In the first multistate procurement of new offshore wind capacity in the US, an approach seen as more efficient in an industry struggling to recover from cost swings and project cancellations, Massachusetts and Rhode Island said last week that they had taken a total of 2.87 GW of offshore wind. It is the largest amount purchased in New England so far, and the largest by Massachusetts, which purchased 2.67 GW of that total.
The procurement brings the state closer to its aggressive goal of 5.6 GW of offshore wind by 2027, but the total capacity purchased was well below the 6.8 GW offered by the two states and Connecticut. The latter did not acquire any new abilities, but did not reveal why.
The result represents Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s (D) intent to continue the state’s push to develop offshore wind despite recent headwinds to the project.
“The bottom line is that Massachusetts needs to generate more energy to be able to do what we need to do,” he said at a Sept. 6 news conference. “With our partners in Rhode Island, we’re taking a major step toward energy independence, cleaner air and the transformation of our economy. Simply put, we’re going big,” he said. “World Will Look to New England for Clean Energy Future.”
To meet its 2.67 GW, the state chose 1.09 GW of the SouthCoast Wind project’s 1.29 GW capacity, with Rhode Island to take 200 MW. The action revives the project, developed by the Ocean Winds consortium, which bid for higher energy tariffs after being canceled in 2021 and paying a fine for that stoppage. Massachusetts also acquired the 791 MW New England Wind 1 project, which will be developed by Avangrid, and up to 800 MW of the company’s 1.2 GW Vineyard Wind 2 project.
But the developer and the state are now grappling with the ongoing shutdown of the Vineyard 1 project, with turbine installation largely halted in July by federal regulators after a blade collapse at one of its giant machines Haliade X. The planned restart of the full installation of the project’s 62 turbines and the resumption of power supply to about 20 in operation has not been disclosed.
Even so Healey said the state procurement “represents a substantial contribution to the goal of deploying the first 10 to 15 GW of US offshore wind, which will establish a key investment in enabling infrastructure and the supply chain to support a long-term national industry.” Lt. Gov. Kim Discoll hinted at a $300 million offshore wind terminal to begin construction soon in Salem, Massachusetts.
The selected projects will use union project labor agreements and fill port and other assembly sites in Providence, R.I. and New London, Conn., Healey said.
“We will continue to leverage the tools of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to enable this progress, including federal funding awarded last month for New England grid upgrades to support the growth of a new industry American that is activating factories, ports and shipyards across the country,” said White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi.
South Coast Wind, located 23 miles off the coast of Nantucket, will begin construction in late 2025 with delivery to the regional power grid in 2030. The developer plans to revitalize Brayton Point, a former closed 1,493 MW coal-fired power plant in 2017. on the south coast of Massachusetts. Permitting for the project is up as developers await federal approval of their final environmental impact review and finalize agreements with utilities on long-term contracts.
The selection is an “important milestone for Ocean Winds as we continue to strengthen our activities in the United States.” said CEO Craig Windram/ The developer is a global joint venture of EDP Renewables and ENGIE, both based in France.
