Offshore wind is the answer for Long Island

A major societal shift always brings questions. The shift we are making to renewable energy is on a scale rarely seen in history, and questions are welcome and a part of the process of understanding. What are renewable energies? Why is the energy industry trending toward these energy forms? What are the options for Long Island when it comes to renewable energy? What are the risks? What are the benefits?

It is clear that there needs to be more information and education about the industry.

Renewable energy is the energy derived from natural sources that are replenished on a human time scale — sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, water currents and geothermal heat. They are abundant, and produce little or no emissions. The sources that have been harnessed so far by humans are solar, hydropower, geothermal, and wind, and Long Island has a unique opportunity, because of its location, to harness offshore wind.

Why do we need renewable energy? Climate change is no longer deniable, and Long Island is affected by sea level rise, flooding, stronger storms and more rain. The number one reason: fossil fuels. The largest contributor to the thickening of our atmosphere, trapping carbon dioxide, is the burning of oil, gas and coal. The fastest way to stop climate change is to stop using fossil fuels. An easy answer — not really, which is why I’m writing this — is transitioning to renewable energy to power our lives.

Long Island sits just north of a continental shelf called the New York Bight, with shallow seas, strong winds and a large, dense population close to the coastline. The shallow water allows for structures to be built without the complications and expense of deep diving to build them. The strong winds help turbines turn consistently, producing energy needed to power homes, charge electric vehicles and operate businesses. And with a dense population close to the coast, energy can be delivered over a shorter distance without much loss of power, and at lower costs.

You may ask, why offshore wind? Why not solar or onshore wind? Solar power is being generated on Long Island, but not on the scale that we need to power the number of homes here. According to the Census Bureau, Long Island has just under 8.5 million housing units. That is where offshore wind comes in to meet our energy needs. There is growth in solar power through ground mounts, or on existing structures that don’t require open space, but it still doesn’t have the capacity to generate the power we need. And onshore wind requires large plots of land, which are few and far between in downstate New York.

Renewable energy is the only way for our future. We are seeing more cases of asthma, warming of the oceans, rising sea levels, stronger seasonal storms, and economic volatility due to the excessive use of fossil fuels to produce power. Moving to renewable energy will clear air pollution and slow the warming of the oceans, protecting ocean life, and slow the rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities.

In turn, cooler water bodies will decrease the frequency of seasonal storms that flood our streets and erode our beaches.

Offshore wind provides a stable and reliable energy source without the volatility of rising fuel prices. It also creates thousands of good-paying jobs to build, maintain and operate its facilities. Beyond those working in the industry, utility stability is how offshore wind will benefit all of Long Island.

Most of the Island’s population now relies on fossil fuel generation to power their homes, workplaces, community centers and infrastructure. This means that electricity bills fluctuate with global geo-political events, because we are buying the fuel to run the power plants connected to our electric grid, mostly from other countries. With offshore wind, there is no need to buy “fuel.” The fuel is infinite, and not a commodity that’s for sale. The wind blows no matter what. This means that the costs of delivering electricity are fixed.

I want to see the renewable energy that we need come to Long Island. I want to ensure that we are delivering safe, reliable, responsible and clean energy to residents. Not only is this a critically needed change, but it will also improve our communities by stopping rising costs, and creating an economic engine with the added benefits of clean air, clean waters and fixed utility costs.

Melissa Parrott is the deputy executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island.