Offshore Wind Power is the Best Choice for New York State: There Are No Feasible Alternatives

By: Alicia Gené Artessa

No feasible alternatives to offshore wind exist for powering downstate New York. It’s not hyperbole, it’s not fearmongering, it is the findings of a new report, Meeting New York’s Energy Needs: Offshore Wind Study,[1] by Aurora Energy Research. Their analysis found that, for many reasons, offshore wind energy is best positioned to power New York and help meet the state’s reliability needs while also providing significant external benefits. Offshore wind energy provides various economic, environmental, affordability, and reliability benefits — all of which make it an extremely important part of New York’s overall energy strategy.

According to the study, downstate New York is expected to face reliability issues by 2034 and could increase energy prices. “Reliability issues” means that residents downstate could be without electricity when demand reaches its peak, normally on the hottest and coldest days of the year. This reliability crisis is caused by a substantial increase in energy demand from population growth and new industries, and old power generators aging out. Therefore, we need more energy brought online as quickly as possible. The study finds that offshore wind is the most feasible option to meet the rising capacity demand and would help New York avoid black outs and save money.

Specifically, offshore wind is ready to deploy today. Other possible zero-emission technologies, such as small modular nuclear reactors, are not available at commercial-scale deployment. In addition, traditional energy sources cannot come online sooner than offshore wind because they face supply chain issues and need to start New York’s cumbersome permitting processes from scratch. According to the study, for example, natural gas turbines are currently backordered for eight years.

In addition, there are no other new energy projects currently pending downstate, meaning nothing besides offshore wind is even in the queue at this point. Further, downstate New York is comprised of densely populated urban areas and would need 680 square miles, or greater than 10 times the size of Manhattan, to site enough land-based energy projects to replace roughly ten offshore wind projects. Logistically speaking, offshore wind makes the most sense to power downstate New York and can be built more quickly than the alternatives.

The study also found that offshore wind energy will stabilize prices, making energy more affordable for New Yorkers. Most notably, the study found that offshore wind energy would have saved New Yorkers $77 million in electricity costs in one cold winter month. Offshore wind energy provides real cost savings for New York’s ratepayers, brings new jobs, economic prosperity, and cleans our air.

Because offshore wind provides fixed prices (zero “fuel” costs), and more reliability in winter months, this stabilizes prices for ratepayers. In addition, homegrown energy removes the state’s reliance on foreign imports, so a foreign government cannot shut off or raise prices on our supply of fuels, which reinforces reliability. Other energy sources fluctuate in price based on supply and demand. However, wind is free and the projects’ prices are set for 25-year contracts. This is especially helpful for those on a fixed income or struggling to make ends meet – when you can rely on a fixed price, it makes your life that much easier.

The net benefits of offshore wind far outweigh the costs. From growing a new industry which could bring $30.7 billion in investment and thousands of jobs to saving billions in the social cost of carbon. Offshore wind can be built more quickly and does not face the price volatility of natural gas or land constraints of other sources.

It is clear that the offshore wind industry will play a role in New York’s energy future, and this study shows that other energy sources are no real comparison.

[1] Aurora Energy Research, Meeting New York’s Energy Needs: Offshore Wind Study (Commissioned by the Alliance for Clean Energy New York) May 2025.