May 31, 2018 — An analysis of the offshore wind energy development projects awarded in Massachusetts and Rhode Island last week suggests that, amid the euphoria, the developers of the projects still have a lot to do before they can start work.

As highlighted previously by OWJ, on 23 May 2018 Massachusetts electric distribution companies selected Vineyard Wind, a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, as the preferred provider of 800 MW of offshore wind generation for the Massachusetts power market and Rhode Island selected Deepwater Wind as the preferred provider of 400 MW to Rhode Island. Both companies propose to generate the electricity from wind projects they intend to construct on federal leases on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Vineyard Wind’s proposal to build an array of about 100 8 MW turbines will see power transmitted via an undersea cable to Cape Cod, where it will tie in with existing transmission and substation infrastructure. The project will also incorporate distributed battery energy storage.

However, as law firm Beveridge & Diamond highlighted recently, even though Vineyard Wind won the request for proposals process, it is not yet over. Final contract negotiations between Vineyard Wind and the Massachusetts utilities are due to conclude by 2 July 2018, and a contract will be submitted to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) by 31 July 2018. The DPU will have until 31 December 2018 to approve or reject that contract.

Read the full story at the Offshore Wind Journal