Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced today the selection of 2,878 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind in the first coordinated procurement of its kind.
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As a part of the procurement, Massachusetts selected 2,678 MW in total from three projects. This selection is New England's and Massachusetts’ largest offshore wind selection to date, representing nearly 20 percent of Massachusetts overall electric demand, marking a major step forward for offshore wind generation and supply chain.
Through this procurement, offshore wind will power over 1.4 million Massachusetts homes and reduce the state’s carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking one million gas-powered cars off the road. Collectively, these projects will create thousands of jobs and generate billions of economic activity.
Massachusetts selected 1,087 MW of the 1,287 MW SouthCoast Wind multistate project, 791 MW of the 791 MW New England Wind 1 project, and up to 800 MW of the 1,200 MW Vineyard Wind 2 project.
All three projects intend to utilize Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), create thousands of jobs and direct investments in the regional economy. All of New England’s purpose-built offshore wind ports in New England – New Bedford, New London, Salem, and Providence Port – will have tenants through 2032 as a part of this selection.
The SouthCoast Wind project expects to provide 3,915 high-paying jobs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and will invest in programs, including through partnerships with Bristol Community College/National Offshore Wind Institute and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, to offer training to Massachusetts residents to work in every level of the offshore wind industry.
Construction on the project is expected to start in 2025 and is expected to deliver power by 2030.
Avangrid’s New England Wind 1 project will create 4,400 full-time equivalent jobs. Avangrid has a PLA with the Massachusetts Building Trades Council for onshore construction work, and the National Building Trades Union for offshore construction.
The project will provide $130 million in upfront and lease payments to spur the development of the offshore wind marshalling port in Salem and will locate an operations and maintenance hub in New Bedford.
The New England Wind 1 project can begin construction as early as next year, with an expected commercial operations date in 2029.
The Vineyard Wind 2 project will generate 3,800 job-years of employment across New England, with 80 percent in Massachusetts.
The project will also provide up to $37.5 million in directly funded initiatives to foster a diverse, inclusive offshore wind workforce and supply chain, help address energy burden for low- and moderate-income households, advance regional research efforts in fisheries and the environment, and establish the region as a global climate innovation lab.
The Salem Offshore Wind Terminal will be the staging site for the project’s wind turbine installation and O&M will be located in New Bedford.
Following this announcement, the Massachusetts Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs) will begin contract negotiations with the selected developers.
Additionally, DOER and MassCEC will begin negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each developer to memorialize and track the commitments made in their bids regarding economic development, environmental justice communities, and low-income ratepayer benefits.
DOER estimates contracts will be filed at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) this winter.
Similarly, Rhode Island Energy (RIE) will begin contract negotiations with the selected developer.
Additionally, RIE and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources will begin to work with Commerce Rhode Island on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the selected developer to memorialize and track the commitments made in their bid regarding economic development.
RIE estimates a contract may be filed at the PUC this winter. ■
Predominant upper-level ridging stretching from the Southwest to the southern High Plains will allow for another day of record-breaking heat across parts of Nevada and Arizona today.