OFFSHORE WIND ALBANY

Learn more about the Port’s nation-leading project

“Welcome to the Future.” – N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul

The Port of Albany, alongside globally-recognized private partners, is undertaking what will be the first offshore wind tower manufacturing facility in the United States. Learn more about the facts of this nation-leading project.

What is offshore wind?

Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more electricity per amount of capacity installed.

Does this mean that wind turbines and wind towers will rise at the Port of Albany?

No, towers will be manufactured and temporarily stored on site until they are ready to be shipped to sea. The facility will be responsible for the manufacturing and delivery of offshore wind towers, in which the towers will be preassembled at the Port of Albany before going to its final destination for construction and installation. This transformative project will bring hundreds of jobs to the area, assist in the economic growth of the Capital Region and position New York State as a leader in clean energy.

How did the project come about?

The Port of Albany initiated an expansion project in 2018 with the acquisition of an 80-plus acre parcel that was zoned for industrial purposes and immediately began the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) and permitting process in the Town of Bethlehem. In 2020, a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) was approved and in 2021 the Port of Albany Offshore Wind Tower Manufacturing project was selected by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) in the second round of offshore wind energy procurement. In 2022, nearly $30 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration was announced to assist in building the maritime infrastructure.

The Port of Albany is the owner of the property and is working in association with Empire Wind and a joint venture of Marmen/Welcon who will operate the facility. The manufacturing space will be spread throughout four buildings located in the Town of Bethlehem, and the fifth building will be located within the existing Port District in the City of Albany.

What was the environmental review process and what approvals are needed?

To properly permit the project, the Port of Albany went through an extensive SEQR process, which included detailed analysis of all project elements, compiled in the GEIS, and a supplemental EIS. The final step before permits were issued by the Town of Bethlehem was Site Plan review.

The project has received SEQR and Site Plan approval from the Town of Bethlehem. The Port has worked closely with several Federal, State and local agencies to ensure full compliance in meeting the safety and well-being of residents and the surrounding environment. The following organizations have actively been involved in the oversight and review process of this project, including but not limited to; the Town Planning Board Designated Engineer, Town of Bethlehem Planning and Engineering Department, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Albany County Planning Department, Selkirk Fire Department, Town Police Department, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP), New York State Office of General Services (NYSOGS), New York State Department of State (NYSDOS), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries / US Department of Commerce, US Coast Guard, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Since 2018, when the permitting processes began, the Port is proud to report that they have a goal of meeting each local, state, and federal regulations during every phase of the project.

What has been the site activity to date?

To properly prepare the site for construction, the Port has worked closely with the Town of Bethlehem and NYSDEC to ensure full compliance in meeting the safety and well-being of residents and protecting the surrounding environment. Following NYSDEC guidelines, the Port implemented a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to prevent soil from entering surrounding lands or waterways. To further ensure no soil was disturbed, the Port left brush, vegetation, and trees along the shorelines. The Port obtained coverage under DEC’s General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Construction Activities in March for tree cutting on the premise. To date, no stump removal, or earthwork has taken place. Stumps and roots were left in place to stabilize and minimize soil disruption to prevent movement of soil onto adjacent properties or waterways.

To further protect against movement of soils, including coal ash impacted soils, in all areas where trees were cut, the ground was stabilized by placing wood mulch on top of all areas, including coal ash areas. Due to these protective activities, no coal ash was disturbed during the tree cutting operation.

What was on the site previously?

Originally, some 200 years ago, the property was built up by placing manmade fill above the river level. In the 1950s, the Bethlehem Power Station operated using coal fire through 1970 when it switched over to fuel oil and later natural gas in 1981. Beacon Island, the location of the project site, was used for the disposal of coal ash until the switch from coal to oil; since then the island has remained untouched and undeveloped. The Town zoned the site as heavy industrial with the goal of attracting commercial investment to the area. This is the first program to plan and receive approval to develop the land and the environmental challenges from the past are at the forefront of the planning and execution of this project. Substantial due diligence has been performed to develop the site safely and productively.

What is coal ash?

Coal ash is a result of burning crushed coal in power generating plants. These particles pass through a filter, but since the United States didn’t begin regulating fly ash disposal until 2015, some locations became collection areas for this debris.

Coal ash is recognized as non-hazardous material that can be used as an additive in concrete and road paving material used throughout the United States such as poured concrete, concrete blocks or bricks and pavement. The NYSDEC has determined that coal ash that meets industry standard for use in certain concrete and aggregate products is not considered a solid waste and is recognized on the pre-determined Beneficial Use Determination (BUD) list.

What are the next steps?

The next step in development is preparing the ground. Before any site clearing and earthwork takes place, The Port will be implementing the Soil Management Plan (SMP) in compliance with New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) approval and a Community Air Monitoring Program (CAMP) which will measure air particle levels and identify emission sources during construction activity. The Port will continue to work closely with the Town, NYSDOH, NYSDEC, and other governing authorities involved to ensure compliance and the safety and well-being of residents and the surrounding environment.

How is this project part of the Green Energy Initiative?

On July 18, 2019, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) was signed into law. New York State’s Climate Act is among the most ambitious climate laws in the world and requires New York to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. To achieve this requires alternative sources of energy, including offshore wind. With the majority of offshore wind energy and supply chain sources being overseas, there is an effort to build offshore wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean and capture jobs and investment locally to help build these. The project at the Port of Albany is intended to supply towers from a made in the USA location that are necessary for the alternative power sources.