June 3, 2021
Rhode Island

Developers shrink South Fork Wind project, but fishermen aren’t satisfied

By J.D. Allen | WSHU | June 2, 2021 | www.wshu.org

Offshore wind developers have slightly scaled back their plans to build the South Fork Wind farm off the coast of eastern Long Island, but the project still doesn’t sit well with fishermen.

Developers Orsted and Eversource said they will reduce the number of wind turbines they plan to build from 15 to 12. The turbines are slated to be 35 miles off the coast of Montauk point.

Those waters are centuries-old fishing grounds for fishermen from Long Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The developers have offered fishing groups compensation packages for lost earnings from the construction and operation of the wind turbines.

Rhode Island fishermen were recently offered $12 million in compensation. But the Fishermen’s Advisory Board in Rhode Island and the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association urged their members not to take any deals. They warned offshore wind development could devastate and reshape the fishing industry without more research into its impacts.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/06/03/developers-shrink-south-fork-wind-project-but-fishermen-arent-satisfied/