Offshore Wind Turbine Plant Proposed For Cortlandt Waterfront

CORTLANDT, NY — An ambitious project to build and ship offshore wind turbines from industrial Cortlandt waterfront property is under consideration by the town.

The proposal for Port Cortlandt would take advantage of New York's plan to invest up to $200 million in port infrastructure improvements and also the state's goal of promoting and using wind energy.

The plan for revitalizing "one of Westchester County’s most valuable and untapped Hudson River access points" just south of Indian Point was put together by a consortium of Hudson Valley developers and planners.

Port Cortlandt would include manufacturing, fabrication, and other supply-chain services, plus shipping and port facilities — there is a deep-water channel.

“We are pleased to be leading a robust initiative to bring green jobs and renewable energy to the Hudson Valley,” said Michael P. Lee, President of AKRF, a consulting firm contributing to the project. “Our team looks forward to developing an offshore wind supply chain port serving the northeast coast, delivering cleaner energy, and helping create nearly a thousand new jobs.”

The new plant and port would also help offset the cost to schools, governments and taxpayers of the shutdown and decommissioning of the Indian Point Energy Center, organizers said on the website.

The town board has had several presentations from AKRF and is looking for more information before it decides, Cortlandt town Supervisor Linda Puglisi told Patch on Thursday.

"We want to know what the revenue would be for the Town and for the Hendrick Hudson School District," she said. "We also want to know how many jobs will be created and how much of our 99 acres are needed before our final vote."

It has backing from local unions.

"This project will require a skilled workforce, which means high paying jobs to those who need it most. This is a very exciting project to many of us in the building trades as we look forward to the future energy needs of not only Westchester County but all across the country," said Thomas Carey, President of the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO. "I am a lifelong Cortlandt resident and myself and my family have worked at the Indian Point Energy Center for many years. I always supported the nuclear industry but now we must look to the future of clean energy and reducing our carbon footprint."

Port Cortlandt would redevelop a 54-acre portion of a 99-acre waterfront and upland property owned by the Town of Cortlandt. The developers said the inclusion of adjacent, contiguous properties could allow for a phased development exceeding 180 acres in total.

The project, which includes 50 developable waterfront acres, is one of 11 projects competing for up to $200 million in grant funding from New York State.

"The combined offshore wind and port infrastructure 2020 RFP is a terrific opportunity for offshore wind developers and their supply chain to team up with one or more of the prequalified ports, such as Port Cortlandt, to generate competitive proposals that maximize investments in New York and its talented workforce," said Joe Martens, Director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance.