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Deepwater Wind will establish a significant construction and long-term operations hub in the City of New Bedford for its Revolution Wind project if selected by the state’s utilities, the company announced today, becoming the first offshore wind developer to commit to using New Bedford as its base.
Deepwater Wind’s plans for the Revolution Wind project to use the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal and other facilities in the City will help to jumpstart the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts.
Deepwater Wind will be the first offshore wind company to use the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal if its Revolution Wind project proposal is approved in January by Massachusetts utilities.
The Revolution Wind project will use the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal for significant construction and staging operations – creating approximately 700 direct regional construction jobs to complete the first 144 megawatts (MW) of what could be a much larger project over time.
It is expected that the economic activity located in the City will lead to hundreds of additional indirect jobs. Many of these jobs will be located in New Bedford as part of Revolution Wind’s use of the marine terminal and other facilities.
“This is just the start of the regional economic benefits generated from Deepwater Wind’s projects. Revolution Wind will occupy just 20 percent of our site. As we build future projects in the site, we’ll create many more jobs in the region,” said Jeffrey Grybowski, Deepwater Wind’s Chief Executive Officer.
“We have worked hard to position New Bedford to become the leading offshore wind port on the East Coast,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. “Deepwater Wind’s announcement today that it will use New Bedford as its base for the first major offshore wind project in New England is a major step in that direction. We look forward to working with Deepwater to help create job opportunities for our residents and grow our maritime economy.”
During its use of port facilities in the City, the Revolution Wind project will pay $5.5 million in annual fees to the state and $500,000 annually to the City of New Bedford.
“These funds will make it possible for the Port of New Bedford to provide essential additional port services, invest in and plan for the future growth of the port, and help maintain our leadership role in commercial fishing by successfully integrating an emerging industry on our waterfront,” said Port Director Edward Anthes-Washburn.
Upon approval by the Massachusetts utilities, the 144 MW Revolution Wind project will generate between $200 to $250 million in direct and indirect regional economic activity.
In addition, Deepwater Wind will locate ongoing operations and maintenance for the Revolution Wind project in New Bedford. Deepwater Wind is working with the City to identify suitable sites for an operations and maintenance facility and vessel dockage. That work will create another approximately 60 direct and indirect annual jobs over the 25-year lifespan of the wind farm.
“Our leadership in the Southcoast delegation ensured significant procurement of renewable offshore wind, utilizing New Bedford as the main port,” said State Senator Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford), who authored key amendments during the 2016 energy debate to ensure stable and consistent offshore wind procurements. “New Bedford’s key role in this emerging industry is made possible by state-funded
infrastructure and dynamic public-private partnerships with innovative developers like Deepwater Wind. This is an opportunity for significant economic growth and job creation in our city and the entire Southcoast region.”
“When the Southcoast delegation came together to fight for this procurement, we threw our weight behind the idea that the offshore wind industry would establish a prominent presence here in New Bedford,” said State Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral (D-New Bedford). “It is incredibly rewarding for the entire community to see Deepwater Wind’s plans taking shape, with new jobs soon to follow. Through thoughtful capital investment, we paved the way for this industry to make roots in our City and soon, our region will lead the nation in energy production once again.”
“There is no better home for our Revolution Wind project than the Port of New Bedford,” said Matthew Morrissey, Deepwater Wind Vice President Massachusetts.
“Offshore wind will transform the port to become one of the country’s premier offshore wind hubs and create hundreds of good, well-paying jobs for local workers in one of the country’s most exciting new industries.”
The Revolution Wind proposal is the first utility-scale offshore wind proposal to be offered to the Commonwealth through competitive procurements authorized by the state’s landmark 2016 energy legislation.
Deepwater Wind proposed the 144 MW, 24 turbine Revolution Wind farm – paired with a 40 megawatt-hour battery storage system provided by Tesla – in response to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ request for proposals for new sources of clean energy in Section 83D of the Act to Promote Energy Diversity. Deepwater Wind also provided alternative bids for a larger 288 MW version of Revolution Wind and a
smaller 96 MW version. Revolution Wind would be the largest combined offshore wind and energy storage
project in the world. Deepwater Wind will build Revolution Wind in the company’s federal lease site off the coast of Massachusetts. The site is located 30 miles from the mainland and about 15 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.
Utilities and state regulators are expected to make a decision in January, 2018 on the Revolution Wind proposal. If approved, local construction work on Revolution Wind would begin in 2022, with the project in operations in 2023. Survey work is already underway at Deepwater Wind’s lease area.
Deepwater Wind also intends to submit an offshore wind proposal under Massachusetts’ separate 83C offshore wind RFP; those bids are due in December
