Abstract
Energy is the foundation of economic growth – and that is why the Long Island Association (LIA) has been a champion of the substantial benefits of offshore wind. Our region is home to the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the United States – South Fork Wind - and a second project, Sunrise Wind, is expected to be operational in 2027.
In the next few pages, the LIA outlines how it developed its estimate of the economic impact of the construction and ongoing operations of South Fork and Sunrise Wind, which exceeds $460 million in benefits to Long Island ($95 million from South Fork Wind, $350 million from Sunrise Wind, and $20 million from the Long Island Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Hub in East Setauket) from 2022 through 2027. Beyond 2027, the benefits for the region will continue, with the O&M Hub alone estimated to drive another $20 million in annual local impact through long-term employment, as well as nearly $200 million in funding to the Towns of East Hampton and Brookhaven.
Long Island has proven that we can leverage offshore wind power as a reliable source of energy to the grid. In 2026, one of the LIA’s primary legislative achievements was amending the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to allow for a more resilient and affordable grid, enabling the integration of many different types of energy. Offshore wind should continue to be a key component of New York’s energy future, as South Fork Wind demonstrated its valuable reliability over the cold snap this winter and heat wave this July, as well as price stability. New York can continue to prepare for new projects by providing pre-development support.
The LIA’s analysis of the economic impact of South Fork Wind and Sunrise Wind further solidifies these projects as transformative to Long Island, from the initial construction spend to the operations and maintenance and downstream supply chain contracts. All of this has a ripple effect that reverberates through the economy, creating value beyond the project when the workers spend money in our local communities.
This project would not have been possible without the collaboration of many public and private entities, and the LIA would like to extend its gratitude to Governor Hochul, the New York State Legislature, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, the Long Island Power Authority and PSEG Long Island for their leadership, and to Ørsted for its commitment to investing on Long Island.