Climate Jobs NY Public Comment on the South Fork Wind Project

October 28, 2020

VIA ELECTRONIC DELIVERY
Honorable Anthony Belsito
Administrative Law Judge
New York State Department of Public Service Three Empire Plaza Albany, New York 12233-1350

Re: Case 18-T-0604 – Application of Deepwater Wind South Fork, LLC for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for the Construction of Approximately 3.5 Miles (3.1 Nautical Miles) (138 kilovolt [kV]) of Submarine Export Cable from the New York State Territorial Waters Boundary to the South Shore of the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County and Approximately 4.1 Miles (138 kV) of Terrestrial Export Cable from the South Shore of the Town of East Hampton to an Interconnection Facility with an Interconnection Cable Connecting to the Existing East Hampton Substation, in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County

Dear Judge Belsito:

Climate Jobs NY (CJNY) is a broad and growing statewide coalition of labor unions representing more than 2.6 million working New Yorkers. Our mission is to advocate for a clean energy economy at the scale climate science demands, create good union jobs, and support more equitable communities and a more resilient New York.

I am writing regarding the Joint Proposal (JP) submitted on September 17, 2020 in this proceeding. After nearly a year of in-person and virtual correspondence between the parties, South Fork Wind submitted the JP. While the JP does not deviate significantly from the original design, location or operations that was submitted in 2018, this JP provides additional mitigation efforts to address local community concerns. Climate Jobs NY supports the JP and urges the approval of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to allow the construction, maintenance and operation of the 138 kilovolt (kV) export cable that will bring clean renewable energy into Long Island’s grid.

The JP’s additional mitigation efforts include construction, environmental, and fishery concerns of local residents, businesses and mariners. To highlight a few of the provisions, there is a commitment to maintain access to Wainscott Beach during construction for pedestrians, emergency vehicles, etc; a commitment to limit construction activities to the off-season months; a comprehensive fisheries compensation plan; and town and community notice and construction monitoring requirements.

The Beach Lane route mitigates community and environmental impacts as demonstrated in numerous geotechnical field surveys, samplings, and studies both on land and in the water. This route and related infrastructure upgrades will increase the resilience of Long Island’s transmission infrastructure and inject clean, renewable energy into the grid. This is the clear option to responsibly develop offshore wind energy. It is worth highlighting that the East Hampton Trustees have unanimously approved the JP and five NYS agencies have invested extensive time and expertise in this process and have also signed onto this agreement. Overall, the JP clearly demonstrates a methodical and thoughtful approach to working with the community to actualize New York’s first offshore wind project.

Offshore wind power is central to the clean energy economy of the future, and Long Island is poised to take a leading role in its development. Governor Cuomo has set a nation-leading goal of 9,000 megawatts of electricity from OSW by the year 2035, New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) has mandated that 70 percent of New York’s electricity generation come from renewable energy by 2030, and at least three major OSW projects are to be sited off Long Island shores. These projects offer significant opportunity for economic development and the creation of good union green jobs, and they will help establish a foothold for Long Island in what will be a major industry in the near future—all while playing an important role in combating climate change. The three currently awarded projects are projected to create more than 1,600 new jobs and generate $3.2 billion in private investment.

The South Fork Wind project is crucial in serving a local demand for energy. It is also New York’s inaugural offshore wind project and sets the stage for offshore wind development in NYS. A timely result will provide confidence to the industry that New York is open for business. It is exactly the type of project needed to promote a green economic recovery. We urge that the Commission adopt the JP and associated documents without modification and move the project forward without additional delays.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully submitted,

Mariah Dignan
Long Island Organizer
Climate Jobs NY