Deepwater Wind proposes offshore wind, energy storage solution for Long Islands South Fork

Montauk, N.Y. – Deepwater Wind is proposing a new approach to meet the growing energy need on Long Island’s South Fork with a new offshore wind farm and two new battery energy storage systems.

In response to PSEG-Long Island’s request for new local energy resources serving the South Fork, Deepwater Wind is proposing to supply capacity and renewable energy from the 90 megawatt, 15-turbine Deepwater ONE – South Fork project. This will be the first phase of a regional offshore wind farm the company is developing roughly 30 miles southeast of Montauk, N.Y., far enough away to be over the horizon. All transmission cables will be buried deep below existing roads and under shoreline features, with no overhead cables or poles.

To complement the wind farm, Deepwater Wind is also proposing to build two new battery energy storage facilities – one in Montauk and the other in Wainscott. The facilities will consist of lithium-ion battery technology designed and installed by General Electric, one of the world’s leading energy technology firms and a global leader in energy storage. The energy storage facilities will be located on industrially zoned sites on Industrial Road in Montauk and at the Wainscott Commercial Center and will be operational by 2018. Together, the sites could store 15 megawatts of energy.

“Governor Cuomo has made New York a leader in clean energy. Our new solution supports his goals by combining advanced energy storage technology and renewable energy from offshore wind to deliver clean, cost-effective energy exactly when and where it’s most needed,” said Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski. “Not only will the project reduce air pollution emissions on Long Island, but it’ll also defer the need to build costly new power plants and transmission systems on the South Fork.”

“Our partnership with Deepwater Wind pairs proven, reliable advanced battery energy storage solutions with offshore wind energy from one of the country’s leading wind developers,” said Pratima Rangarajan, General Manager of Storage for Current, powered by GE. “Together, this solution will help the South Fork meet its energy needs in an affordable and sustainable way.”

The unique combination of renewable generation with energy storage provides a cost-effective solution to two challenges. First, by delivering clean energy directly to LIPA’s existing substation in East Hampton, this proposal serves the growing need on the South Fork without adding new oil-fired power plants or larger transmission lines.

Second, by delivering significant quantities of renewable energy to Long Island, the proposal will help to satisfy LIPA’s commitment to procure 280 MW of on-island renewable capacity; facilitate the Town of East Hampton’s Board mandate to achieve 100 percent renewable energy use by 2030; and support Governor Cuomo’s plans to mandate that half of all power used by New Yorkers be generated from renewable sources by 2030.

Construction on Deepwater ONE – South Fork could begin as early as 2019, with commercial operations by 2022. Deepwater ONE will produce enough energy to power approximately 50,000 homes, displace tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, and improve air quality on the South Fork.

In July 2013, Deepwater Wind won the 30-year lease to develop the Deepwater ONE project in federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s first-ever competitive lease auction for offshore wind covered two parcels, totaling approximately 256 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean 30 miles east of Montauk.

Deepwater ONE is an important step in moving the United States to a clean-energy future. Because of the continuing maturity of the American offshore wind industry, the project’s power price will be competitive with both traditional fossil fuel power and other clean sources of energy on the South Fork. Moreover, the wind farm will deliver power at a price significantly lower than the first generation of offshore wind farms proposed in the U.S.

Deepwater Wind designed its Deepwater ONE project using the same proven technology as the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm now under construction off the coast of Block Island, R.I. That project will be operational by the end of 2016.