Empire Wind is the project name selected by Statoil for the company's offshore wind site located off the southern coast of Long Island, New York, USA. The 79 350 acre site, secured by Statoil in a federal auction in December 2016, has the potential to generate up to 1GW of offshore wind power, making it a key part of New York State's plan to deploy renewable energy sources to meet the state's electricity needs.
Statoil has also announced the launch of the Empire Wind website <www.empirewind.com> where members of the public can obtain information on the project and register to receive updates.
"The name Empire Wind captures the pivotal role that this important project will play in helping New York achieve its ambitious renewable energy goal," said Statoil's Empire Wind project director Christer af Geijerstam. "Empire Wind also speaks to the leading role that New York State is taking in advancing the deployment of offshore wind technology in North America."
Statoil is in the early stages of developing the wind farm. The project team is currently conducting an evaluation process, gathering detailed information about the seabed conditions, grid connection options and wind resources characteristic to the area.
New York's Clean Energy Standard mandates an increase in the share of renewables in its energy mix to 50 % by 2030. As part of that effort, governor Andrew Cuomo recently called for the development of up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind power by 2030.
Statoil currently has seven offshore wind projects online or under development in Europe, and recently announced its first solar investment in the 162 MW Apodi solar project in Brazil.
