Massachusetts selected two projects on Friday with a total of 1,600 MW in generating capacity to move forward in its latest offshore wind energy procurement.
Mayflower Wind, awarded 400 MW and Vineyard Wind awarded 1,200 MW for its Commonwealth Wind project, will begin contract negotiations under the state’s 83C III request for proposals issued in May. If regulators approve the project contracts next year, they will bring the state’s OSW total to 3,200 MW.
“The bipartisan energy legislation our administration worked with the legislature to pass in 2016 has unlocked record low pricing and significant economic investment through three separate procurements, and the projects selected today further illustrate the potential offshore wind presents for our climate goals, our local workforce and our port communities,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.
In March, Baker signed climate legislation that authorized a new total of 5,600 MW of OSW procurements for the state by 2035. The 800-MW Vineyard Wind 1 project and the 804-MW first phase of the Mayflower Wind project won contracts under the 83C and 83C II RFPs, respectively. Vineyard Wind and Mayflower Wind were the only bidders for the latest RFP, with both entities providing multiple bid sizes. (See Mass. Governor Signs NextGen Climate Bill.)
Bidders had to address new provisions in the 83C III RFP relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. Their submissions included strategies to promote job access for disadvantaged community members and identified how projects would affect environmental justice populations in the state.
Commonwealth Wind
Avangrid (NYSE:AGR) subsidiary Avangrid Renewables and Denmark-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) submitted the Commonwealth bids as a joint venture, but the companies announced a restructuring in September. Under the agreement, Avangrid will buy the Commonwealth project and the lease area for the proposed 804-MW Park City Wind project. CIP will take control of a nearby lease area for development. (See Partners Behind Vineyard Wind Divvy up Leases.)
If the restructuring is approved, the Commonwealth project will bring Avangrid’s OSW portfolio to 2,400 MW, the company said.
Contract approval for Commonwealth will move several major infrastructure initiatives forward for the region.
The developer will site an OSW control center in New Bedford, Mass., that will provide remote project monitoring. New Bedford also will be the home of a service and maintenance hub through Avangrid’s partnership with Semco Maritime.
In addition, Prysmian Group plans to build a transmission cable manufacturing facility in a former coal plant in Somerset, Mass. And Crowley Marine will develop a wind turbine assembly and staging port at Salem Harbor Station. (See Vineyard Wind to Build Salem OSW Port if Mass. Approves Newest Bid.)
Mayflower Wind
The 400 MW Mayflower Wind bid is the second award for a lease that is co-owned by Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), EDP Renewables and Engie.
Development of the Mayflower project will support the buildout of an operations center in the city of Fall River. (See Mayflower Wind Pledges $81M for Economic Development in OSW Bid.) In addition, Mayflower said in October that it will work with Gladding-Hearn to build a crew transfer vessel.
“From their office on South Main to their O&M port at Borden & Remington and the tens of millions of dollars in support of education and training and supply chain growth, Fall River is poised to benefit city-wide and our residents — all of our residents — can celebrate in the new jobs and opportunities that the offshore wind industry promises to bring,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said in statement.
Mayflower signed an agreement in May to use transmission assets developed by Anbaric Development Partners in Somerset to connect OSW to the New England grid. The developers plan to interconnect both phases of Mayflower at Falmouth, Mass.