Long Island – New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative to Pursue Ocean Floor/Wildlife Surveys

Expects to Issue RFP Next Spring

New York, NY The Long Island – New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative, represented by energy utilities and a host of New York State and New York City agencies, announced today that consultants will soon begin “pre-development activities,” such as desktop studies of the ocean’s wind, wave and wildlife environment, as part of an effort to develop what could be the largest offshore wind farm proposal in the country.

Approximately 30 wind developers and firms responded to the Collaborative’s (www.linycoffshorewind.com) Request for Information (RFI) issued on July 1, signaling substantial interest in developing a wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean, 13 nautical miles off the south shore of the Rockaway Peninsula.

The Collaborative expects to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in the Spring of 2010. The RFP will seek proposals from private development firms to build the project and enter into agreements to sell the clean energy it produces. The wind project would likely be designed for 350 megawatts (MW) of generation, with the ability to expand up to 700 MW.

Meanwhile, the Collaborative will enlist engineers and scientists to embark on conducting desktop studies of the proposed project site, which will help guide ocean floor surveying, as well as wildlife migration patterns, to help further evaluate the feasibility of the project.

The collaborative consists of:

Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
Con Edison
New York Power Authority (NYPA)
The City of New York/New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

The New York State Department of State, Department of Environmental Conservation and Office of General Services are also participating by providing the Collaborative with input and guidance.

The concept for the offshore wind project emanated from Governor David A. Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force and is consistent with the Governor’s “45 by 15” program, which establishes the goal for New York State to meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by the year 2015. The offshore wind project is also aligned with City of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York City 30 percent by 2030. The project would significantly boost the installed capacity of renewable energy in New York City and provide clean energy to thousands of City households, businesses and public institutions.

A transmission interconnection study by the Collaborative concluded that an interconnection for up to 700 MW of wind power, located at a proposed location in the Atlantic Ocean, would be feasible with upgrades to the current transmission systems. An application to interconnect the offshore wind project has been filed with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) for up to 700 MW by 2015.

Members of the Collaborative reiterated a strong desire to help implement the plan and some expressed an interest to purchase clean renewable energy from the project. NYPA and NYSERDA indicated they would be able to lend technical support by way of consultants working with each agency on wind power projects. NYSERDA also indicated the possibility of funding being made available from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative aimed at advancing clean, renewable energy projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

The New York State Department of State and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will offer general information on the planning and regulatory aspects of the project.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2010, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State for frequency of service interruptions, and ranked second for duration of service interruptions. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

Media Contact Information
Mark Gross
Phone - (516) 719-9892
Media Pager - (516) 229-7248
media.relations@lipower.org

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