Avangrid Renewables has entered into a host community agreement with the Town of Barnstable for the 804MW Park City Wind offshore wind farm off Massachusetts in the US.
The agreement, which will be filed with the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, is a milestone for the project and positions Barnstable to secure significant local benefits from the continued development of the US offshore wind industry, Avangrid said.
Avangrid Renewables will pay the town $16m as a host community fee, above and beyond the applicable commercial taxes that will be assessed by the town as part of the agreement.
The company will also limit construction at the beach and along roadways to the non-summer months and will restore the western portion of the parking lot at Craigville Beach, which will be used for temporary staging.
Avangrid Renewables has also committed to taking extra measures, above and beyond standard engineering practice, to protect groundwater in Barnstable.
Barnstable will support transmission cables from the project to make an underground landfall at Craigville Beach and run underground along town roads to a newly constructed substation at Shootflying Hill Road.
Avangrid Renewables will coordinate with the planned installation of a municipal sewer line along the onshore route to minimise disruption and defray some of the town’s sewer line roadwork costs.
Barnstable Town manager Mark Ells said: “The Town of Barnstable is proud to continue to play a leadership role in our nation’s transition to clean energy.
“Hosting a second cable landing in Barnstable has allowed the Commonwealth to continue its efforts to chart a course for clean energy and climate action.
“The signing of a host community agreement with Park City Wind is a reflection of the strong community support for this clean energy initiative.
“The project and associated host community agreement will foster robust communication, cooperative planning and coordinated construction activities that will advance the Town’s sewer project, while providing millions of dollars in tax revenue and mitigation payments over the life of the project.
“We look forward to a productive relationship with Park City Wind as they continue with their efforts to provide clean and cost-effective energy.”
Avangrid Renewables offshore president and chief executive Bill White said: “As we continue to advance this vital new clean energy industry, Avangrid Renewables is honoured to work with the Town of Barnstable, which has demonstrated tremendous leadership in helping make offshore wind in the US a reality.
“By limiting construction to non-summer months, aligning with the Town’s sewer line installation work, and infusing significant revenue to support essential municipal services, this plan is a win-win for the Town of Barnstable and our mutual goal to build transformational clean energy projects like Park City Wind.”
The Park City Wind Host agreement is the second offshore wind benefits package signed by the Town of Barnstable, and follows the HCA the town signed for Vineyard Wind 1 in 2018.
Avangrid Renewables is a 50% joint owner of the Vineyard Wind project, along with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.