan the Flames of Discontent

The Federal Government is beginning the environmental review process for an offshore wind farm with a 200-mile power cable that will traverse the length of Long Island Sound. Public comments and concerns will be heard throughout the month of July with a variety of in-person and Zoom meetings. The catch is that these meetings are not in Suffolk County where the project will be located, with one in Bayside, Queens and the other in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Not even six days into July, concerns over the project are being voiced by Long Islanders.

Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, a Montauk industry group, has said of the project, “It will affect so many different fishermen at such a level that normally use those waters.” Brady believes the Feds underestimated the amount of traffic and fishing that would occur over the electrical lines, which in some areas would be covered with rocks if drilling below the Sound’s surface was not feasible. The fear is that trawling and clamming and whelk trapping will be negatively impacted as their nets and traps will be damaged not only from the exposed cable but from the concrete and rocks projected to be used to cover the cables on the bottom of the sound and the south shore of the island. “It’s a danger to fishermen, and it’s a taking of grounds without adequate compensation,” Brady said. Riverhead commercial fisherman Phil Karlin feels powerless when faced with the possibility of having to cross the cable and potentially face damages to his ship and fishing equipment. “That probably would interfere with our fishing. It doesn’t sound like it’s very good for us, but we can’t do much about it."

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Supporters of the project only see positives for New Yorkers, as wind and renewable energy is widely seen by climate activists as a crucial step in saving the planet from the negatives of carbon emissions. Orstead America is a renewable energy company that helps fund and promote renewable energy projects around the United States. Allison Ziogas, Orsted head of labor relations said of Beacon I & II, “Concrete, steel, electrical, we're leveraging those core skill sets towards building up this industry. We're going to see a tremendous opportunity in a number of jobs that are coming along with the transition to renewable energy.” Long time Wainscott resident Michael Hansen is also hopeful of the project, “Knowing that there'll be wind power for their future is what makes me happy. You can feel it [wind] on your face right now. We have this renewable resource.” CEO of LIPA Tom Falcone is excited about the cost reduction for Long Island families. “Offshore wind will probably provide 25% of the state's electricity within the next 10 to 15 years. So it's a massive, renewable clean source of energy at affordable prices.”

Beacon Wind I, the first phase of the project, will connect to the New York grid at Bayside, Queens, via a 202-nautical mile cable located on the South Shore of the island. The project will power one million homes in New York with its 1,230-megawatt output. The second stage of the project will have a 1200-megawatt output and run through the Long Island Sound, connecting to the Beacon I cable. Beacon I and Beacon II would fully surround Long Island on its North and South shores.

If you would like to attend the last in-person meeting, it will be in Queens on Thursday, July 20, 2023, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Adria Conference Center Ballroom, 221-17 Northern Blvd., Queens, NY 11361-3600. There will also be an online meeting on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. You can find more information regarding the online meeting at www.bowman.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/beacon-wind.