About Us

Who We Are

Environmental Technical Working Group

The Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) is comprised of:

  • 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.

  • Observers. Federal agencies, as well as state agencies from New York and other regional states. 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:

  • Avangrid Renewables

  • EDF Renewables

  • Equinor

  • Ørsted

  • Shell New Energies

  • US Wind

  • Vineyard Wind

Environmental NGOs:

  • Audubon New York

  • National Audubon

  • National Wildlife Federation

  • Natural Resources Defense Council

  • The Nature Conservancy

  • Wildlife Conservation Society

Nonpartisan NGOs:

  • New York Offshore Wind Alliance

State Government:

  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

  • Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environ. Protection

  • Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control

  • Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

  • Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources

  • Massachusetts Dept. of State

  • New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation

  • New York Dept. of State

  • New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection

  • New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

  • Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality

Federal Government:​

  • Bureau Of Ocean Energy Management

  • National Marine Fisheries Service

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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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 are focused on:

  • Developing guidance for the minimization and mitigation of offshore wind energy impacts to focal taxa

    • Birds and bats

    • Marine mammals and sea turtles

  • Developing a scientific research framework for the study of offshore wind impacts on birds and bats

  • Regional coordination through State of the Science workshops

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Support Staff

  • BRI (led by Kate Williams and Julia Gulka) provides technical support, coordination, and management for the E-TWG    and committees

  • The Consensus Building Institute and Cadmus provide meeting preparation and facilitation services

  • 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