A Summer of Offshore Wind in Staten Island
Image courtesy of NYCEDC.
Staten Island, once the home of the country’s largest landfill, is now on its way to becoming a hub for renewable energy.
In 2021, Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) unveiled their $191 Million Offshore Wind Vision Plan, laying out a roadmap to make New York City a leading destination for the offshore wind industry. Through this initiative, the City identified Staten Island as a significant potential hub for the offshore wind industry in New York City.
Staten Island has many prospective areas for developing offshore wind facilities—specifically the Staten Island Marine Terminal, the Rossville Municipal Site, and the Arthur Kill Marine Terminal. Moreover, the development of offshore wind-related facilities on Staten Island promises many benefits for Staten Island residents, including the addition of many high-paying union jobs in their home borough, eliminating the need for long commutes to Manhattan or one of the other five boroughs.
Seeking to further expand offshore wind awareness and education opportunities to communities of all ages across Staten Island, NYCEDC approached Karp Strategies to support the planning and implementation of a series of events in June 2023, dubbed the Summer of Offshore Wind.
Summer of Offshore Wind in Staten Island
Held throughout June 2023, the Summer of Offshore Wind was a series of interactive events to inform the public about what offshore wind farms look like, how they work, and how they will deliver power to New York City in the future. Through these events, NYCEDC sought to familiarize the public with various locations that may be developed into offshore wind sites in Staten Island and proposed projects for these sites. Additionally, the events aimed to provide opportunities for residents to meet with potential developers, learn about the offshore wind supply chain and receive information about existing workforce development opportunities that will prepare individuals to join the offshore wind workforce in the future. Working in collaboration with NYCEDC, Karp Strategies supported the strategic planning and execution of the event series, conducting outreach to community partners, designing event plans, and overseeing event logistics.
The Summer of Offshore Wind initiative brought over 30 pop-up events to neighborhoods across Staten Island—including the North Shore, Mid-Island, and South Shore. Working with key community partners, including WhyMaker, Spin the Yard, Wagner College, and Leading Light Wind, NYCEDC and Karp Strategies produced a range of activities, including STEM workshops to teach children how to build floating offshore wind turbines from household materials, a short film screening about offshore wind workforce opportunities at the National Lighthouse Museum, and virtual reality pop-ups showcasing real-life training scenarios for maritime jobs in the offshore wind industry. The events brought in over 400 attendees, providing critical opportunities for Staten Island residents of all ages to learn about the benefits and potential of offshore wind in the region.
Events like the Summer of Offshore Wind are crucial to developing an inclusive offshore wind industry in New York City and beyond. Through its thoughtful programming, the initiative promoted offshore wind knowledge sharing across diverse demographics, supporting ongoing education for populations young and old and providing information to increase accessibility to offshore wind workforce opportunities and training. The Summer of Offshore Wind demonstrated the City’s commitment to embracing an inclusive and community-based strategy for standing up the local offshore wind industry.
We at Karp Strategies are thrilled to have been a part of this initiative. We are excited to continue to support future programs aimed at creating an inclusive, clean energy future in New York City and beyond.