Labor groups in New York signed a groundbreaking agreement with the developer of the state’s first offshore wind port, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. This agreement aims to support local hiring and union jobs, as the terminal is set to become a crucial staging area for America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farms. Despite the US currently receiving very little electricity from offshore wind, the resource has the potential to meet a significant portion of the nation’s power needs by 2050. The development of offshore wind farms off the east coast is a key aspect of the Biden administration’s efforts to transition the country to clean energy, with a focus on creating good jobs as part of that transition.
The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal will be transformed into a port facility dedicated to offshore wind, where turbine components can be staged and assembled before installation at sea. The terminal will also serve as a connection to the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Long Island. The port will house a substation for Empire Wind 1 and be a hub for maintenance work. Empire Wind 1 is expected to be fully operational by 2027, with construction at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal set to begin soon. The agreement with Equinor, the developer of Empire Wind 1, is said to lead to 1,000 union construction jobs at the terminal and hundreds of long-term jobs once construction is finished, with a focus on hiring locally, including veterans and residents of public housing in the surrounding neighborhood of Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Advocates in Sunset Park have long pushed for the redevelopment of the waterfront to create clean energy jobs. Equinor’s agreement with the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Vicinity ensures the promotion of diversity in hiring practices, including engagement with minority-owned, women-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. While Equinor has paused development on another large project, Empire Wind 2, due to economic factors beyond their control, the commitment to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal project remains strong. Equinor aims to renegotiate agreements at higher rates to account for inflation, high interest rates, and supply chain disruptions affecting projects across the US.
New York is leading the way in offshore wind development, with five projects currently in the works. The South Fork Wind project, developed by Ørsted and Eversource, recently began delivering electricity to Long Island from its first operational turbine. This marks the first utility-scale wind farm to power up in federal waters, a significant milestone in the state’s transition to renewable energy. Despite challenges facing the offshore wind industry, including economic uncertainties and supply chain disruptions, Equinor and labor groups in New York remain committed to the development of clean energy infrastructure and the creation of jobs in the state.