The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”™s recent request for proposals for up to 2,000 MW of offshore wind power has attracted three bids.
Vineyard Wind LLC submitted a set of proposals called Park City Wind that would range between 408 MW to 1,200 MW. Although named in tribute to Bridgeport, the projects would be built in one of Vineyard Wind”™s two federally designated lease areas south of Martha”™s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Lars Pedersen, CEO of the New Bedford, Mass.-based Vineyard Wind, envisioned the proposal as “an opportunity for Connecticut to develop a world-class offshore wind industry in Bridgeport and solidify its role as a high value industry hub in the U.S. for years to come. Vineyard Wind looks forward to working with all stakeholders involved throughout the review process and will be announcing additional details about this exciting opportunity in the weeks ahead.”
Another bid came from Mayflower Wind, a joint venture of Shell New Energies US LLC and EDPR Offshore North America LLC. This bid included two proposed projects, one for 400 MW and one for 800 MW, to be built in a lease area that Mayflower Wind won last year in auction conducted by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
“Governor Lamont has outlined a vision for moving Connecticut toward a clean energy future and we believe our proposal can play a role in advancing that vision in an affordable manner,” Mayflower Wind President John Hartnett said. “The state”™s comprehensive energy strategy calls for deployment of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy resources ”“ and that is exactly what we are offering.”
The third bid is the Constitution Wind project from the teaming of Ørsted and Eversource, which acquired the 304 MW Revolution Wind project that won the state”™s first solicitation for offshore wind in 2018. Constitution Wind would be 65 miles off the coast of New London and has been in development since 2015 and was originally conceived as a 200 MW project, but has since been upgraded to meet the state”™s request for a minimum of 400 MW of wind power.
“Since 2015, our team has been focused on bringing affordable, renewable energy to Connecticut, a major opportunity for the state”™s clean energy future and economy,” said president of Ørsted North America and CEO of Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind Thomas Brostrøm. “Following up on the selection of our Revolution Wind project by the state and our investment to turn New London State Pier into a world-class offshore wind center, our proposed Constitution Wind project will be delivered by the industry”™s leading experts to ensure the project is achievable, sustainable and successful for Connecticut.”
