New England offshore wind auction draws multiple bidders

Wind Energy – USA

A combined Connecticut-Massachusetts-Rhode Island offshore wind solicitation on Wednesday attracted bids from at least four developers, including units of European energy firms Iberdrola and Orsted.

The U.S. offshore wind industry is showing signs of a comeback this year, with several projects in various stages of development and construction, after a disastrous 2023 of developers cancelling contracts and taking roughly $9.1 billion in write-offs and impairments on projects.

So far, Avangrid, Orsted, Vineyard Offshore, and SouthCoast Wind have made proposals in the tri-state auction, which is expected to play a critical role in federal and state plans to decarbonize the power grid and help mitigate climate change.

Avangrid, a member of the Iberdrola Group, submitted multiple proposals, including the 791-megawatt (MW) New England Wind 1 and the 1,080-MW New England Wind 2. If combined, the two projects could generate enough power to supply nearly 1 million homes.

Vineyard Offshore said it proposed the 1,200-megawatt (MW) Vineyard Wind 2, which would sit 29 miles (46.7 kilometers) south of Nantucket in Massachusetts. The project could start in 2031.

Vineyard Offshore is held by funds managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

Original Source: https://ocean-energyresources.com/2024/03/28/new-england-offshore-wind-auction-draws-multiple-bidders/