CCE Launches Offshore Wind Roundtable Discussions
Image by www_slon_pics from Pixabay
Watch Now!
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Watch Now! 〰️
CCE recently sat down with panels of experts for two roundtable discussions on the importance of offshore wind for Long Island and New York State. Watch the informative discussions in the links below.
In the first roundtable, we explore the offshore wind supply chain, jobs benefits for Long Island, and ongoing education and training programs to make Long Island a national offshore wind development hub. This panel discussion led by CCE’s Adrienne Esposito, features Ryan Stanton, Executive Director of the LI Federation of Labor; Matthew Aracich, head of the Long Island Building Trades; Mariah Dignan, the Regional Director of Climate Jobs NY; and Marjaneh Issapour, the Director of Renewable Energy and Sustainability at Farmingdale State College.
Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay
The second roundtable is focused on the threat climate change poses to wildlife and the environmental benefits of offshore wind. The panel discussion was led by CCE’s Adrienne Esposito and features Julie Tighe, President of the NY League of Conservation Voters; Rob DiGiovanni, a nationally recognized expert in the field of marine mammal and sea turtle strandings who serves as President of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society; and Carl Lobue, a senior marine scientist and Director of the NY Ocean Program at The Nature Conservancy.
Enjoy the videos! If you’d like more information on offshore wind off Long Island, visit https://windworkslongisland.org/.
Background: Offshore Wind in New York State
New York is on the front lines of climate change. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and the loss of fisheries poses a real and immediate threat to our environment, coastal communities, local economy, and quality of life. The good news is that increased renewable energy production, along with efficiency measures, have successfully curbed energy demand on Long Island. As our island transitions away from fossil fuels, offshore wind will play an integral role in meeting the state’s goals of 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% carbon-free electrical generation by 2040. We cannot achieve our renewable energy goals without offshore wind, which is why the state has mandated 9,000 MW (megawatts) of offshore wind by 2035.
There are currently five offshore wind farms slated to be developed off the coast of Long Island; the South Fork Wind Farm, Beacon Wind, and Sunrise Wind off of Montauk and Empire Wind 1 and 2 off of Long Beach. These projects will generate approximately 4300 mw of offshore wind, enough to power millions of homes and transition our communities off of polluting fossil fuels. They will also drive a local offshore wind supply chain and green jobs, launching a new “windustry” for New Yorkers.