NEW YORK — Sunrise Wind – a joint offshore wind proposal from Ørsted and Eversource –today announced a plan to create a National Workforce Training Center (NWTC) in Suffolk County, designed to offer curriculum and support services that will prepare the workforce to fill next-generation jobs in offshore wind and green energy as the industry continues to expand in New York.
“New York’s commitment to supporting the nascent offshore wind industry in the United States is laudable, and Sunrise Wind is proud to support this forward-looking plan to prepare students and union workers for the jobs that will be available to them in the future,” said Thomas Brostrøm, President of Ørsted North America and CEO of Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind. “If we are going to achieve our vision of a world run entirely on green energy, these kinds of partnerships and workforce development will be absolutely critical.”
“Development of a skilled labor force on Long Island will be absolutely critical to the success of both the Sunrise Wind project and New York’s efforts to become a national leader in offshore wind and a sustainable green energy economy,” said Ken Bowes, Vice President of ISO Policy, Siting & Compliancefor Eversource. “We are proud to support the creation of this National Workforce Training Center, which we believe will position Long Island to lead this industry for a generation.”
The NWTC will be funded by $10 million jointly from Ørsted – the global leader in offshore wind – and Eversource, contingent on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s selection of Sunrise Wind for the state’s first offshore wind solicitation. Governor Cuomo has set a goal to create 9,000MW of offshore wind capacity for New York by 2035, as part of a “Green New Deal” plan unveiled during his State of the State in January, which will require thousands of new workers in the offshore wind industry.
As conceptualized, the NWTC board would initially be led by representatives of the Long Island Federation of Labor-AFLICO, the Nassau and Suffolk Building and Construction Trades, the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, the Utility Workers Union of America, Suffolk County Community College and the BlueGreen Alliance. The curriculum and training programs would be designed based on continuous engagement with industry experts to identify needed skill sets. Opportunities would include support for programs ranging from labor apprenticeships and professional certifications, to advanced degrees.
The Sunrise Wind partnership between Eversource and Ørsted combines Eversource’s more than 100 year presence in the Northeast, industry-leading financial strength, and regional transmission development expertise with Ørsted’s world class offshore wind development capability having built the world’s first, the world’s largest, and the U.S.’s first offshore wind farms. Sunrise Wind is partnering with Con Edison Transmission and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to offer New York an opportunity to develop hundreds of megawatts of 100 percent renewable energy.
About Ørsted
The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, bioenergy plants and innovative waste-to-energy solutions and provides smart energy products to its customers. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 6,080 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2018, the group’s revenue was DKK 76.9 billion (EUR 10.7 billion). For more information on Ørsted, visit orsted.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind delivers clean, renewable energy along the US Eastern Seaboard. The company operates Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm, and has a comprehensive geographic coverage with the largest pipeline of development capacity, totaling over 8GW in seven states. It is jointly headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island and employs over 75 people.
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of about 8,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (http://www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@EversourceCorp) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceEnergy). For more information on our water services, visit www.aquarionwater.com.
