Ed Romaine: Brookhaven open to wind-farm cables at Shoreham, Smith Point

Brookhaven Town, fresh from negotiating a $168.9 million package to host Sunrise Wind’s offshore wind-farm cable, has had discussions with other wind-farm companies about the prospect of using town locations such as Smith Point and Shoreham for cable landing sites, Supervisor Ed Romaine said Monday.

Romaine told Newsday he’s had early talks with representatives from Norwegian energy company Equinor to propose an alternative route for a cable for its Beacon Wind project, which is slated to make landfall at a Con Edison station in Astoria, Queens.

Equinor spokeswoman Lauren Shane said in a statement: "Equinor is engaged with Long Island communities on a range of issues. While we can’t comment on specific discussions, we appreciate the support and enthusiasm for offshore wind from so many on Long Island and throughout the state."

Romaine told Newsday Monday, “We’ve had discussions, all preliminary.”

He spoke after an event at Smith Point to announce the $168.9 million host community agreement for Sunrise Wind’s 17.5-mile cable in the town. Most of that money will go to Brookhaven.

“We’re open to a second wind farm,” said Romaine, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate for Suffolk County executive this fall.

A cable landing at Shoreham could benefit from infrastructure in place at the mothballed nuclear plant to transmit power to the central LIPA grid.

A Sunrise Wind cable already is slated to come in at Smith Point, but additional cables possibly could come there.

But officials at the event Monday suggested there also could be future opportunities for Brookhaven and other municipalities to host wind-farm interconnections.

Doreen Harris, chief executive of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, noted the state received more than 100 proposals for its most recent bid request for offshore wind projects.

The state is reviewing those proposals, and could announce winners this spring, she said.

Brookhaven Town Councilman and Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico said upward of $6 million a year will go into the town’s general fund, which could help offset loss of future funding from the Brookhaven Landfill as it nears closure.

In addition to millions of dollars in benefits packages for local municipalities, the projects are expected to inject hundreds of millions of dollars into local economies, while providing more than 2,200 construction jobs, Panico said.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said inking of the Sunrise Wind cable project in Brookhaven sets the stage for Suffolk to become the center of offshore wind for the state and nation.

A separate project, the South Fork Wind Farm, is set to begin laying its offshore cable as soon as Wednesday, officials said.

South Fork Wind, like Sunrise Wind, is being developed by Denmark-based Orsted and New England electric utility Eversource.

“Today we get ready to move to the next generation, away from fossil fuel that is threatening our climate,” Romaine said, calling the agreement “historic” while saying the payments will “help us maintain our tax base.”

“We’re going to create jobs; we’re going to create a new paradigm in terms of energy for the future of this island and the future of this nation,” said Romaine.

"We know as an island that we are as at great a risk to climate change as any place in our nation," Bellone said Monday, hailing the Sunrise project. 

Separately, Romaine said Monday that Brookhaven Town was negotiating with the state to expand a plan for solar installations at the Brookhaven landfill.

There are plans for solar panels on around 40 acres, Romaine said.

But under a plan still under discussion, there could be solar on upward of 160 to 200 acres at the landfill, Romaine said. 

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.