In lieu of the lack of action on climate change by the federal government, New England states have bound together to create the New England for Offshore Wind coalition.
The coalition is made up of partners in each of the six New England states; Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont, with the goal of dramatically drawing down New England's reliance on fossil fuels. New England is in a unique situation compared to the rest of the country, with 473 miles of combined coastline, we are the ideal candidate for major offshore wind collaboration.
The six New England states share a 30 gigawatt (GW) electric grid, and with participation from all states, 1/3 of that (at least 8-10 GW) can be attained from offshore wind.
OFFSHORE WIND IN CONNECTICUT
During the 2019 legislative session, Connecticut lawmakers worked to pass HB 7156, now Public Act 19-71, to procure 2,000 megawatts (MW), (2 GW), of energy from a new offshore wind facility to be built off the coast of New London. This is a significant investment in clean energy that will help us to reduce emissions, fight climate change, create jobs, and transition away from fossil fuels.
Since the bill passed in the Connecticut General Assembly, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) began an extensive request for proposals and review process. Specifically, DEEP has established a Wildlife Mitigation Plan working group to address the necessary policies to minimize the effects on wildlife in Long Island Sound during the drilling and construction process.
Now, DEEP selected a bid from Vineyard Wind for 804 MW in Bridgeport. This is a huge step in the right direction. We're looking forward to seeing the full bid once the contract is finalized in the weeks to come.
