Avangrid Inc., Orange, Conn., has been awarded 791 megawatts (MW) by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the multi-state regional offshore wind solicitation. New England Wind 1 is an offshore wind development located in federal lease area OCS-A-0534, roughly 30 miles south of Barnstable, Mass.
“We are grateful to Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, and the leadership of the entire administration in advancing energy reliability and climate goals at this historic moment,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra, said in a prepared statement. “New England Wind 1 is positioned to deliver an urgent energy, climate, and economic solution to Massachusetts, and we look forward to working with the Commonwealth, Tribal Nations, organized labor, and our community partners moving forward.”
New England Wind 1 will produce enough electricity to power approximately 400,000 homes and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 300,000 gasoline-based cars off the road annually. The project will create more than 4,400 full-time equivalent jobs and bring $3 billion of local investment, including a new world class marshalling port in Salem, Mass., and a new offshore wind manufacturing facility in New Bedford, Mass. If a power purchase agreement is signed and approved, then the project can begin construction in 2025 and reach full commercial operation in 2029.
The project will border VW1, the U.S.’s first large-scale offshore wind project currently under construction 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. The project will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 full time equivalent job years, and save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation. As part of Iberdrola group, VW1 will join the global network of offshore wind projects in France, Germany and the UK. Iberdrola currently operates approximately 2.3 GW of offshore wind capacity globally and is on-target to have nearly 5 GW installed by 2026.
Avangrid’s renewable portfolio includes more than 75 projects spread across 22 states. It has over 9 gigawatts of installed wind and solar capacity.
