Many alternative landing sites exist other than Beach Lane. Deepwater Wind itself identified four alternative sites. Yet it was clear from the start that the private company wanted to land at Beach Lane in order to maximize its own profits and financial returns to its investors.
A recent detailed and independent analysis of the project (as well as Deepwater’s own filings to the New York State Public Service Commission) shows that Beach Lane is an inferior site. PVE LLC, a full-service engineering and environmental consulting firm, and A. Page & Associates LLC, an energy consulting firm with expertise in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, and related regulatory proceedings, filed their independent findings with the New York P.S.C. on July 12, 2019.
| Considerations | Wainscott | Hither Hills State Park |
| Consistent with past N.Y. State practice of landing power cables on State Parks (e.g., Neptune, Poseidon) |
No | Yes |
| Cable distance | ||
| – Total (miles) | 65.5 | 61.1 |
| – Submarine length (miles) | 61.4 | 49.6 |
| Landfall site | ||
| – Transition vault below water table | Yes | No (40 feet above) |
| – Landing Site within or adjacent to Active Farm Field |
Yes | No |
| – Residential neighborhood | Yes | No |
| – Number of residences within 500 feet | 18 | 0 |
| – Landing Site within FEMA 100-year floodplains | Yes | No |
| – Access paths to beach | 1 | 13+ |
| – Usable beach | 100 feet | 1,600 feet |
| – Parking lots | 1 | 3+ plus parking pads |
| – Parking spaces | 20 | 247 |
| Interconnection facility | ||
| – Provide option to connect to alternative connection points |
No | Yes |
| – Provide option to shorten cable length | No | Yes |
| Transmission route | ||
| – Option for partial aerial mounting | Yes | Yes |
| – Option for burying along wide shoulder | No | Yes |
| – Width of road pavement | 17 feet at widest |
28 feet |
To read the full report, please find it here:
As Deepwater said in its own filings, “Hither Hills presents a viable alternative landing site, with minimal environmental and historical property impact located on New York State-owned property.”