It's a hot topic in New York on cold days like we've had lately: Renewable energy like off-shore wind may not end up warming our homes in the Capital Region, but will likely create jobs.

Many of those jobs would be at the Port of Albany. The state’s off-shore wind farms are planned for the Atlantic Coast, but their components – like platforms and foundations – have to be manufactured in places that have lots of space, and that are near the water.

The ports of Albany and Coeymans have both.

"Developers that are working with the state of New York already have zeroed in on the Capital Region," said Alicia Barton, the president and CEO of NYSERDA. "These wind turbines are extremely enormous and they really can't be shipped by road or rail, so they need water access, and that's what's really a strategic advantage for the Capital Region."

When Governor Andrew Cuomo signed new climate legislation in July, he was doing a couple of things: moving New York off of fossil fuels, and sending a very loud signal to European companies that New York is ready to invest.

Since then, two wind companies were awarded contracts by New York: Orsted and Equinor. Both are European companies with European supply chains. With New York’s largest-in-the-nation investment in offshore wind, these companies and others want to build supply chains here in New York, which means jobs.

"Just for those first two projects the governor announced, we're talking approximately 1,600 jobs all over the state," Barton said.

If everything goes according to plan, the state’s offshore wind commitment will power 6 million homes. But that’s a very, very big if.

"There's a couple of things you really have to keep in mind, when looking at this question around cost," Barton said. "First is that the trajectory of falling cost has been dramatic and extraordinary for offshore wind in European markets, including the U.K."

And number two, according to Barton? You can’t talk costs without talking benefits, which includes jobs as well as carbon reduction.