Massachusetts House legislators have voted overwhelmingly to require utilities to buy 1200MW of offshore wind energy.
The long-awaited Energy Diversity bill passed the House with a near-unanimous 154-1 vote and will now be considered in the Senate. It aslso supports 1200MW of large-scale hydroelectricity.
The legislation would require utilities to hold competitive solicitations and sign long-term contracts of 15 to 20 years.
During deliberation yesterday several amendments were withdrawn, including a proposal that would have made the 468MW Cape Wind project eligible to compete for a contract. The current bill excludes the wind farm planned in Nantucket Sound.
Dong Energy and OffshoreMW hold commercial leases for a pair of 1GW sites in federal waters about 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.
The New England state has among the most expensive electricity in the US.
Governor Charlie Baker has said he wants to sign the law before the legislative session ends on 31 July.
Image: reNEWS
