In partnership with mission-driven urban planning and strategy consulting firm Karp Strategies, report includes insights from interviews with individuals representing a range of community interests, including environmental justice organizations, developers, and government agencies
Projects set to generate power for 4 million homes will require at least 8 transmission pathways through 15 different communities including Brookhaven, LI, Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Ocean City, NJ
New York, NY – With eight unique offshore wind projects in New York and New Jersey under development that are set to deliver 8,100 megawatts (MW) of energy by late 2030 that could potentially offset up to 7 million tons of CO2 per year, a new report from Regional Plan Association (RPA) and Karp Strategies analyzes how energy transmission, from offshore infrastructure to the mainland grid, could impact communities and why ensuring stakeholder collaboration, equity, and neighborliness are vital to a seamless implementation process.
The report, entitled Making Offshore Wind Transmission Work for Communities, comes as the New York – New Jersey metropolitan region faces increasing demands for electricity, which are only forecast to grow as population and development increase, buildings and vehicles switch to electric fuel, and the impacts of climate change worsen. With one project recently making landfall in East Hampton, Long Island, the region’s current contingent of offshore wind projects will require at least eight additional cable landings with transmission pathways through 15 known communities, necessitating a thoughtful, multi-stakeholder approach to work with each affected community towards successful implementation. Because local approval for these activities is required, communities in the transmission pathway are becoming the focal points for both support and opposition, making these communities and the process of implementing offshore wind transmission critically important. The report identifies risks and opportunities as development progresses and both states continue to pursue ambitious climate resilience and environmental justice policies.
“New York and New Jersey have become national leaders in offshore wind development and are paving the way for more renewable, climate-friendly energy sources,” said Robert Freudenberg, RPA’s Vice President for Energy and Environmental Programs. “But in order to make these projects as successful as possible, we need to leverage shared goals among stakeholders in and around coastal communities to minimize disruption and maximize benefits at the local level. The actions we take in the coming years will allow us to remain at the forefront of confronting the climate crisis.”
WBE/DBE/SBE-certified urban planning and strategy consultancy Karp Strategies partnered with RPA on the report. Karp Strategies provided analysis and recommendations based on its extensive work with leading offshore wind entities in the tri-state region and Northeast US — including city and state agencies, developers, and workforce development organizations — and facilitated introductions with a variety of stakeholders toward a holistic understanding of what transmission means for host communities.
“The success of offshore wind hinges on authentic community and economic development partnerships with the coastal neighborhoods that will be most immediately impacted. As we build this rapidly growing industry, we have a unique opportunity to ground our offshore wind infrastructure in the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Rebecca Karp, Founding Principal and CEO of Karp Strategies. “One clear thread that has emerged from our experience and conversations with industry stakeholders is that engagement with communities doesn’t just mean holding a public meeting — but also conducting the hard economic analysis to shape equitable projects that deliver local jobs and offer pathways for green workforce development.”
The tri-state region’s first offshore wind facility is scheduled to begin operation at the end of 2023, part of a total 8,1000 MW of offshore wind energy currently in the pipeline – enough to power 4 million homes – by 2030. New Jersey and New York continue to be impacted by the worsening effects of climate change with Hurricane Ida most recently devastating the states and causing billions of dollars of damage in 2021. Implementing offshore wind projects will help curb carbon emissions and allow the region to transition to more renewable energy sources while simultaneously matching increasing energy demand. Together, New York and New Jersey have committed to 20,000 MW of offshore wind energy to help meet their clean energy targets, and are each in the process of selecting an additional round of future offshore wind projects.
Key findings in the report include:
The implementation of offshore wind power is essential to the region meeting its climate targets and helping us avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The power capacity of an offshore wind farm is at a scale that will allow the replacement of fossil-generated power facilities over time. With the 8,100 MW of wind power in the confirmed pipeline, as much as 7 million tons of CO2 per year could be offset.
Offshore wind presents the opportunity to build the grid we need. There are limited interconnection points along the region’s coast, meaning onshore upgrades, coordinated transmission onshore, and likely an eventual meshed network grid in the ocean will be needed to make offshore wind a reality and maximize its potential for delivering clean energy into our homes.
Communities can share in the benefits of the implementation and future operations of transmission projects. In addition to the global and local benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, communities that host offshore wind transmission infrastructure (cables, converters, substations, etc), can achieve beneficial outcomes both broadly (regional employment opportunities) and specifically (community benefit agreements, improved land uses, etc).
Additional key takeaways from stakeholder interviews on community engagement include the need to:
Build coalitions of interest groups to coalesce support for offshore wind. The places where offshore wind efforts have been most successful to date have benefited from an organized and united coalition of environmental, labor, and civic interest groups amplifying the opportunities for beneficial outcomes at the local and regional levels. Such efforts have included bringing offshore wind experts to speak to local elected officials and community members, public education campaigns about the benefits of offshore wind, and generating turnout at public engagement events to demonstrate support for offshore wind.
Engage early, often and meaningfully. Conversations with offshore wind developers and community-based organizations revealed that it is never too early for offshore wind or transmission companies to engage with communities, and engagement should continue throughout a project’s lifecycle. The report recommends thoughtful, strategic outreach and engagement approaches, including meeting people where they are locally — including breweries, churches, and picnics —to learn the broadest spectrum of local needs and build trust.
Center equity and justice. The impacts of climate change are and will continue to disproportionately affect the lives of frontline communities including communities of color and of limited wealth, who have already borne too much of the burden of environmental injustice for too long. The emergence of new industries like offshore wind around our waterfronts is promising, but care needs to be taken to ensure community interests and their critical needs are taken into account. The report recommends strategies for centering equity and justice, including easing access to training and prioritizing local hiring.
Consider broader and deeper investment, such as a community benefits package. For some transmission development projects, stakeholders within host communities may seek greater, long-term community benefits beyond the short-term boost of local and regional construction jobs. Successful community benefits packages, where sought, come about because of efforts around outreach and engagement, centering equity, and being a good neighbor, not instead of them.
The report concludes by laying out short- mid- and long-term steps that will need to be taken to ensure that offshore wind goals can be met and that will enable the New York Region to continue to prove its leadership in this space, including: 1) Modernizing the Grid and Expanding Transmission Capacity, Quickly; 2) Getting Coordinated Around Transmission, On Land, and at Sea; 3) Pairing Offshore Wind and Energy Storage; and 4) Finding Champions for Offshore Wind.
“This new report from Regional Plan Association and Karp Strategies could not be more timely,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “As plans are turning into action on New York’s offshore wind projects, we need to turn our attention to the transmission of this renewable energy to the mainland grid. With limited interconnection points available, this report provides invaluable insights into how to ensure as much of that transmission happens in the water as possible, and in a way that is most efficient, cost-effective, and protective of the ocean habitat. And where transmission must happen in coastal communities, this report does a tremendous job at explaining how to do it thoughtfully by engaging with local stakeholders early and often and in a way that centers equity and justice while creating good local jobs.
“With the introduction of large-scale offshore wind projects coming to the congested Northeast it is crucial to keep the local communities informed,” said Matt Raymond, Vice President, Haugland Group. “Haugland Group has had the great pleasure of interacting with both Karp Strategies and RPA. Together, through tremendous dedication and hard work, these two companies are helping to educate the public and empower communities to make informed decisions. With the groundbreaking technology coming to the US, we have the chance to make sure everyone is represented and allowed a voice in the communities they live in. This once in a generation opportunity will help foster new generational growth for the construction industry among many others.”
“The transmission of wind power into the grid requires both a willing industry and an informed public that is committed to a more sustainable energy future,” said Kent Herzog, Senior Managing Director, Burns & McDonnell. “I applaud Regional Plan Association and Karp Strategies for putting forth such a clear and compelling case of what wind energy transition means for New York and New Jersey communities and how they can benefit from it. This type of stakeholder engagement is essential if we are going to meet the strong climate goals in both states.”
About Regional Plan Association
Regional Plan Association (RPA) is an independent non-profit organization that conducts research, planning and advocacy to expand economic opportunity, environmental resiliency, improved health, and better quality of life in the New York metropolitan area. Since the 1920s, RPA has produced four landmark plans for the region. The most recent was released in November 2017. For more information, please visit www.rpa.org.
About Karp Strategies
Karp Strategies, an equity-driven WBE/DBE/SBE - certified urban strategy consultancy, is the go-to firm for community-economic development planning, community and stakeholder engagement, and real estate and urban planning strategy, design, and implementation. We take analysis of data, people, and place to action so that government agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations can make better decisions, avoid painful project delays, and create shared value while maximizing return. Our holistic approach, combining design-thinking and market analysis, helps our clients move their projects forward to build better communities and stronger cities. www.karpstrategies.com
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