Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, the Biden Administration and the Department of Interior (DOI) announced the approval of the nation’s seventh commercial-scale offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind. Sunrise Wind, which is expected to be operational in 2026, will be built off the coast of New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and will power more than 320,000 homes per year. Late last month, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded the power purchase agreements for Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind 1 projects.
To date, the Biden Administration has approved seven offshore wind projects, totaling eight gigawatts, with the capacity to power three million homes with clean, renewable energy.
In response, Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter Director Vick Mohanka and Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Offshore Wind Chair Jason Dragseth issued the following statement:
“The Sierra Club applauds the Biden Administration for continuing to invest in large-scale, responsibly-sited offshore wind projects like Sunrise Wind that will move our communities away from dirty fossil fuels and closer to a future where every home in the northeast is powered by clean energy. By prioritizing the development of clean energy like offshore wind, the Administration will be protecting public health, creating family-supporting jobs, stabilizing electricity prices, and investing in the future of our communities.
“We look forward to the Biden Administration swiftly approving additional responsibly sited and equitably developed offshore wind projects to move us closer to their goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.