New York and Denmark to work together on offshore wind

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that supports the continued cooperation regarding strategies and solutions for the development of offshore wind energy.

This agreement recognizes the shared common interest in developing offshore wind energy and reflects New York’s commitment to learn from Europe as an industry leader in offshore wind energy as a clean and sustainable energy source.

The work and learning that will result from the state’s partnerships in this area will better enable New York to fulfill Governor Cuomo’s goal to obtain 50% of the state’s electricity from renewables by 2030, and his goal of 2,400 megawatts of new offshore wind generation by 2030.

“The innovation of clean energy and the economic development of New York State are clearly tied together and by working with Denmark’s offshore wind experts, I’m looking forward to learning from their decades of experience,” said Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance. “This MOU is, yet again, another example of the commitment made by Governor Cuomo in finding innovative energy solutions that will greatly benefit New Yorkers and lead the nation in combatting climate change.”

Under the agreement, NYSERDA, which is leading the development of offshore wind on behalf of the State, and the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate will work to exchange expertise and knowledge in the development of offshore wind energy, including areas such as infrastructure, supply chain, workforce development, and procurement solutions.

This collaborative partnership will build upon the foundation of the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan, which was released earlier this year by Governor Cuomo and will guide the state in the responsible and cost-effective development of offshore wind.

Lars Christian Lilleholt, Denmark’s Minister of Energy, Utilities and Climate said, “I am very proud that Denmark has signed an MOU with New York. We are delighted to share the lessons that we have learned over the years with NYSERDA. In our experience, offshore wind provides affordable, reliable and clean energy, while creating scores of jobs and growing the economy. I hope that our collaboration will help New York to develop its abundant offshore wind energy resources.”

Denmark is one of the leading offshore wind energy producers in Europe with the third largest market for offshore wind. With world leading offshore wind industry and workforce capabilities, Denmark boasts expertise within all aspects of the offshore wind supply chain, including wind turbine producers, development and manufacturing of offshore wind farms, and maintenance.

Offshore wind energy is poised to become a major source of affordable, renewable power for New York State. Meeting New York’s 2030 offshore wind goals will result in supplying 2,400 MW of clean power for the State, enough to power 1.2 million homes.

Benefits of offshore wind include:

• Clean, locally produced power where demand is highest
• Significant investments in coastal infrastructure and communities
• The opportunity for thousands of short- and long-term skilled construction, manufacturing, and operations jobs
• Renewable energy generation close to a densely populated region
• Diversified electricity supply

New York State is working diligently to ensure that offshore wind is developed in the most responsible and cost-effective way possible. With a world-class workforce, unmatched intellectual capital, physical infrastructure and financial institutions, and national clean energy policy leadership, New York plans to become a hub for the United States’ emerging offshore wind energy industry.

“Today’s signing is another major step forward in Governor Cuomo’s relentless commitment to bringing clean renewable energy for all residents of New York State,” said Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “New York has all of the assets required to become a global hub for this emerging industry; through this collaboration, we can take the lessons learned from Europe to ensure the cost-effective and robust development of this environmentally and economically beneficial resource.”