Winds of Change

Think of it as Oil Patch version 2.0.

As the nation’s nascent offshore wind industry begins revving up, New London and the surrounding region are poised to become front-and-center in the push to bring large-scale offshore renewable energy to the nation.

Roughly 10 big commercial wind projects — some languishing in the pipeline for years — are beginning to catch a tangible updraft. Once turning, colossal turbines rising off southern New England’s coast will bring enough power ashore to light millions of homes.

Illustration by Scott Ritter/The Day 

In Connecticut, a major overhaul of State Pier in New London is expected to begin this spring. Danish wind developer Orsted, and its partner, New England’s Eversource Energy, will use the revamped pier as a staging area for three big projects in federal waters just east of Block Island, R.I.

And in Washington, the Biden administration says it wants to start a slate of environmental reviews, make cash available to ports and developers, and offer new areas for lease off the coast of New York and New Jersey. The goal is to open the spigot on projects that promise to spur the economy while slashing harmful carbon monoxide emissions.

Indeed, the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management announced Thursday that it will begin an environmental review of Orsted and Eversource’s Revolution Wind, starting the clock on a 30-day public comment period. Revolution Wind, located in federal waters 20 miles south of Rhode Island, would supply 304 megawatts of power to Connecticut and 400 MW to the Ocean State.  

Read the article at The Day – https://www.theday.com/business/20210429/winds-of-change