The proposed South Fork Wind farm is on the New York State Public Service Commission's agenda when it meets Thursday.
The commission has been considering the issuance of a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need, a requirement in order for the project to proceed. The developers, Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind and Eversource Energy, applied to the commission for the construction of approximately 3.5 miles of the wind farm's export cable from the state territorial waters boundary to the ocean beach at the end of Beach Lane in Wainscott, and approximately 4.1 miles of cable that would be buried on a path to the Long Island Power Authority substation in East Hampton.
The wind farm itself, up to 15 turbines in a federal lease area approximately 35 miles east of Montauk Point, is also under federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management review.
The East Hampton Town Board and the town trustees have granted easements and a lease to the developers to allow the project on town-owned land and the beach. The developers have pledged a host-community agreement worth approximately $29 million over the wind farm's anticipated 25-year lifetime and made commitments to protect the commercial fishing industry, which is largely opposed to the project.
The developers' plan to land the export cable in Wainscott has also spurred an effort to incorporate a 4.4-square-mile expanse of that hamlet, brought by some of its residents. On March 5, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc deemed a petition to force a vote on creating an incorporated village legally insufficient. Citizens for the Preservation of Wainscott, the group behind the incorporation effort, has vowed to continue that effort.
The Public Service Commission's session starts at 10:30 a.m., and audio of the meeting will be webcast at dps.ny.gov/webcasts.html. Documents related to the application can be seen at dps.ny.gov/New_Search.html by entering 18-T-0604 in the search field.
