Biden administration approves major wind project off the coast of New York, New Jersey

The Biden administration is going forward with its plan to deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, despite recent setbacks in the industry.

The administration on Tuesday announced the approval of another major offshore wind project, the sixth under President Joe Biden.

The two-phase Empire Wind project, planned off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, will consist of 147 wind turbines producing 2,076 megawatts of electricity under the right wind conditions. The first phase of the project is expected to enter operation in 2026, with the second portion going online in 2027.

The project, which will spread across 80,000 acres of ocean, is being developed by Equinor and BP.

Last October, the two companies, along with others, had asked New York state officials to renegotiate contracts on the Empire Project, after the companies were hit with record inflation, supply chain issues and interest rate hikes.

New York turned them down over concerns about increasing rate payers’ energy bills, which were already some of the highest in the country.

“Empire Wind is a defining project for New York and we continue our work to connect with communities and realize the project’s potential of providing reliable renewable power, creating jobs and spurring economic development,” Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables America said in a statement on the administration’s approval of the project.