Both developers already under contract to deliver offshore wind power to Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind and Mayflower Wind, have been tapped to contribute to the state's third procurement after utility executives opted to piece together separate bids to secure the full 1,600 megawatts of cleaner power generation they were seeking.
The announcement Friday afternoon from Baker administration officials means that Massachusetts is poised to double the amount of offshore wind generation in its pipeline. Vineyard Wind I, an 800 megawatt project, is due to come online by the end of 2023 and Mayflower Wind's initial 804 megawatt project is expected to be up and running in 2025.
On Friday, the Baker administration announced that the 1,200 megawatt proposal from Vineyard Wind and a 400 megawatt proposal from Mayflower Wind were selected to jointly form the third wave of offshore wind power. By piecing together the two bids, officials were able to secure the full 1,600 megawatt the state sought in its solicitation even though both developers maxed out their proposals at 1,200 megawatt.
Mayflower Wind said its 400 megawatt proposal is accompanied by an economic development package that includes "commitments to spend up to $42.3 million, including $27 million over 10 years to the SouthCoast Community Foundation."
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"Mayflower Wind is looking forward to delivering low-cost renewable energy to residents and businesses throughout Massachusetts," CEO Michael Brown said. "And we are committed to investing in our local communities and being an engine for economic and workforce development."
Contracts with Vineyard Wind and Mayflower Wind are expected to be negotiated by March 28, 2022, and final contracts are supposed to be submitted for Department of Public Utilities approval by April 27, 2022.
