Due to the increase of demand for electric power in the Hamptons, Long Island Power Authority officially passed the rights to building the nation's largest offshore wind farm, between the eastern tip of Long Island and Martha's Vineyard. The farm, will consist of 15 turbines, enabling power to 50,000 homes in the Long Island area. Deepwater wind says that this farm is their first planned of many to come in the future. This is just a start to governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to have 50% of New York's electricity derived from renewable sources by 2030. “This project will not only provide a new, reliable source of clean energy but will also create high-paying jobs, continue our efforts to combat climate change and help preserve our environment,” Mr. Cuomo said Wednesday in a statement, two weeks after he publicly called for the power authority to approve the proposal. While the project was initially proposed at $1 Billion, it is now believed to end up costing $740 Million. The turbines will connect to an East Hampton substation through a 50 mile undersea cable. Some opposition of the offshore wind farm has been brought up. For example, fisheries have shown opposition to the construction of the farm worried it will disrupt their business and consumers are weary of increase energy prices. Overall the price is calculated to add $1.19 to the average consumer's monthly energy bill. The project has been voted into action and is a fresh start for more to come in the renewable energy resource field.
This article is important because New York (specifically Long Island) is taking early steps into making wind energy a permanent resource for many people. This movement can spurt an outbreak of renewable resources used all over the United States. These companies are reducing costs to construct facilities and also finding ways to keep electricity bills low in order to make everyone happy. If this type of progress can be made throughout the US and the world, environmental issues such as global warming are bound to reduce. If costs or renewable energies remain low, then many people would see no reason to say no to nonrenewable, environment-harming energy sources. This is a huge step towards a cleaner tomorrow.
I chose this article because I saw this vote for the wind farm as a gateway to a brand new age of renewable resource use in New York. This article shows that New York is making a positive step in the environmental picture. I found it very interesting that they were able to reduce the cost of production by a fourth of the initial price, and project that the price of this clean resource will only increase the average consumer's bill by a dollar. When people think of clean, renewable energy sources, they think about how expensive it is to produce and how much extra it will cost them. This displays that prices are heading down for consumers, and the environment is becoming cleaner. This is a win-win situation and is only a taste of what's in store for New York, then the US and hopefully the entire Earth.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/business/energy-environment/long-island-power-authority-offshore-wind.html
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Created with images by NHD-INFO - "Havvindparken Sheringham Shoal (Foto: Harald Pettersen/Statoil"