WindScape Brooklyn Teaches New Yorkers About Offshore Wind

From the floor-to-ceiling windows of WindScape Brooklyn, New York’s first offshore wind community learning center, visitors have a front-row seat to watch the city’s clean energy industry take shape. 

The center overlooks the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where crews are building the new 73.1-acre maritime hub that will send turbine parts out to Equinor’s Empire Wind project off the southern coast of Long Island.

Since September 19th, WindScape Brooklyn has invited visitors of all ages to learn about the engineering behind Empire Wind, the community engagement it facilitates, and the process of generating power from offshore wind. 

WindScape Brooklyn’s eight interactive exhibits highlight how offshore wind brings people together from across industries and disciplines to shape both the city’s sustainability and its economic growth. At “Tools of the Trade,” visitors can pose for selfies with construction hats, explore career paths in offshore wind, and use virtual reality to make repairs on an offshore turbine.

Another exhibit connects renewable energy development with Brooklyn’s rich maritime history and industrial waterfront. Visitors can build their own model turbine, adjusting the number, angle, and curvature of the turbine blades to find the most effective design. 

In “Surveying the Sea,” visitors learn about the techniques used to mitigate harm to marine wildlife during the siting and construction process: Footage from underwater cameras shows rays, tiger sharks, and Sei whales spotted near the site, and a projection models the bubble curtains that are used to reduce noise from pile-driving as turbines are anchored to the seabed. Visitors can practice their skills listening for whale sounds, a signal to the crew that construction should pause to allow whales to pass by peacefully. 

WindScape Brooklyn demonstrates how engineers, conservationists, marine scientists, and more can find a shared home in offshore wind energy. This spirit of collaboration was reflected throughout the exhibit’s design process.

The center is a product of participation from Equinor, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, with input from Brooklyn residents.

Local community groups including Workforce Development Institute, Red Hook Initiative, Sunset Park High School, and Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation served on the center’s design committee. With exhibits translated in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese, the center is built to serve the needs of its diverse community. 

New York City officials have praised WindScape Brooklyn for its holistic presentation of offshore wind development. Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrión Jr. said that offshore wind in the city, “will create jobs, generate billions of dollars in economic activity, provide clean power for hundreds of thousands of homes and, with WindScape Brooklyn in the lead, capture the collective imagination of a new generation of New Yorkers who will lead us into a more sustainable future.” 

WindScape Brooklyn can serve as a model of engaging the local community in renewable energy development, educating and consulting local partners throughout the decision-making process, and ensuring people of all ages understand Sunset Park’s important role in building the city’s offshore wind infrastructure. 

WindScape Brooklyn is free and open to the public on select days. The center hosts field trips three days a week and offers no-cost space reservations for community gatherings and public events.