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In a significant move towards bolstering clean energy initiatives, the Biden-Harris administration has approved the Empire Wind offshore wind project, marking the sixth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project greenlit under President Biden’s leadership. This announcement aligns with the administration’s ambitious target of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by the year 2030.
Empire Wind US LLC is the driving force behind the proposed development of two offshore wind facilities, denominated as Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2. The designated lease area is situated approximately 12 nautical miles south of Long Island, New York, and about 16.9 nautical miles east of Long Branch, New Jersey. The combined scope of these projects encompasses up to 147 wind turbines, boasting a total capacity of 2,076 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) estimates that this capacity can effectively supply the energy needs of more than 700,000 homes annually. Throughout the construction phase, the projects are projected to create over 830 jobs each year, with approximately 300 jobs anticipated during the operational phase.
Secretary Deb Haaland emphasized, “Under President Biden’s leadership, the American offshore wind industry is continuing to expand rapidly — creating good-paying union jobs across the manufacturing, shipbuilding and construction sectors. Today’s approval of the sixth offshore wind project adds to the significant progress towards our Administration’s clean energy goals. Together with the labour community, industry, Tribes, and partners from coast to coast, we will continue to expand clean energy development in a manner that will benefit communities, strengthen our nation’s energy security, and address climate change.”
BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein acknowledged the collaborative efforts that have contributed to reaching the Administration’s goal, stating, “BOEM and our partners have already achieved so much in pursuit of the Administration’s goal of reaching 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. Extensive engagement with Tribes, other government partners, ocean users, concerned citizens, and more has helped us to avoid or reduce user conflicts while facilitating the responsible development of offshore wind projects. We look forward to continuing our work with them as we move this industry forward.”
The administration’s broader economic strategy, encapsulated in Bidenomics and the President’s Investing in America agenda, aims to stimulate the American economy inclusively. This approach encompasses initiatives ranging from the reconstruction of national infrastructure to driving over half a trillion dollars in new private-sector manufacturing and clean energy investments within the United States.
Since the commencement of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has approved the nation’s first six commercial-scale offshore wind energy projects. BOEM’s offshore wind lease auctions have generated almost $5.5 billion in high bids, including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and New Jersey and groundbreaking sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Efforts are underway to explore further opportunities for offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Maine and offshore Oregon, as well as the U.S. Central Atlantic coast.
