Federal Government Eyeing Wind Farms Between Long Island and New Jersey

The U.S. Department of the Interior is soliciting bids and proposals from companies interested in building offshore wind farms in the New York Bight, a shallow region between Long Island and New Jersey.

In January, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo identified the Bight as the best spot to lease out lots as part of his wind power plan. At a meeting for the offshore wind power industry, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he takes proposals from coastal states like New York seriously when it comes to developing energy policy.

"You have to come in from federal waters to state waters. If the state doesn't want it, the state has a lot of leverage," said Zinke.

So far, environmental advocates are cautiously optimistic. Kit Kennedy, the senior director of Climate and Clean Energy for the Natural Resource Defense Council, says it's good that the federal government is supporting offshore wind power. However, she's concerned that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is proposing to lease out about 2,047 square nautical miles of the Bight—an area nearly twice as large as the state plan.

"We're going to have to look with great, great care and caution at the other areas the federal government designated," Kennedy said.

In a statement, Cuomo said he welcomes federal support for wind farms, but he is still concerned about proposals to open up coastal waters to offshore oil drilling.