Equinor and bp announced two major initiatives focused on Astoria: the purchase of the Astoria Gas Turbines site from NRG to repurpose it as a converter station connecting renewable offshore wind power to the New York grid, and a substantial investment in community resources to serve the youth of Queens. Equinor and bp were joined at the event by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, as well as elected officials including State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblymembers Zohran Mamdani, Jessica González-Rojas, and Juan Ardila, and Queens Deputy Borough President Ebony Young.
The future converter station, named the Astoria Gateway for Renewable Energy (AGRE), will replace the decades-old plant with a new source of renewable power for New York. The AGRE station will receive 1,230 megawatts of renewable energy – enough to power 1 million homes — generated by the Beacon Wind offshore wind project, located 60 miles off the eastern tip of Long Island, beginning in the late 2020s. The NRG facility is planned to cease operations and will begin decommissioning in May 2023. Pending permit approvals, Beacon Wind will begin site preparations in 2025, making AGRE one of the first fossil-to-renewable infrastructure repurposing in New York City.
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Equinor and bp also announced a $1M partnership through Beacon Wind for a community-based Technology and Media Center, coupled with a sponsorship of $750,000 over ten years to support a Science and Technology program, for underserved youth at the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ). The new state-of-the-art Technology and Media Center will become a focal point for educating Astoria’s youth. The investment in curriculum development of a science and technology training program will help provide inclusive early education opportunities to local youth over the long-term, an important element of the workforce development pipeline needed to access the renewable energy jobs that are coming to New York.
“These investments in Astoria demonstrate the commitment of offshore wind to New Yorkers. Beacon Wind will bring an important new source of renewable power to a neighborhood marked by its industrial past, and now, community access to world class education on offshore wind through the Variety Boys and Girls Club. These classes will provide opportunities to underserved communities to obtain family-sustaining careers.
SOURCE: Businesswire