New York State
Environmental Technical Working Group
About Us
Who We Are
Environmental Technical Working Group
The Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) is comprised of:
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New York State. Government agencies including the Energy Research and Development Authority (E-TWG Chair), the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of State.
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Advisory members. Developers with lease holdings that are geographically relevant to the State of New York; science-based environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with expertise in wildlife and offshore wind issues; and one non-partisan NGO with membership that includes both developers and environmental NGOs.
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Observers. Federal agencies, agencies from other regional states, other regional entities, and TWG liaisons. Observer members provide their expertise and technical input, coordinate with ongoing regulatory processes, and report information from group discussions back to their respective organizations, but are not directly involved in making recommendations to the State.
Current Membership
Developers:
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Atlantic Shores
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Avangrid Renewables
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Dominion Energy
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Equinor
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Invenergy
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Ørsted
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RWE Renewables Americas
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Shell New Energies
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SouthCoast Wind
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TotalEnergies US Renewables
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Vineyard Wind
Environmental NGOs:​
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National Audubon Society
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National Wildlife Federation
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Natural Resources Defense Council
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The Nature Conservancy
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Wildlife Conservation Society
Nonpartisan NGOs:
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New York Offshore Wind Alliance
State Government:
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New York State Energy Research & Development Authority
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Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection
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Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control
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Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
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Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
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Massachusetts Dept. of State
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New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
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New York Dept. of State
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New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection
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New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
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North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
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Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality
Federal Government:​
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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
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National Marine Fisheries Service
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Regional Entities/Liaisons:​
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Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative
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Fisheries Technical Working Group
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Past Membership
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Audubon New York
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Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council
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US Wind
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​Specialist Committees
Specialist Committees (SCs) address issues that the E-TWG has designated as priorities. Committee products, along with E-TWG input on those products, inform decision-making by New York state agencies. SCs include both E-TWG and non-E-TWG members with relevant expertise. Current specialist committees include:
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Frequently Asked Questions about wildlife and offshore wind
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Regional coordination through State of the Science workshops
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Past SCs have produced:
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Guidance for regional-scale research and monitoring of wildlife and offshore wind in the eastern United States;
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Guidance for pre- and post-construction monitoring to detect macro-to meso-scale changes in avian distributions and habitat use in relation to offshore wind development;
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A scientific research framework for studying offshore wind impacts on birds and bats;
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Best practices for minimization and mitigation of offshore wind impacts to 1) birds and bats and 2) marine mammals and sea turtles.
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Support Staff
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BRI (led by Kate Williams and Julia Gulka) provides technical support, coordination, and management for the E-TWG and committees
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The Consensus Building Institute and Cadmus provide meeting preparation and facilitation services
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NYSERDA provides financial, event planning, and other support as needed, and coordinates between the E-TWG and other New York Technical Working Groups
Photo credits: White-winged Scoter © Daniel Poleschook