Deb Haaland visited Albany to tout the "Bidenomics" benefits of offshore wind projects — even as the four in New York face major challenges in securing financing. On Thursday, President Joe Biden’s interior secretary joined Rep. Paul Tonko and the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for a press conference at an Albany offshore wind manufacturing project. Haaland highlighted the potential of the industry to create thousands of jobs in the state, and nationally. But developers of the four projects with New York contracts have said — due to higher-than-expected costs — they likely won’t move forward without bigger subsidies from ratepayers. The Port of Albany project toured by Haaland is an offshore wind tower manufacturing site for Norwegian energy company Equinor, which holds the majority of New York’s offshore wind contracts with an assist from BP. The project has had delays tied to permitting and lost out on some federal funds. The companies involved raised the alarm that cost increases from inflation required more subsidies late last year. Despite this, Haaland struck an upbeat tone Thursday. “Our country needs to move forward with offshore wind, and I believe the commitment I see from many people involved that we will get there,” she said. “The Inflation Reduction Act is a downpayment and we know we need to do more to move forward.” Haaland held a closed-press roundtable with local electeds, industry representatives and others before the media availability. John Williams, NYSERDA’s executive vice president for policy and regulatory affairs, participated in the discussion. “These are not issues New York State itself is going to be able to solve,” he told POLITICO. “We have to make sure we have all the systems set up to make sure … we don’t lose the opportunities the Inflation Reduction Act was intended to provide.” Williams said the near-term challenges facing the industry require a coordinated strategy with both federal and state involvement. “Seeing the Port of Expansion Project construction site firsthand reinforces the massive work going on,” said Richard Hendrick, the CEO of the Port of Albany in a statement. “The project is progressing in a phased approach to offset, but still moving forward in the face of a $350M funding gap.” Assemblymember Pat Fahy (D-Albany) said she personally raised concerns about funding for the Port of Albany project with the Interior secretary and Tonko at the roundtable event. “It's been a little bit of a rough road but everyone is hanging in there,” she said. “There’s a strong commitment that this is the future, and we have to make it work for all communities.” On the same day Haaland was highlighting New York’s role in the offshore wind industry, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill boosting funding for investments in his state, declaring those ports the “foundation of our nation's entire wind industry.” HAPPY FRIDAY. WHERE’S KATHY? In Erie County with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? In New York City with no public schedule. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If Brad Lander decides to really go to war with the mayor, he can be so much more aggravating to him,” Democratic political strategist Chris Coffey told POLITICO’s Joe Anuta for this story about how the city comptroller has become Mayor Eric Adams’ archrival.
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