Kingsborough Community College receives $1.5M in funding for offshore wind training program
Kingsborough Community College’s Maritime Technology program is on its way to becoming a certified offshore wind (OSW) basic safety training facility, with $1.5 million in capital funding awarded by the New York City Council.
And, because New York State allocates matching funds for capital appropriations provided by the city to CUNY community colleges, Kingsborough is expected to receive another $1.5 million in the state’s next fiscal budget, bringing the total to $3 million.
The Office of NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson awarded Kingsborough’s Division of Workforce Development, Continuing Education & Strategic Partnerships the funding for purchase of necessary equipment to become a Global Wind Organization (GWO)-certified Basic Safety Training facility that can respond to the workforce demands and the long-term needs of the projected OSW industry.
In January of this year, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) OK’d a proposal by a private energy firm, Equinor, to turn the semi-dormant South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park into a hub for staging and assembling wind-power equipment. Once assembled, the wind turbines will be installed at two “wind farm” sites off the coast of Long Island.