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March 9, 2021

Avangrid offshore project moves toward approval

Photo | Vineyard Wind Vineyard Wind is the nation's first utility-scale offshore wind energy project more than 14 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
By Matt Pilon

Connecticut utility parent and renewables developer Avangrid says it is one step closer to winning final approval for a massive offshore wind farm proposed off the coast of Massachusetts.

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has issued a comprehensive study of the potential environmental impacts of the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind 1 project, a joint venture between Orange-based Avangrid and Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

The project could be the first large-scale wind farm in the United States, though there are others in the pipeline.

The study, known as a final environmental impact statement, is the penultimate step in the federal permitting process, Avangrid said.

“We are one step closer toward realizing this historic clean energy project and delivering cost-effective clean energy, thousands of jobs and more than a billion dollars in economic benefits to Massachusetts,” Avangrid CEO Dennis V. Arriola said in a statement. “BOEM’s thorough review of Vineyard Wind 1 ensures that both the project and the offshore wind industry are well-positioned for long-term success.”

Avangrid said the project remains on track to reach financial closure in the second half of this year and begin delivering clean energy to Massachusetts in 2023. The final approval step is known as a record of decision, which BOEM would issue after a 30-day period has passed.

Connecticut has not committed to buy electricity from Vineyard Wind 1, though it has secured 800 megawatts worth of future renewable energy from another of Avangrid’s proposed projects, an off-shore wind farm called Park City Wind.

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