New York to Hold Hearing on South Fork Wind Farm Cable

Pictured Above: Beach Lane in Amagansett, the proposed landing site of the cable from the South Fork Wind Farm.

The New York State Public Service Commission will hold informational forums and public hearings on the cable to bring power ashore from the South Fork Wind Farm on Tuesday, June 11 at the East Hampton Emergency Services Building at 1 Cedar Street in East Hampton.

Two sessions will be held. An afternoon session will begin with an hour-long informational session at 2 p.m., followed by a “public statement hearing” at 3 p.m. The evening session will begin at 6 p.m. with the informational session, followed by the hearing at 7 p.m. 

The hearing is not on the wind farm itself, proposed by Deepwater Wind (now Ørsted) in federal waters about 30 miles southeast of Montauk, but on the portion of the underwater and underground cable route that falls within the jurisdiction of New York State, including 3.5 miles of submarine cable and underground cable from the landing site to an East Hampton Village substation. 

The developers are proposing to come ashore at Beach Lane in Wainscott, but have prepared an alternate landing site at Hither Hills State Park in Napeague if the Wainscott site proves to be too controversial. 

Other aspects of the South Fork Wind Farm project are under review by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Maps of the proposed route will be available at the hearing, where representatives of the Public Service Commission will give a short presentation of the Article 7 review it is undertaking, and wind farm representatives will be available to answer questions. 

During the hearing portion of the event, everyone wishing to make a comment will have an opportunity to make a statement on the record before an administrative law judge. 

Comments may also be submitted by July 12  to the commission, reference “Case 18-T-0604 – Deepwater,” by email to secretary@dps.ny.gov; through the website at www.dps.ny.gov, by searching using the case number for the “Post Comments” button, or by mail to Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, N.Y. 12223-1350. 

Comments may also be left on the Commission’s opinion line at 1-800-335-2120; they will be summarized and provided to the Commission. 

The wind farm application to the Commission can be viewed at www.dps.ny.gov, using the case reference number, or at the East Hampton, Springs, Amagansett, or Bridgehampton Libraries.