NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire Wind is the project name selected by Statoil for the company's offshore wind site located off the southern coast of Long Island, New York.  The 79,350 acre site, secured by Statoil in a federal auction in December 2016, has the potential to generate up to 1GW of offshore wind power, making it a key part of New York State's plan to deploy renewable energy sources to meet the state's electricity needs.

Statoil (NYSE: STO) also announced the launch of the Empire Wind website www.empirewind.com where members of the public can obtain information on the project and register to receive updates.

"The name Empire Wind captures the pivotal role that this important project will play in helping New York achieve its ambitious renewable energy goal," said Statoil's Empire Wind Project Director Christer af Geijerstam.  "Empire Wind also speaks to the leading role that New York State is taking in advancing the deployment of offshore wind technology in North America."

Statoil is in the early stages of developing the offshore wind farm with the potential to provide New York City and Long Island with a significant, long-term source of renewable electricity.  The Empire Wind project team is currently conducting an extensive evaluation process, gathering detailed information about the seabed conditions, grid connection options and wind resources characteristic to the area.  

New York's Clean Energy Standard mandates an increase in the share of renewables in its energy mix to 50 percent by 2030.  As part of that effort, Governor Andrew Cuomo recently called for the development of up to 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030.

"Statoil looks forward to working with all stakeholders as we move forward with the job of bringing offshore wind energy to New York," said Geijerstam of Statoil. "We are committed to working with other developers, state officials, unions and the business community to develop a U.S. supply chain for this and other offshore wind projects.  Our goal is to help make offshore wind a leading option for generating clean and affordable energy in New York."

Statoil currently has seven offshore wind projects online or under development in Europe, including the world's first floating offshore wind project in Scotland—a technology which could prove pivotal in generating offshore wind power for the U.S. west coast and Hawaii.  The company's offshore wind portfolio has the capacity of providing over one million European homes with renewable energy. Statoil also recently announced its first solar investment in the 162MW Apodi solar asset in Brazil which will provide approximately 160,000 households with electricity.

For more information, visit https://www.statoil.com/en/what-we-do/new-energy-solutions.html

Statoil is an international energy company, with operations in more than 30 countries and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide.  

We are headquartered in Norway and are listed on the New York and Oslo stock exchanges.

Statoil has extensive experience in the U.S. and is a significant player in the exploration and development of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico and from shale and tight rock formations throughout the mainland US.

Media contacts:
North America: Nate Teti, ntet@statoil.com, +1 202 476 9671
Europe: Elin A. Isaksen, eisak@statoil.com, +47 48091183

SOURCE Statoil

Related Links

http://www.empirewind.com