Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the winners of their joint offshore wind auction on Friday. The three projects they selected will be built south of Nantucket and collectively produce up to 2,878 megawatts of electricity — or about what it takes to power 1.6 million homes.
While this total is less than half of what the states originally sought to procure, it helps bring them closer to their legally binding offshore wind targets.
Connecticut, which was also part of the multi-state effort to solicit proposals, did not select any bids on Friday, but left the door open to doing so in the future. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the state was still evaluating projects and would announce "a final decision" about its solicitation "at a future date."
When the three states announced their partnership, they had hoped to procure 6,800 megawatts of power — Massachusetts wanted 3,600 megawatts, Connecticut wanted 2,000 megawatts and Rhode Island wanted 1,200.
Though they missed that target, Massachusetts officials touted the bids as great news, noting that it is the largest offshore wind procurement to date in New England.
“We’re going big,” Gov. Maura Healey said at a press conference Friday. “These projects will help create a stronger economy, massive economic development, and importantly, lower electricity costs for our residents and our businesses.”
The proposed wind farms include:
- SouthCoast Wind: 1,087 MW for Massachusetts; 200 MW for Rhode Island
- New England Wind 1: 791 MW for Massachusetts
- Vineyard Wind 2: 800 MW for Massachusetts
Though the total power from the accepted bids is less than the state hoped for, Amy Boyd Rabin, vice president of policy at the Environmental League of Massachusetts, said she thought the auction was a win.
“2,600 megawatts is still a very large number and amount to 20% of electric demand in Massachusetts,” she said.
By law, Massachusetts must have at least 5,600 megawatts of offshore wind under contract, but not necessarily built, by 2027. Between the three projects it selected today, and the 800 megawatt Vineyard Wind project currently under construction, the state has just over 3,400 megawatts in the pipeline.
Connecticut currently has 300 megawatts under contract, and Rhode Island now has 630 megawatts in the pipeline.
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources acting commissioner Chris Kearns said the state plans to procure more offshore wind energy as early as next year, and hopes to work with neighboring states again. Massachusetts will also open another offshore wind auction next year.
Friday’s news comes after nearly two years of economic tumult in the industry, when developers up and down the East Coast canceled contracts for wind projects, saying they could not make them financially viable because of inflation, higher interest rates and supply chain problems.
Some of the proposals selected Friday are reincarnations of these previously canceled projects.
It wasn't immediately clear how much electricity from these new farms would cost. The price will likely be announced sometime during the winter as utilities finalize 20-year contracts with the developers.
While electricity from this round of offshore wind projects will be more expensive than recently built wind farms, state officials are adamant that they still represent a a good deal for New England ratepayers.
“A rising tide lifts all boats, and Massachusetts clean energy transition is that rising tide,” said Elizabeth Mahoney, Massachusetts Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources. “A net zero Massachusetts will not rely on expensive, volatile fossil fuels. It will have a thriving economy bolstered by renewable energy, [more] quality high-paying jobs, cleaner air and healthier lungs, and reduced costs for our families and businesses.”
Still, not everyone is celebrating today’s news.
Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association, said he was “shocked” that the New England states are awarding more contracts less than two months after a blade broke off a Vineyard Wind turbine.
In mid-July, a blade on a recently installed turbine in the Vineyard Wind Project near Martha’s Vineyard broke, sending tons of fiberglass and foam debris into the ocean. Much of it washed up on the south side of Nantucket, and several beaches had to close while the material was cleaned up.
“While earnestly billing themselves as eco-forward, certain officials are making it clear that foreign companies can tarnish American fisheries and face no consequences,” Leeman said.
GE Vernova, which made and installed the blade, blamed a manufacturing error for the failure and said the company would reinspect every blade produced in the same factory. Two GE Vernova blades in United Kingdom wind farms also failed this year, though the company said neither was a result of the same manufacturing error that caused the Vineyard Wind blade to snap.
Annie Hawkins, of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance [RODA], a group that represents the commercial fishing industry, also questioned the decision to solicit more offshore wind contracts at this time.
“In light of the open investigation of the recent Vineyard Wind GE Vernova turbine blade failure, RODA questions if issuing additional procurement agreements is prudent, as questions surrounding the environmental harm caused by turbine construction and potential failure remain unanswered.”
Vineyard Wind's 10 operational turbines remain shut down pending the results of a federal investigation, but the company was given a green light to continue some aspects of construction. When this project is complete, it will have 62 turbines capable of generating enough power for about 400,000 homes.
It’s been a tough summer for offshore wind, Boyd Rabin, of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, conceded. But the future of the nascent industry here in the Northeast remains bright, she added.
“Massachusetts is still making a big commitment to offshore wind and I think that’s a sign for the industry of good things,” she said.
According to Massachusetts officials, all three project developers have promised to create thousands of high-paying jobs, directly invest in the regional economy and headquarter construction and operations out of local ports in New Bedford, Salem, New London and Providence.
Two of the projects, SouthCoast Wind and New England Wind 1, are expected to begin construction as early as next year and get power flowing to the grid by 2030.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2024 WBUR