Sunrise Wind Advancing Operations and Maintenance Hub in Suffolk County

Sunrise Wind, an offshore wind joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, has announced a purchase in Brookhaven Town – 22 Research Way, in East Setauket – a new facility that will serve as the regional Operations and Maintenance (O&M) hub for Sunrise Wind and will help support the joint venture’s portfolio of Northeast wind farms.

In addition, the joint venture is progressing its plans to make Port Jefferson harbor the home port of the first-ever American-flagged, Jones Act-qualified Service Operations Vessel (SOV), which will support Sunrise Wind, the South Fork Wind project serving Long Island, and other projects in the joint venture’s portfolio.

Together, the Research Way O&M facility and the Port Jefferson harbor home port will create about 100 permanent direct jobs for the region, as well as significant indirect and induced jobs.

“We are proud to play a part in New York’s transition to renewable power,” said David Hardy, CEO, Ørsted Offshore North America. “This is a major moment and inflection point for New York and Long Island, as we move from promises made to promises kept for New York. We are working hand-in-hand with the stakeholders here on Long Island and are delivering good-paying green jobs, as well as clean, renewable energy for New York. As the global leader in offshore wind, we are looking forward to helping our friends in New York reach their ambitious green energy and economic recovery goals.”

“Eversource is proud to be delivering on its commitment to providing good-paying jobs to the hardworking people of New York,” said Joe Nolan, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Customer & Corporate Relations at Eversource. “This O&M facility will house project staff and is a tremendous moment for Sunrise Wind, the offshore wind industry, and New York State. Today marks a significant step forward as we seek a more sustainable future.”

“Under Governor Cuomo, offshore wind is a cornerstone of the State’s pathway to a clean energy future and New York is harnessing the power of this rapidly growing industry to bring billions of dollars of investment and create thousands of good-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” said Doreen M. Harris, Acting President and CEO, NYSERDA. “NYSERDA is proud to work with Ørsted and Eversource on their Sunrise Wind project and looks forward to seeing this new Operations and Maintenance Hub provide critical support for not only New York’s largest project, but the regional development of offshore wind.”

The nearly 60,000-square foot, multi-purpose Research Way facility will house members of the permanent staff of Sunrise Wind and South Fork Wind, among other teams, including positions such as technician, warehouse coordinator, contract manager, head of site, and other offshore and onshore jobs. The facility will be renovated to include custom office and warehouse space to handle marine coordination, contract and site management, as well as spare parts storage, among other activities. The building’s roof proudly displays solar panels as part of the project’s commitment to renewable energy.

The facility will also serve as the base of operations for Ørsted Offshore North America’s Head of Operations, Mikkel Maehlisen.

“The deep-water harbor in Port Jefferson, combined with the talent pool and resources on Long Island, make the area ideally-suited to serve as a regional O&M hub for our Northeast offshore wind farms,” Maehlisen said. “We’re eager to begin our work there and become members of the local community.”

Sunrise Wind is an approximately 880-megawatt wind farm located more than 30 miles east of Montauk Point. New York State selected Sunrise Wind in a competitive solicitation in 2019 as one of NYSERDA’s inaugural offshore wind farms. It is currently the largest offshore wind project in New York, and one of the largest on the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Ørsted and Eversource are also developing New York’s first offshore wind farm: South Fork Wind, a 132-megawatt project to serve Long Island.

"As the prime Assembly sponsor of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, I am delighted that Ørsted and Eversource have decided to strategically locate their Sunrise Wind Operations and Maintenance center near both the deep-water harbor that is Port Jefferson and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University,” said Assemblyman Steve Englebright. “I am pleased that Ørsted and Eversource are helping to advance New York’s climate goals and is perfectly positioning itself to be an important partner as we work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable wind energy. It is also exciting to contemplate that Long Island is becoming the epicenter of offshore wind energy jobs and a model for the nation on how to protect the global atmosphere and ecosystem.”

“Suffolk County is proud to be the epicenter of offshore wind,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “The Operations and Maintenance hub held here in East Setauket and on Port Jefferson Harbor will be a lynchpin for our community’s economy. This O&M hub will bring jobs, investment and clean energy to New York. We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to lead, and Suffolk has answered the call.”

“The Town of Brookhaven is proud to play a leading role in New York’s green future, with Sunrise Wind joining our solar, fuel cell and other clean power initiatives,” said Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine. “Offshore wind will bring a significant environmental and economic benefit to our town, creating good-paying jobs that will spur investment in our Main Street businesses. This is excellent news for our community and our state.”

“I would like to thank Sunrise Wind, Ørsted and Eversource for basing their Operations and Maintenance hub in and around Port Jefferson. Their commitment to this area will not only supply our region with clean electricity but will also provide our families with good-paying jobs and a better future. We are excited to play a part in New York’s future,” said Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant.

“The purchase of the Research Way facility marks a first shovel-in-the-ground for offshore wind in New York State, with Long Island at the forefront. The emerging offshore wind industry is the path to a clean energy future and economic opportunity. As advocates for the Governor’s nation-leading offshore wind goals, we are very pleased to see Sunrise Wind deliver on its commitment to Long Island and to work with Ørsted and Eversource to maximize the opportunities offshore wind will bring,” said President and Chief of Executive Officer of the Long Island Association, Kevin Law.

“This is what is meant by a green economy: The creation of good jobs for projects that have a highly beneficial societal impact. Advancing offshore wind power will advance our economic recovery. Jobs and economic growth that make Long Island and New York a cleaner, healthier, and safer place to live are the building blocks for a better future,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

"Offshore wind is poised to be a meaningful job generator for organized labor on Long Island, bringing both clean energy and important opportunity to our region. We thank Ørsted and Eversource for leading the way by delivering on their commitment to locate the joint venture's Operations and Maintenance hub in Suffolk County, and through its continuous engagement with the Long Island Federation of Labor," said Roger Clayman, Executive Director, Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

“Today’s announcement by Ørsted and Eversource lays a cornerstone for the foundation of New York’s offshore wind industry. We are happy to welcome their regional Operations and Maintenance team to East Setauket, N.Y. The joint venture offers tremendous potential for Long Island’s skilled tradespeople and we look forward to the expansion of clean energy that will benefit the residents of Long Island. By establishing roots in Suffolk County, it is clear that Ørsted and Eversource are forging an even stronger partnership with labor unions on Long Island. This commitment coincides with Governor Cuomo's initiative to create abundant opportunities for meaningful employment incorporating apprenticeship training programs as New York quickly transitions to a sustainable green economy,” said Matty Aracich, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

The building is the first major facility purchased by an offshore wind developer in New York State and signifies the continuation of New York’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The CLCPA stipulates that New York have a 100 percent zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, one of the most ambitious targets in the nation.