October 11, 2018
By Catherine Skopic, Vice Chair, New York City Group
So you want to go? I highly encourage you to make the trip to see our first offshore wind farm off Rhode Island. I’d wanted to be there a year and a half ago, when the turbines were turned on, but didn’t make it. At our August Executive Committee meeting, Shay O’Reilly announced that GreenFaith was organizing a “Trek to the Turbines” Monday, August 27, I immediately signed up. It was the culminating experience of this summer!
About 100 people from surrounding states registered. Some would meet us in RI. Most met at 8 am in Teaneck, NJ. Arriving at lunchtime, we were joined by those from other areas. We were treated to the music of a string quintet GreenFaith had arranged before boarding the ferry that would take us the 16 miles to see five wind turbines, each a half-mile apart.
The horn sounded our departure before we pulled away from the dock. On board, we met in the auditorium-like seating area for GreenFaith’s welcome, instruction and learning. We heard from Katherine, who’d been instrumental in bringing so many individuals and groups together on this project. A member of the Iron Workers Union shared with us some of the challenges, successes and worker-training details for building and installing the turbines we were about to see. Katherine gave out blue and white lapel pins with the image of an offshore wind turbine and “Iron Workers” written on the bottom.
Each turbine we saw is 600 feet tall from the surface of the water when the blade is vertical. Each blade is 240 feet, and the blade tip speed is 200 mph. The turbines can rotate 360° to face into the wind and pivot away when the winds exceed 56 mph. The platform is 75–90 feet from the ocean floor to the water surface, 70 feet from the water to the top of the platform and weighs over 1,500 tons. Each turbine generates 5 megawatts with a combined 30 megawatts generated — enough energy to power 17,000 homes. About 10% goes to Block Island, 3 miles away, the rest goes to the mainland.
Some decks had seating and some not. As we were traveling at a fast clip against the tide and wind, the large boat rocked with the rhythm of a horse at a cantor, if you’re an English rider, or a lope, if you’re a cowgirl. As we got further out, the wind was stronger and the boat deck moved unpredictably. It was essential to hold on to a railing at all times.
This was a good time to talk with friends and make some new ones. All of a sudden, there they were — all 5 of them off in the misty distance. As we approached the nearest turbine, tears came to my eyes. Such magnificence. Such elegance!
So huge! So necessary to the survival of our planet. How long I’d waited for this moment! Filled with gratitude, I felt an aura of inexplicable joy overflowing. Seeing them standing there like silent sentinels, their blades constantly turning, watching over the ocean and planet as though protecting us, as they are, I was left breathless.
The captain cut the engines when we came right up close to the turbine, as he told us its name. I was too overwhelmed to recall that name now. “Listen. You can hear the turbine,” the captain continued. As intently and hard as I listened, I could barely hear a quiet hum — almost imperceptible above the sounds of the wind and wave.
We stayed there quite a while, giving us lots of time for observation and photographs. At the base of the platform supports, I saw brown kelp growing below the high tide line, moving with the motion of the waves. I saw a cormorant swimming around the platform base. Where there are cormorants, there are usually fish. Looking up, one could observe how the blades are attached to the turbine and the turbine to the tower. One could study the shape of the blade, aerodynamically designed to transmit maximum energy from the wind, each so graceful, so quietly receiving the wind so freely given, converting it to energy so easily, so sustainably, so safely for us to use.
We gathered on the larger deck for an Interfaith Worship Service, leaders of several different faiths participating. With the backdrop of this most amazing place, the shared words of caring for creation was evidenced and had meaning one could clearly see in front of us. We do have the technology and ability to create energy sustainably.
Time to head for home. The return ride was much smoother, as we were traveling with the wind and tide. As we off-boarded, the string quintet performed for us again — especially poignant was their arrangement of “Blowin’ in the Wind.” After dinner, we got back on the bus and waiting vans with hugs and well-wishes among friends abounding.
And what about New York State? As you probably know, Revising the Energy Vision (REV) calls for 50% of New York State’s electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2030. The New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan calls for 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
The New York Bight is the location of our potential offshore wind farm. The lease area, within the large offshore study area, is roughly the shape of a narrow isosceles triangle south of Long Island, the western tip touching the Territorial Sea Boundary line, over the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) on a northwesterly axis, pointing toward New Jersey.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has held several events in the area to present information in the form of visuals, panel presentations and Q&A. Attending several of these, I’ve been amazed at the thoroughness of their environmental impact study. Among other life forms, their in-depth studies included marine mammals, fish, turtles, sea birds, their habitat and migration patterns. At one of these events, I asked, “With global warming and the gradual rising of water temperatures, the migration and feeding patterns are likely to change as well. Has this been taken into account in your projections?” Their answer was, “Yes,” and they proceeded with several examples, showing evidence of their deep environmental study and thoroughness.
Going back further, the Department of Interior formed the final regulations for the OCS Renewable Energy Program, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct).
Since then, BOEM has worked diligently to oversee responsible energy development in federal waters and has established intergovernmental task forces to inform such development.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicines Committee on Offshore Science and Assessment (COSA) advises the BOEM environmental program, provides independent, scientifically credible and objective information relating to BOEM’s mission and supports discussion on relevant issues. You can learn more at the BOEM and NYSERDA, NY websites.
I learned from one of the off shore wind experts on our “Trek to the Turbines” that the further south you go along the East Coast, the less intense is the wind velocity, that the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) does not extend northward to Maine, so if they want to have offshore wind, with any water depth over 60 meters they have to float their turbines.
Maine has an experimental floating wind turbine in the water right now. Scotland has several, and time will tell of their effectiveness. In some ways, installing floating wind turbines is easier, so I’m told. New Jersey off Atlantic City may be next in line for a wind farm — these will probably be smaller turbines and located closer to shore.
Go visit America’s first offshore wind farm at Block Island, Rhode Island. In my humble opinion, it’s well worth the trip!