New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill to speed up an offshore wind project off the coast of Long Island and permit a transmission line beneath the public beach in Long Beach.
In her veto message, Hochul emphasized the importance for renewable energy developers to nurture strong relationships with their host communities. She noted that the City Council of Long Beach, the host community for the wind power project, explicitly stated its support for the state’s transition away from fossil fuels but opposed any encroachment on parkland.
Although clean energy advocates were disappointed by the veto, residents of Long Beach have concerns about the potential disruption caused by the power transmission line passing through the center of town and the beach. Long Beach City Council President John Bendo explained that the cost of operating the beach in the summer is already high, and they depend on tourist revenue to sustain it.
Environmental advocates perceive the governor’s veto as a sign that she is not willing to fight harder to meet the state’s climate goals. Alex Beauchamp, the regional director for Food & Water Watch, argued that if we are serious about building renewable energy projects, we need to show more determination.
The transmission line was an integral part of the extensive Empire Wind project, planned approximately 20 miles off the coast of Long Island. Developers estimated that it would consist of around 130 turbines and generate 2.1 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power one million homes.
Bendo criticized wind developer Equinor for failing to address the community’s concerns. He revealed that they had pleaded with the company to engage with residents and explain the benefits of the project to them, but Equinor disregarded their requests.
Equinor did not respond to questions about community engagement, instead accusing New York of undermining the state’s renewable energy mandate in an email statement from President Molly Morris. Morris referred to recent unsuccessful attempts to renegotiate future power sales contracts.
Both the failed contract renegotiation and the veto have cast doubt on the future of the Long Beach wind project. Ari Brown, a Republican state assemblymember, believes that this veto effectively kills the project, as finding an alternative solution that avoids landfall and moves further out to sea is not economically feasible for the company.
