Equinor and bp have jointly bid into New York’s third offshore wind solicitation (NY3), looking to produce renewable energy from the Beacon Wind 2 lease area, located approximately 60 miles off the eastern tip of Long Island.
Capable of producing 1,360 MW, Beacon Wind 2 has the potential to power approximately 1 million New York homes, complementing the 3.3 GW of potential offshore wind generating capacity for New York State currently under development by Equinor and bp with the Empire Wind 1 and 2 and Beacon Wind 1 projects.
Beacon Wind recently purchased the site of the Astoria Gas Turbines, with the potential to bring offshore wind from Beacon Wind 1 and Beacon Wind 2 directly to New York City, transforming the site into The Astoria Gateway for Renewable Energy.
Equinor and bp’s proposal includes new manufacturing plants for producing cable components for offshore wind projects both locally and around the world. Additionally, working with offshore wind turbine manufacturers, Equinor and bp propose to support the establishment of state-of-the-art facilities to manufacture wind turbine components, such as blades and nacelles, in New York State.
If accepted, the proposal would bring Equinor and bp’s total community benefit and environmental monitoring commitments in New York to over $150 million, which includes approximately $90 million in investments in community benefits, workforce development and environmental initiatives already under way as part of the Empire 1 and 2, and Beacon 1 projects.
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
