Jan 22, 2021 | News Story

Climate Jobs NY Update: East Hampton’s Decision to Approve the Beach Lane Cable Route for the South Fork Wind Project Will Help Propel Offshore Wind Development on Long Island

The Town Board's approval of the Host Community Agreement and easement for the Beach Lane route to site the offshore wind transmission cable is a crucial step forward in New York’s progress to harness 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy. Supervisor Van Scoyoc, the Town Board, Ørsted/Eversource, NYS agencies and other parties thoroughly vetted cable route options via environmental studies, surveys, and community engagement to put Long Island on a path towards utilizing offshore wind power. We are now one step closer in leading the green energy economy and putting thousands of New Yorkers to work with good union jobs.

The Beach Lane route mitigates community and environmental impacts as demonstrated in numerous geotechnical field surveys, samplings, and studies both on land and in the water. This route and related infrastructure upgrades will increase the resilience of Long Island’s transmission infrastructure and inject clean, renewable energy into the grid. This is the clear option to responsibly develop offshore wind energy.

“The resolutions passed today are momentum-drivers for responsible offshore wind development," said Mariah Dignan, Long Island Organizer for Climate Jobs NY. "Supervisor Van Scoyoc and the Town Board demonstrated their leadership by taking action on the climate crisis and set the stage for a robust offshore wind industry in New York that will create thousands of good union jobs and invest tens of millions into our community.”