Shell and EDPR’s Mayflower Wind and the Orsted-Eversource partnership that recently triumphed in New York confirmed they’ve entered the race to supply offshore wind power to Connecticut.
Mayflower lodged an 800MW and a 400MW plan with the state, which launched a 2GW request for proposals in August with a deadline of 30 September to enter.
The oil group and Portuguese utility are jointly developing Mayflower after winning a lease area facing new England in an auction run by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) last December.
Mayflower has already thrown its hat into the ring for the second offshore wind RFP run by Massachusetts.
Mayflower president John Hartnett said of the Connecticut round: “The state’s comprehensive energy strategy calls for deployment of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy resources – and that is exactly what we are offering.”
Fresh from their triumph in New York’s tender, global offshore wind pacesetter Orsted and local utility Eversource confirmed they will enter the Connecticut race with several proposals from their Consititution Wind project.
The Connecticut RFP represents the state’s first dedicated procurement round for the renewable source.
Connecticut has already dipped its toe in the water for offshore wind, however, when the Orsted-owned Revolution Wind was last year successful in a general clean-energy tender.
Orsted North America president Thomas Brostrøm said: “Following up on the selection of our Revolution Wind project by the state and our investment to turn New London State Pier into a world-class offshore wind center, our proposed Constitution Wind project will be delivered by the industry’s leading experts to ensure the project is achievable, sustainable and successful for Connecticut.”