Advisian Worley Group awarded Great Lakes wind feasibility study

Aerial view of Oswego Harbor, Fort Ontario overlooking Lake Ontario Aerial view of Oswego Harbor, Fort Ontario overlooking Lake Ontario

April 27th, 2021

Wind energy development in the Great Lakes could help New York achieve its ambitious clean energy goals. We’re excited to be helping the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on its journey to explore sustainable energy options for the future.

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected by NYSERDA to team with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and The Brattle Group, Inc. on a Great Lakes Wind Feasibility Study for New York.

The team will examine and assess interconnections, port infrastructure, wind technologies, site conditions, geohazards, wind resources, environmental, maritime, economic, workforce, and social aspects of wind development in Lakes Erie and Ontario. The team will prepare cost reduction pathways, permit roadmaps, scenario development, environmental sensitivity models, potential development timelines, and visual impact assessment to inform feasibility. 

NREL is leading the technological and financial studies; Brattle Group, Inc. is leading the interconnection study; and Advisian Worley Group is leading environmental, regulatory, and user conflict studies and supporting NREL’s economic and geohazards assessments. We are assessing relative risks associated with environmental compliance and impacts, visual effects, and mitigation and providing information on public health benefits, environmental justice, effects to disadvantaged communities, and decarbonization benefits.

We will also consider barriers that have impeded offshore wind on the US East and West coasts as they relate to Great Lakes Wind. Our extensive experience in offshore wind and other offshore infrastructure development in the US provides context for potential risks and opportunities in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes have the potential to provide millions of people in that region with renewable energy. I am excited to help the State of New York determine if this resource can be added to its renewables portfolio and further support energy transition in the US.

Sarah Courbis, Ph.D., Senior Marine Protected Species and Regulatory Specialist

For more information on this exciting project click here

If you are looking at developing an offshore wind project in the US, we can support your goals. Please contact Sarah Courbis.