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New York State is conditionally awarding contracts for three offshore wind farms, less than two weeks after regulators rejected requests from competing projects that sought higher rates.
The three contracts are part of a sweeping set of awards that also includes 22 onshore renewable-energy projects and will lead to the installation of as much as 6.4 gigawatts of clean energy, according to an October 24 statement. That’s expected to be enough to power 2.6 million homes.
New York has some of the most ambitious climate goals in the U.S., and the measures announced October 24 are an important step in its plan to get 70% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. However, the state is facing hurdles after costs for installing wind turbines at sea surged by 48%, likely threatening some existing contracts.
Read more: Biden Administration Pledges $72M Towards Wind, Water Energy Technologies
New York is aiming to have 9 gigawatts of offshore wind power in service by 2035. The three offshore wind projects announced October 24 — which are south of Long Island and total more than 4 gigawatts of capacity — are:
They’re all expected to go into service in 2030, and the average all-in development cost over the life of the contracts is $96.72 per megawatt-hour.
That would help meet President Joe Biden’s goal of having 30 gigawatts of U.S. offshore wind in service by 2030. That target is increasingly seen as under threat, especially after regulators in New York rejected this month’s requests from developers that were seeking to renegotiate existing contracts for different projects with about 4 gigawatts of capacity.
The state will also provide $300 million to help build two factories that will supply blades and nacelles for offshore wind turbines, though the sites will require an additional $668 million of private investment.
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