Sierra Club Applauds Offshore Wind Announcements

BOSTON, MA -- The Baker Administration announced today that Vineyard Wind has been selected to construct an 800 megawatt (MW) offshore wind project in federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts. Simultaneously the State of Rhode Island announced it will enter into negotiations with Deepwater Wind to procure 400 MW of offshore wind energy.

The Massachusetts procurement is a result of the 2016 Energy Diversity Act, which requires the state’s electric distribution companies to obtain 1,600 MW of offshore wind energy by 2027, which would power over 900,000 homes in the state.

A recent report by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center found that the deployment of 1,600 MW of offshore wind is estimated to create between 2,270 and 3,170 job years — defined as one person working full-time for one year — over the next ten years, and could generate up to $800 million in direct economic revenue to Massachusetts.

In response, Deb Pasternak, Chair of the Massachusetts Sierra Club and Emily Norton, Massachusetts Sierra Club Chapter Director said the following:

“These projects will provide our region with clean renewable energy, helping the Commonwealth meet our mandated Global Warming Solutions Act emissions reduction goals, while driving global investment and job creation,” said Pasternak.

“This announcement is terrific news, but we must think of it as only the beginning,” said Norton. “With the cost of offshore wind falling precipitously, we can transition much more quickly to 100 percent clean energy than anyone thought possible - and there is no time to lose. We encourage the Baker Administration to move expeditiously on the next offshore wind procurement to get Massachusetts to the legislated 1,600 megawatts, and urge our state legislature to mandate additional procurements.”