US FERC Approves 810 MW Offshore Wind Project To Connect Into NYC Grid

US FERC Approves 810 MW Equinor Offshore Wind Project To Connect Into NYC Grid

Equinor announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the US approved on March 1 the Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA) executed between the company’s Empire Wind 1 project, New York ISO (NYISO) and Consolidated Edison Company of New York. The announcement marks the first FERC approval for any offshore wind project to connect directly to the New York City transmission system.

FERC’s approval allows the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project to connect through the Sunset Park Onshore Substation at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) into the New York City electrical grid at Con Edison’s Gowanus substation, delivering 810 megawatts of reliable renewable power, according to a press release by Equinor.

“The execution of the LGIA is a key milestone for Empire Wind and for New York City,” said Teddy Muhlfelder, vice president of Equinor Renewables Americas. “This federal approval marks the culmination of a years-long process under NYISO and is another important step in allowing Equinor to advance a project that will connect offshore renewable power to Brooklyn and into hundreds of thousands of New York homes.”

On FERC approval Walter Alvarado said, “Con Edison is building the grid of the future to provide our customers with reliable, renewable, clean energy,” said Walter Alvarado, vice president, Con Edison System and Transmission Operation. “We are pleased to continue our work with the team from Empire Wind 1 to connect this project to our grid and bring the first offshore wind energy to our customers in New York City.”

This announcement is the latest in a series of achievements for Empire Wind 1, which was selected as a provisional winner in New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation (NY4) on February 29. The project also received approval of its federal Construction and Operations Plan from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management last month, and the New York Public Service Commission issued the project’s Article VII Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need in December 2023.

“Empire Wind stands to play a critical role in establishing New York as a world-class hub for the offshore wind industry, including the transformation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into an offshore wind industry assembly facility, as well as an operations and maintenance (O&M) base,” the company said in its media statement.