ALBANY — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced last week that $29.5 million was secured for the Port of Albany Offshore Wind Tower Manufacturing Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration Port Infrastructure Development Grant program.
The project, one of the first large-scale offshore wind tower manufacturing facilities in the county, is expected to create an estimated 500 construction jobs and 550 direct and full-time new manufacturing and support jobs.
“The Port of Albany Offshore Wind Manufacturing Project will be one of the most significant job-creating, renewable-energy economic development projects in the Capital Region’s history, “said Schumer. “This project is a true win-win-win that will create hundreds of good-paying union jobs, boost New York’s clean-energy manufacturing sector, all while combating climate change in big, bold ways. Albany has the wind at its back with this announcement, and the future looks very bright.”
Rich Hendrick, CEO of the Port of Albany, said the funding comes at a pivotal time for the upstart offshore wind project and that it would not be possible without the strong support from the senator.
“This funding will support building the infrastructure necessary to support the type of heavy cargo that will be manufactured by our offshore wind partners,” Hendrick said. The project will bring hundreds of jobs to the Capital Region and add to the Port’s significant contributions to the Capital Region economy.”
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said he welcomed the commitment to offshore wind power and the prospect of adding more jobs to the local economy.
“This 29 1/2 million dollar commitment to offshore wind power at the Port of Albany is another investment that will benefit not only the county and our state but help reduce our carbon footprint and continue to make New York a leader in the production of renewable energy across the country,” McCoy said.
The Port of Albany manufacturing facility will have the fabrication and assembly capabilities to support the projects being developed in and off the coast of New York State as well as many future national offshore wind projects. The investment is expected to attract major employers like General Electric to manufacture wind turbines in upstate New York.
Earlier this year, Schumer said he reached out to GE CEO, H. Lawrence Culp Jr. to express support for GE expanding in the region to manufacture their new Haliade-X wind turbines in New York, specifically mentioning the Port of Albany as a key asset for building up the Capital District as a national hub for wind turbine manufacturing.