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Andrea Sears reports that A coalition of environmental, business and labor organizations on Wednesday reminded Gov. Andrew Cuomo of a massive, untapped source of clean, renewable energy lies just off New York's shores.

Adrienne Esposito, director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, wants the governor to know there's a great opportunity coming up for the state to start a new chapter in its drive for a clean energy future.

"81,000 acres of bottomland off of the south shore of Long Island is going up for lease," she states. "And we want to get, for the first time, offshore wind power for New York."

More than 60 groups delivered a letter to the governor calling for a large scale, long-term commitment to wind power.

Recently, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced its intent to pursue an offshore lease for wind-power development.

But Esposito says the governor needs to provide the leadership.

"We need the governor to stand up and say, 'I want offshore wind. I'm going to support it. I want to move the process forward. Let's get it done,' " she states.

New York has pledged to generate 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030.

Esposito maintains offshore wind could play an important part in meeting that goal.

"We're not going to achieve that rooftop by rooftop," she says. "We will achieve this big, ambitious goal by implementing some big, ambitious projects. Offshore wind is one of them."

The federal Bureau of Ocean Management held a public hearing in New York City on Wednesday evening on the up-coming lease auction for the New York Wind Energy Area.