Fed Uncertainty Prompts NYS to Halt Infrastructure Plans for Offshore Wind Farm Projects
The “January [2025] order from the Trump administration that bans new offshore wind farms,” has prompted decisions by New York State’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to halt “plans to approve up to $23.9 billion in power line projects that would plug future offshore wind farms into New York City’s electric grid” and deliver at least 4,770 megawatts of offshore wind energy generation. The project that was expected to be operational by 2033 “would have supported the state’s target of developing 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. According to the PSC’s July 17, 2025 Order Withdrawing Public Policy Transmission Need, “Burdening the ratepayers of New York State with costs of the magnitude reported by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) — $7.9 billion to $23.9 billion — without any certainty as to when they will receive the benefits of the offshore wind energy that the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) seeks to secure is unjustifiable.” However, the state’s senior communication advisor on energy and environment, Ken Lovett states, “that the state stands ready to move forward ‘when the conditions become more favorable.’” Despite Gov. Hochul’s agreement with PSC’s decision, some energy experts disagree, pointing out that the process will have to start from scratch, resulting in the loss of a couple of years as a result of the infrastructure plan withdrawal. On Thursday, July 24, an op-ed released by Gov. Hochul’s Office reiterated her commitment to securing New York’s clean energy future. The article highlighted the state beating its “2025 distributed solar goal a year ahead of schedule and having built South Fork Wind, the “nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm.” In addition, the Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind offshore wind farm projects are back on track. Although these achievements further help New York’s ability to generate clean energy, as the Governor noted, “solar only works when the sun shines, and wind turbines only spin when the weather is right;” and with that in mind, Gov. Hochul directed the New York Power Authority “to take the next step in building an advanced nuclear power plant upstate,” a bold move toward creating a fully dependable electric grid to power New York homes and the industries of tomorrow.