Resources

NYSERDA Resources

New York Offshore Wind Corridor Constraints Assessment (2023)

NYSERDA is conducting an Offshore Wind Cable Corridor Constraints Assessment to better understand siting offshore wind cables in New York State waters, at landfall, and along overland routes. The Assessment coordinates the analysis and evaluation of potential resource constraints, including natural and environmental, socioeconomic, and infrastructure, within corridor segments to support future decision making and policy development to achieve New York State’s goals and mandates and allow for commercial innovation. The Assessment may inform what actions New York State can consider, helping ensure maximum benefits of renewable OSW energy while minimizing conflicts and impacts on activities and infrastructure. Finally, the Assessment includes coordination with New York State agencies and ongoing and earnest engagement with key stakeholders. View the webinar here.  View Assessment Report. 

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Great Lakes Wind Energy Feasibility Study (2023)

 NYSERDA filed the New York State Great Lakes Wind Energy Feasibility Study and supporting technical reports as directed by the New York State Public Service Commission’s October 15, 2020 Order. The report provides additional analysis around the role of Great Lakes wind projects in the context of New York State’s renewable energy portfolio and pathways to reach New York’s Climate Act goals, with consideration of existing and emerging technologies for fixed and floating turbines, new technology development, geospatial conditions, resource assessment, regulatory processes, permitting requirements and risks, potential conflicts, costs and economic opportunities, electrical infrastructure, and overall cost-reduction pathways for Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The report concludes that Great Lakes wind development is expected to cost more than other competing renewable energy options and highlights other considerations and data gaps that introduce risk and uncertainty to cost estimates, project development certainty, interconnection opportunities, and resources. 
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Guiding Principles for Offshore Wind: Stakeholder Engagement (2021)

New York’s four offshore wind Technical Working Groups (TWGs) play a key role in the state’s offshore wind stakeholder engagement by facilitating dialogue and decision making. Based in part on the operation of the TWGs, NYSERDA has outlined ten Guiding Principles to serve as a framework for approaching stakeholder engagement more broadly to inform offshore wind energy development for New York State. These include promoting collaboration, diversity, and inclusivity, and being open, transparent, and accountable. The Environmental TWG (E-TWG) will continue to adhere closely to these principles as it supports environmentally responsible advancement of offshore wind. NYSERDA now also requires offshore wind developers to submit Stakeholder Engagement Plans that are in line with these Guiding Principles as part of all future solicitations. Learn More

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Wildlife Data Standardization and Sharing: Environmental Data Transparency for New York State Offshore
Wind Energy (2021)

As the offshore wind energy industry continues to develop in the U.S., and increasing resources are channeled into environmental monitoring, well-considered data collection, coordination, and dissemination are becoming increasingly important. This report is intended to facilitate transparency and sharing of non-proprietary environmental data for offshore wind energy development, including projects selling power to New York State, by reviewing key wildlife-focused databases to which data owners can submit their raw data or derived data products. Focused efforts will make the submitted data as useful and accessible for future analyses, create future efficiencies, and ensure decision-makers have the best information available to manage this growing industry. Download here.

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New York Offshore Wind Phase Two Procurement (2021)

Through the state’s second statewide offshore wind solicitation, New York selected two offshore wind projects, Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind (Equinor Wind US LLC). Combined, these offshore wind projects will yield a combined 2,490 MW of clean energy, representing the largest procurement of renewable energy by a state in U.S. history. These projects will play a large role in New York reaching its goal of 70 percent renewable energy by 2030. Learn more

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New York State Strategic Outlook (2020-2023)

Under Former Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal, New York adopted a clean energy agenda calling for 100% clean power by 2040. As the primary clean energy agency in New York, NYSERDA leads the way in implementing the State's clean energy policy agenda. NYSERDA's Strategic Plan Toward a Clean Energy Future: A Strategic Outlook 2020-2023 includes a mission outcome around renewable energy, with a strong focus on offshore wind energy development. Download here. Find the previous 2019-2022 report here.

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New York State Offshore Wind Solicitation (2020)

In July 2020, New York issued its second competitive solicitation to buy up to 2,500 megawatts of energy from new offshore wind projects. The solicitation includes Environmental and Fisheries Mitigation Plans with new requirements to mitigate potential impacts from noise, vessel strikes, and lighting, as well as a provision for financial and technical support to regional monitoring of wildlife and key commercial fish stocks through a minimum contribution of $10,000 per megawatt. Appendix E in the solicitation describes the required elements of the Environmental Mitigation Plan.
Download Solicitation | Download Appendix E

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The Dynamic Ocean: Offshore Wind Energy and Other Activities in the New York Bight (2019)

Offshore wind in the U.S. is being introduced into a highly dynamic and human-influenced system. NYSERDA has developed a 20-page public report that summarizes the environmental impacts of offshore wind and other human activities in the marine environment of the New York Bight, and reviews the state's approaches for understanding and minimizing conflicts among human uses while protecting natural resources. Download Report

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Launching New York's Offshore Wind Industry: Phase 1 Report (2019)

In October 2019, NYSERDA submitted a report to the New York State Department of Public Service documenting the results of New York's first large-scale offshore wind solicitation. The report details the procurement process and contracting and also highlights the ways in which the process was both successful and innovative, such as the inclusion of Fisheries and Environmental Mitigation Plans. Draft Environmental Mitigation Plans (EMPs) for each project are included in this report, finalization of which will involve Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) consultation.

Download Full Report | Download Sunrise Wind EMP | Download Empire Wind EMP

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New York State Environmental and Fisheries Research Program (2019)

In August 2019, NYSERDA announced their support of five independent research projects, selected through a competitive proposal process. These studies will improve the scientific and technical foundation for the development of offshore wind and stakeholder-identified environmental and fisheries concerns. The five projects are focused on topics including ecosystem dynamics, commercial fishing access, pre- and post-construction monitoring, and the use of non-traditional data to inform decision making. Learn more

 

New York Offshore Wind Phase One Procurement (2019)

Through the state’s first statewide offshore wind solicitation, ORECRFP18-1, New York selected two offshore wind projects with a total planned capacity of 1,696 megawatts, enough to power more than one million New York homes. The two projects are Empire Wind (Equinor US Holdings, Inc.) and Sunrise Wind (Bay State Wind LLC, a joint venture of Ørsted A/S and Eversource Energy). Learn more

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New York State Offshore Wind Solicitation (2018)

In November 2018, New York issued a competitive solicitation to buy 800 megawatts (MW) or more of energy from new offshore wind projects. The solicitation addressed the interests of ocean users such as commercial and recreational fishing and environmental stakeholders by requiring mitigation plans, which will be informed by New York’s technical working groups. Appendix E in the solicitation describes the required elements of the Environmental Mitigation Plan.

Download Solicitation | Download Appendix E

 

New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan (2018)

NYSERDA and other state agencies spent two years developing the Offshore Wind Master Plan. The Plan utilized data from 20 different studies, as well as stakeholder and public feedback, to identify strategies for offshore wind energy development that consider environmental, maritime, economic, and social issues while addressing market barriers and aiming to lower costs. It also committed the State to future efforts to advance offshore wind, including continued public engagement, research activities, and the convening of technical working groups.

Download Master Plan | Download 2-Page Summary

 

NYSERDA Environmental Research Program Plan: Marine Wind and Wildlife Final Report (2015)

This research plan for the NYSERDA Environmental Research Program was developed with input from state and federal regulators, academia, nonprofit organizations, industry, and other stakeholders. It identified immediate environmental information gaps and research needs for marine wind energy development offshore of New York State. Download here

 

Advancing Environmentally Responsible Development of Offshore Wind in New York: Final Report (2015)

This document informed and advanced the responsible offshore wind energy development for New York State, focusing on environmental issues and regulation. Objectives were to describe the current landscape for federal and State environmental and permitting regulations related to offshore wind development in New York State, and to summarize stakeholder perspectives on how to improve or clarify those regulations. Download here

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