Vineyard Wind submits proposals for two more projects
Written by Nick BlenkeyHard on the heels of raising $2.3 billion to start construction of its first project, Vineyard Wind last week submitted proposals for two more wind energy developments offshore Massachusetts. The company’s proposed Commonwealth Wind developments would see approximately 800 megawatts (MW) and 1,200 MW of energy being produced in an area just south of its Vineyard Wind 1 and Park City Wind projects.
The company, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), says that Commonwealth Wind will adhere to the 1 x 1 nautical mile spacing between turbines, which was endorsed by the United States Coast Guard as the preferred layout for safety and navigation.
“Just one day after announcing that Vineyard Wind has brought the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm to financial close, we are incredibly proud to submit our ‘Commonwealth Wind’ proposals,” said Lars Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind. “We have used all of our experience with our existing portfolio to put together an incredibly strong proposal that, if selected, will ensure Massachusetts benefits significantly from its first-mover status in pioneering offshore wind at scale in the U.S. We have deliberately named our proposals ‘Commonwealth Wind’ to underline the broad benefit of affordable energy to the entire Commonwealth as well as the significant economic benefits that will be delivered to multiple regions of Massachusetts.”
Currently, Vineyard Wind has 1,604 MW of wind energy under development for Massachusetts (Vineyard Wind 1) and Connecticut (Park City Wind). Since 2017, the Vineyard Wind 1 project has been through an extensive public review process that generated more than 30,000 public comments, more than 90% of which supported the project. The company notes that the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) was reviewed by more than two dozen federal, state, and local agencies over the course of more than three and a half years. Park City Wind started its federal review process in 2021 and is currently undergoing review at the local, state and federal levels.