(Reuters) – Danish energy company Orsted’s South Fork offshore wind farm off New York State delivered its first power to the state’s power grid, according to a press release by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.
The announcement is a bit of positive news in what has been a tough year for the nascent industry in the United States, which has faced financial troubles in recent months.
Offshore wind is expected to play a major role in New York’s plan to reduce carbon emissions by getting 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. It is also a pillar of President Joe Biden’s plan to decarbonize the U.S. power grid and combat climate change.
In November, New York launched a new offshore wind solicitation to help support the development of 9,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2035, enough to power up to six million homes.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York and Nora Buli in Oslo; Editing by Mark Potter)
