Sunset Park’s future is in the wind, activists say
Several local activists are asking the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to invest in port infrastructure improvements to make Sunset Park’s industrial waterfront into an offshore wind energy hub, specifically at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
The proponents, the best-known of which is the local environmental organization UPROSE, believe the plan would generate many green industry jobs and help the state get to a zero-carbon future.
They also say that the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) is the only site in the state that is suitable for assembly and transport of offshore wind turbines without the long-term reconstruction that other sites would require. At other sites, massive work would be needed in order to accommodate the vessel depth and the large footprint that are needed to assemble the turbines’ massive component parts.