Last December, Deepwater Wind proposed an offshore wind farm to LIPA. The facility would be a 15-turbine 90-megawatt array about 30 miles off the coast of Montauk and 20 miles off Rhode Island. This area is touted by the company as the best site for wind energy in the eastern United States. Last week, LIPA recommended approval of the project to its board of directors .
There's a growing need for power on the South Fork. The Deepwater proposal would include two large batteries to store power when it's not needed by the grid, but the good thing about wind power is that when demand in the area is at its peak, during summer, wind power is also at its peak.
East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell said in a statement that "Deepwater Wind's project was an integral part of the town board's plan when it unanimously adopted the town's 100-percent renewable energy goals. . . . The town's policy is paving the way for renewables, wind, solar, and conservation to become a real alternative to massive transmission lines and greenhouse-gas-emitting fossil fuels."
What we want to know are the details of the power purchasing agreement. Forbes (admittedly not the most green-friendly of publications) says Deepwater Wind will receive 24.4 cents per kwh from Rhode Island for its Block Island wind farm, "more than twice the wholesale price that National Grid pays for electricity now." What we Long Islanders will pay has not been released.
- Another Offshore Wind Farm Proposed 30 Miles from Montauk [CH]
- Is America's First Offshore Wind Farm A Real Revolution Or Just Another Green Boondoggle? [Forbes]
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