Orsted-Eversource joint venture Bay State Wind and Vineyard Wind have each submitted bids under Massachusetts’ second offshore wind solicitation.
Bay State Wind has included proposals for a 400MW project, as required by the request for proposals, and an 800MW project.
In addition to a 400MW project, Vineyard Wind’s proposal includes two options for an 800MW project.
The Bay State Wind project is proposed more than 40km off the south coast of Massachusetts and 24km off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
In response to feedback from fishermen and community members, Bay State Wind revised its turbine layout pattern to accommodate historical fishing patterns and help to provide greater ease of fishing within, and transiting through, the wind farm.
The developer said it has incorporated, and continues to incorporate, suggestions from fishermen and local stakeholders in order to balance the need for safe navigation, fishing concerns and clean energy production.
Orsted US offshore wind chief executive Thomas Brostrom said: “Since day one our team has been focused on delivering cost-effective, renewable offshore wind energy to the Bay State.
“Our project will not only create jobs and provide local investment, it will be delivered by the offshore wind’s leading experts to ensure the project is achievable, sustainable and successful for the commonwealth.”
Bay State Wind has been in development since 2015, with currently over 50 local full-time employees supporting project development in Massachusetts.
The team has gathered two years of floating light detection and ranging (FLIDAR) buoy-based wind speed data specific to the lease area and has conducted over 20,000km of geotechnical surveys in the lease area and along the export cable route.
The Vineyard 2 project proposed by Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners joint venture Vineyard Wind is located south of the 800MW Vineyard Wind project.
The design for Vineyard Wind 2 features turbines in rows aligned in an east-west direction, with spacing of 1 nautical mile between turbine rows.
Vineyard Wind chief executive Lars Pedersen said: “Vineyard Wind is very excited to submit these proposals, which offer significant job creation and port infrastructure investment opportunity for the region, while ensuring an attractive, fixed price for electric ratepayers.”
“We look forward to announcing additional details on this exciting project in the weeks ahead.”