Clean Energy Advocates Call for Long Island Offshore Wind

Clean energy advocates are calling on the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) to give serious consideration in securing an offshore wind project for Long Island. LIPA recently released information regarding its RFP for an additional 2,500 megawatts. Stakeholders were excited to learn that offshore wind is part of the mix of responses.

“Massive oil spills, rising gasoline prices, and poor air quality can all be attributed to our addiction to harmful polluting fossil fuels. The time to act is NOW. Clean, stable, renewable wind energy is a much needed part of Long Island’s next energy mix. LIPA needs to advance large-scale wind to help us meet our clean energy goals,” stated Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

“This is the perfect opportunity for LIPA to begin to repower Long Island’s antiquated fleet of polluting power plants with clean 21st century technology at predictable prices,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of the not-for-profit group Renewable Energy Long Island. “Investing in renewable energy sources with known long-term cost makes much more sense than committing unknown amounts of ratepayer dollars to 20 year power purchase contracts for price-volatile fossil fueled power supplies,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island.

Unfortunately, NY has fallen behind in advancing large-scale renewable wind energy. Surrounding states such as New Jersey and Rhode Island are taking aggressive steps to site offshore wind projects. Long Island’s fuel mix is mostly oil and natural gas. Clean renewable energies, such as wind power, will work to stabilize rates and diversify fuel mix. Large scale offshore wind is needed to reach state-mandated clean energy goals.

“In order to reduce our carbon footprint and dependence on fossil fuels it is essential that we integrate renewable energy into Long Island’s energy mix. An environmentally acceptable competitively priced offshore wind project connected to the power grid should be seriously considered,” said Robert Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University.