Utility-Scale Offshore Wind Energy Brings Clean Energy to New York’s Power Grid

South Fork Wind, a joint venture project for Ørsted and Eversource, is a centerpiece in New York State’s ambitious clean energy vision — estimated to produce enough renewable energy to power 70,000 homes. The 132-megawatt project marks the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in U.S. federal waters. We worked with Ørsted and Eversource to lead detailed design and specification of protection, control and SCADA equipment at South Fork Onshore Substation, to reliably deliver clean energy generated offshore to New York’s power grid. 

Driven by rapid growth in Long Island’s South Fork power demand, South Fork Wind was selected from more than 20 proposed solutions as part of the most cost-effective option. The project features 12 offshore wind turbines, a state-of-the-art transmission system and a 68-nautical-mile (78-mile) submarine cable to carry power from the wind farm site to East Hampton. 

To power the East Hampton community, a 4.1-mile underground 138 kilovolt transmission line brings energy from the onshore transition joint bay to the 138/69kV Onshore Substation, which supplies energy to the Long Island Power Authority 138/69kV East Hampton Substation via an underground 1,000-foot 69kV line. 

With a focus on system reliability, our team provided engineering design for 24 relay panels at South Fork Onshore Substation, creating a crucial line of protection before connecting to the larger grid via the PSEG-owned East Hampton Substation. We leveraged IEC 61850 to monitor and control distribution system equipment and used redundant systems to finalize supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, and human-machine interface, or HMI, hardware specifications. 

Working collaboratively with Ørsted and Eversource, we developed a one-of-a-kind naming nomenclature assigning codes to substation components to improve project communication and efficiency. The system, called the Reference Design System for Power Plants, was one of many efforts that fostered a positive relationship with Eversource and Ørsted. 

South Fork Wind is pioneering offshore wind in the U.S. as New York’s first offshore wind farm, poised to address growing demand with clean, offshore wind energy.