Interior Dept. expands offshore wind program to New York

The federal government is expanding its offshore wind energy program to New York, the Department of Interior announced Thursday. More than 81,000 acres of the Atlantic Ocean off the New York coast will be available for wind energy leases, the department announced Thursday. The section of ocean is in the New York Wind Energy Area, a portion of the outer continental shelf 11 miles south of Long Island. The department will publish a sales notice in the Federal Register on Monday, opening a 60-day public comment period. "These are significant steps for our federal offshore renewable energy program," said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. The leasing sale of the 81,130 acres of ocean will be done online and go to the highest bidder...more