New England Selects 2.9 GW of Offshore Wind for Massachusetts/Rhode Island

After what they are calling a rigorous selection process, Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the results of the first multistate wind power solicitation selecting a total of nearly 2.9 GW offshore wind power. The states are reporting it as a key step in New England and Massachusetts’s offshore wind development while Connecticut which was also part of the process is yet to announce its plans.

“Simply put, we are going big,” said Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts. “This selection is New England’s and Massachusetts’ largest offshore wind selection to date.” 

Massachusetts takes the majority of the capacity, 2,678 MW while it will share a portion of one project with neighboring Rhode Island. Massachusetts already has offshore wind energy underway including Vineyard Wind 1 which is currently under construction approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. The Commonwealth is targeting 5.6 GW of offshore wind by 2027.

"Today marks a historic milestone for Rhode Island and Massachusetts as we join forces to drive the largest offshore wind procurement in New England's history. With this project, Rhode Island is taking a significant step forward," said Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee.

However, the latest solicitation round appears to have fallen short of its targets. Rhode Island, for example, indicated it was seeking up to 1.2 GW. 

The coordination of the solicitations by the three states was designed to provide developers the opportunity to split their projects in an approach to lower risk and attract more attention. However, in the end, the processes selected just three projects, one of which will share a small portion with Rhode Island. The three projects selected come from Avangrid for New England Wind 1 as well as a partner with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners for Vineyard Wind. Avangrid is becoming a wholly owned division of Spain’s Iberdrola. The other project selected, SouthCoast Wind, comes from a partnership of EDP and Engine called Ocean Winds.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island will share SouthCoast Wind which will have a total capacity of 1,287 MW with 1,087 MW for Massachusetts and the remaining 200 MW for Rhode Island. The project is in the zone south of Martha’s Vineyard and will be approximately 60 miles from Rhode Island with landfall connections planned for both Fall River, Rhode Island, and Somerset, Massachusetts. They target beginning construction in 2025 and expect to deliver power by 2030.

New England Wind 1 would be about 30 miles south of Barnstable, Massachusetts, and border Vineyard Wind 1. It will have a capacity of 791 MW and also targets beginning construction in 2025. Full commercial operations should be reached by 2029.

The third selected project is Vineyard Wind 2. Massachusetts reports it will take up to 800 MW of the 1,200 MW project, implying it will be shared with another state.

The companies are each emphasizing the investments to be made in the port structure to support these projects, which will work from New Bedford and Salem, in Massachusetts, New London in Connecticut, and Providence Port, Rhode Island. New England Wind 1 will invest $130 million for the marshaling port in Salem and will have an operations and maintenance hub in New Bedford. Vineyard Wind 2 will also stage in Salem and have its O&M in New Bedford. Avangrid also highlights a new manufacturing facility in New Bedford while SouthCoast will marshal turbines at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal and have its operations at the Foss Terminal in New Bedford.

Each of the projects will begin contract negotiations with the states. The goal is to complete the contracts this winter.