Offshore wind developers have until noon today to submit bids for a multi-state project in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. This represents the first regional offshore wind solicitation in New England.
Under an agreement last year, the three southern New England states solicited bids simultaneously, encouraging wind developers to create economies of scale across the region.
Power-generation capacity from the resulting contracts could total up to 6,800 megawatts combined. That’s more than eight times the size of Vineyard Wind.
The projects could power millions of homes, said Kate Sinding Daly, a senior vice president at the Conservation Law Foundation.
“It's a massive contribution, in terms of the offshore wind potential and commitments that we've made in New England,” she said. “This, together with the announcement last week of new wind energy areas open for development in the Gulf of Maine, really represents turning a corner, and the realization of the potential of offshore wind in our region.”
In Massachusetts, electric companies — at least one of which is also a wind developer — will participate in evaluating the bids, as they have in the past.
But, for the first time, the state will take the primary role in selecting the winning bids.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are scheduled to announce winners August 7. Connecticut has indicated it will select winning bidders sometime in the third quarter.
