Time for LIPA to Approve Wind Farm

There was alarm among environmental activists when the Long Island Power Authority failed to take a widely anticipated vote in July on a wind farm that, had it gone forward, would have been the largest in the United States. Perplexingly, LIPA explained that the delay was at the request of state officials, who, LIPA said, wanted to align the proposal with forthcoming offshore wind and clean energy plans. To some observers, this sounded more than a little suspicious, even for an industry that has been plagued by regulatory stalling and controversy.

 What is odd about such a state request is that the clean energy mandate from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo centers on the goal of New York’s meeting 50 percent of its power needs from renewable sources, such as wind, by 2030. With construction on the Deepwater company’s wind farm set to begin within three years should LIPA approve it, it would appear that the project would have no problem being aligned with the state’s plans. 

The project calls for a 15-turbine installation about 30 miles off Montauk, with transmission lines tying into the electric grid in East Hampton. The 90 megawatts it would produce has been described as enough to supply as many as 50,000 houses, emissions-free. 

LIPA’s board of trustees is scheduled to meet next on Sept. 21 in Uniondale. We hope that it votes on the Deepwater plan, whether or not the state’s documents are ready. From the start, the alignment excuse appeared bogus; if LIPA is ready to move forward, the state should not be standing in the way.