Vineyard Offshore and Energy New England Announce Partnership for Purchase of Offshore Wind
Will provide access to clean power from Vineyard Wind 2 for municipal light departments
(Boston) – Vineyard Offshore (VO), the nation’s leading offshore wind development company, and municipal light plant cooperative Energy New England (ENE) have announced their intention to explore opportunities for ENE or its member municipal light departments to purchase clean power generated by VO’s proposed Vineyard Wind 2 or a future project, should VO be awarded a power purchase contract through a Massachusetts procurement.
“Energy New England and their municipal utility members have long been leaders in bringing clean, cost-effective and reliable clean power directly to New England homes and businesses, and we are therefore thrilled to announce this partnership to allow these communities to access the next generation of offshore wind for New England,” said Alicia Barton, CEO of Vineyard Offshore.
“Vineyard Offshore believes offshore wind is the most critical resource needed to deliver on Massachusetts’ and the region’s climate goals, and we look forward to working with ENE and its members to realize the significant benefits that our Vineyard Wind 2 project can deliver.”
“We are continuously looking for ways to help the more than 20 municipal light plants that are members of Energy New England increase and diversify their renewable energy portfolios in support of the Commonwealth’s environmental goals, and offshore wind will be a key part achieving these goals,” said John Tzimorangas, President and CEO of Energy New England. “We have the greatest confidence in Vineyard Offshore as a partner in bringing this vital new source of clean power to Massachusetts cities and towns. They have shown to be good partners and stewards in this emerging industry.”
Vineyard Offshore has proposed Vineyard Wind 2 in response to solicitations offered by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Should the project be awarded by Massachusetts, the power generated by the 1,200 megawatt (MW) installation would be under contract with the three Massachusetts investor-owned utilities – Eversource, National Grid, and Until – which do not serve communities with municipal light plants.
Under a letter of intent signed by the two entities, VO and ENE would explore options for purchase of generation in excess of the 1,200 MW reserved for the three large utilities, or additional power from a future project awarded by Massachusetts, by ENE or some of its affiliated municipal utilities. Vineyard Offshore estimates that potentially capacity of up to 20 MW, or enough to power 10,000 homes, could be available for these municipal utilities.
For the Vineyard Wind 2 proposal to the three New England states, ENE submitted a letter of support, as did 14 of its affiliated municipal utilities – Belmont, Braintree, Concord, Hingham, Holden, Littleton, Merrimac, Middleton, Reading, Taunton, and Wellesley – which serve a total of 24 Massachusetts cities and towns.
About Vineyard Offshore
Vineyard Offshore, an affiliate of CIP, is leading the development of two lease areas in the Northeast, in addition to a recently acquired lease in Northern California, OCS-P 0562. Lease area OCS-A 522, known as Vineyard Northeast, is located off the coast of Massachusetts. OCS-A 544, known as Vineyard Mid-Atlantic and home to the Excelsior Wind Project, is located in the New York Bight. Combined with its joint venture development of the first-in-the-nation offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind 1, now under construction, Vineyard Offshore has the potential to develop more than 6 gigawatts of clean, renewable, and affordable energy on the East and West Coasts of the United States. To learn more, visit: www.vineyardoffshore.com.
About Energy New England
Energy New England (ENE) is a municipal light plan cooperative that was established in 1998. Owned by light departments in Braintree, Concord, Hingham, Reading, Taunton, and Wellesley, Massachusetts, ENE provides energy trading, wholesale risk management, and other services to municipal utilities in the Northeast. ENE is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to providing its members with access to a diverse range of energy resources with the best possible service and at the lowest possible cost.
