Update on Offshore Power Off Long Island

Kim Acevedo has an
article in Herald online entitled "Winds of Change to Power Long Island" (2/13/2003) reports that since the release of the Long Island Power Authority RFP seeking a developer for an offshore wind farm, various groups in the area have expressed interest in the proposal. The article reports that:

The wind turbines would be located at least 2.5 nautical miles -- 2.875 statute miles -- offshore. The hum they produce would rarely, if ever, be audible from shore, officials said. "This site has been chosen very carefully," Lowndes said. The height of the wind turbines, with one blade straight up, would be approximately 360 feet to 428 feet above the surface of the water. They might be visible from shore on a clear day, Lowndes said. The park would have between 25 and 50 turbines that would produce a total of 100 to 140 megawatts of electricity on an optimal day.

The described location of the proposed wind projects within three miles of shore places them in state waters (which extend three miles from shore) and thus, avoids the jurisdictional, "who owns the land" squabble jeopardizing the Cape Wind Project off Nantucket as we've described in other posts. More information on the RFP is available here at LIPA's website.