Offshore
Revolution Wind Receives Federal Record of Decision
Critical Milestone Paves the Way for Rhode Island and Connecticut’s First Utility-Scale Offshore Wind Farm to Begin Onshore Construction in Coming Weeks
Revolution Wind today announced receipt of its Record of Decision (ROD) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), successfully reaching a major milestone in the federal environmental review process for the offshore wind project serving Rhode Island and Connecticut.
With this milestone, Revolution Wind remains on track to begin onshore construction activities in the coming weeks, with offshore construction ramping up in 2024. The project is expected to be operational in 2025.
Revolution Wind – Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm – will create thousands of direct, indirect, and induced jobs, as well as permanent operations and maintenance jobs across both states. Once complete, the 704-megawatt Revolution Wind will deliver 400 megawatts of clean, affordable offshore wind power to Rhode Island and 304 megawatts of the same to Connecticut, powering more than 350,000 homes across the two states and helping the states reach their ambitious climate goals.
“This significant federal decision reflects a thorough review and assessment of the project’s impacts by BOEM. Now, we may proceed with the project’s construction, heading into 2024 with the goal of being commercially operational in 2025,” said Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee. “The Revolution Wind project will play a significant role in advancing the state’s Act on Climate law, growing our clean energy economy, and achieving our 100% renewable energy standard objectives.”
“The extreme weather we’ve experienced this summer underscores the growing dangers and devastating effects of global warming as well as the need for bold solutions to address the climate crisis,” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. “This decision from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which paves the way for Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm, is welcome news for the state’s clean energy goals, and will help improve our environmental health and drive economic growth, particularly in towns along the shoreline where staging and assembly work is occurring.”
“Revolution Wind will be key to Rhode Island and Connecticut’s clean energy future, and we’re grateful for the leadership from the Biden Administration, as well as our state partners and federal delegations, to grow the region’s offshore wind sector,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “With the federal Record of Decision, we now advance Revolution Wind to the construction phase, bringing good-paying jobs to hundreds of local union construction workers, keeping local ports busy with assembly and marshaling activities and further growing the local supply chain. We’re excited to get to work building this important project.”
“After years of careful planning, today, we celebrate the beginning of Revolution Wind’s transition from a dream to a reality,” said Joe Nolan Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Energy. “Having reached this important milestone, in the coming weeks we will begin onshore construction on this critical clean energy project, which will produce enough renewable energy to power more than 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and for our customers in Connecticut. We are thrilled to be getting the next phase of this project started, as we continue to deliver on our promise of investing in local communities and creating jobs for workers in the industries of tomorrow, today.”
“Rhode Island’s offshore wind experience offers a national model and is helping to chart the course toward a cleaner energy future,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. “When it comes to harnessing the power of offshore wind, America must keep pace with global competitors. This innovative project is bringing good-paying jobs and clean energy benefits for generations of Rhode Islanders, with a goal of protecting the environment and reducing long-term energy costs.”
“This milestone is an encouraging step toward Rhode Island’s 100 percent renewable electricity future,” said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “I applaud the Revolution Wind team for their commitment to bringing offshore wind online and for their continued investment in the Ocean State’s economy and long-term success.”
“Offshore wind can lower the cost of electricity for working people, create good jobs, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and lower emissions,” said U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I am pleased that after a thoughtful process, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has approved the Revolution Wind project, which will further solidify Rhode Island’s leadership in the transition to affordable clean energy.
“As we confront the climate crisis, the need for clean energy has never been more urgent and Revolution Wind is making offshore wind a reality for residents of Connecticut,” said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. “This project will not only help meet our state’s clean energy goals but will also be a boon to our talented workforce by supporting their good union jobs. I will continue to fight to deliver more federal funding to Connecticut to make our energy infrastructure and communities climate resilient.”
“I recently visited the new State Pier to see the first of several shipments of offshore wind turbine blades for Ørsted and Eversource’s first project unloaded from the cargo ship,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney. “Today’s announcement is another positive step towards cleaner energy and great economic opportunity for Connecticut and the region. Revolution Wind—one of the first projects of its kind in the Northeast U.S.—will directly power Connecticut homes, create good-paying jobs, and significantly reduce carbon-emitting power.”
As part of Revolution Wind, Eversource and Ørsted have already made several local investments, including:
Committed more than $100 million in direct investment to the State Pier redevelopment project in the Port of New London, transforming the site into a state-of-the-art, heavy-lift marine terminal where Revolution Wind turbines will be staged and assembled, as well as Sunrise Wind. Staging and assembly for South Fork Wind is currently underway at the port.
Established a regional offshore wind foundation component manufacturing facility at ProvPort, where Revolution Wind components are already being built.
Partnered with two local shipyards – Blount Boats, in Warren, R.I., and Senesco Marine, in Quonset Point, R.I. – to build five new crew-transfer vessel.
Invested $1 million to establish a training partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Rhode Island Commerce, the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and Building Futures.
Signed first-ever U.S. offshore wind helicopter agreement for new crew helicopters, including a $1.8 million investment in Quonset State Airport where the helicopters are based and currently supporting South Fork Wind’s construction.
Collaborated with Waterford, Connecticut-based marine services provider Sea Services North America, and its partner fishermen in Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York to support safe navigation in and around the companies’ Northeast offshore wind farms.
Contributed $1.25 million to Mystic Aquarium to support critical marine research and wildlife protection as well as educational programming and career resources for women and children.
Contributed $950,000 to Groton-based Project Oceanology to launch a hands-on, inquiry-based K-12 STEM program focused on climate change, sustainability, energy generation and offshore wind.
Partnered with Groton, Connecticut-based maritime automation technology developer ThayerMahan to monitor wildlife and seabeds in connection with the Revolution Wind.
BOEM’s issuance of the Record of Decision precedes the anticipated approval of Revolution Wind’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP) in November. The COP outlines the detailed construction, operation and maintenance activities of a wind farm, including the responsible decommissioning at end of life, the potential impacts, actions and design alternatives, and the proposed measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate potential impacts from the project.
About Ørsted
A global clean energy leader, Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is the first energy company in the world with a science-based net-zero emissions target as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
In the United States, the company has approximately 700 employees and a growing portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. A leader across the renewable energy sector in the United States, Ørsted holds the top position in offshore wind energy with approximately 5 gigawatts in development and operates America’s first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the Ørsted U.S. business, visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ØrstedUS).
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4.3 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, Eversource is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2021 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
Offshore
The world’s most powerful floating offshore wind turbine rolled off the line at CRRC’s Sheyang production site
CRRC’s Qihang 20MW floating offshore wind turbine successfully rolled off the production line in Sheyang, Jiangsu. As the world’s most powerful floating offshore wind turbine, Qihang is expected to break the geographical limitations and extend wind power generation to even broader deep blue seas.
The wind turbine features a sweeping area equivalent to more than 7 standard football fields, a blade tip speed of up to that of a high-speed train (HST), and a power level of 20 megawatts. A single unit provides the ability to output clean electricity by 62 million kilowatt hours per year, which addresses the need of about 37,000 households, saving 25,000 tons of coal and reducing 62,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
In addition, the wind turbine is designed with leading concepts, aiming to provide such advantages as system modularity, superior stability, and across-chain collaboration. Modular unit, function and platform allow for optional power levels, functionalities, bases and floating platforms. With wave and wind resistant floating design, it incorporates customized components with low failure rate, high fault tolerance, and strong vibration resistance, which underwent extensive experimental verifications to ensure safe, stable, and reliable operation. Based on the proven HST technology and rich experience of CRRC, and supported by the most comprehensive wind power equipment supply chain, it offers leadership in terms of product performance and core technology, and is described by many as “standing HST” created by CRRC.
Consulting
DNV tapped to help lenders and investors assess USD 40 billion worth of U.S. offshore wind projects
DNV is performing due diligence to enable the financing of eight offshore wind projects on the United States’ Atlantic Coast. The announcement follows news from DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook 2024 report, which forecasts that about 10 GW of fixed offshore wind is set to be installed in the U.S. between 2040 and 2050. While the industry has seen headwinds recently, and the latest Energy Transition Outlook has tempered its overall forecast for offshore wind, projects are still moving steadily forward, as reflected by the robust financing activity in the U.S. The offshore wind projects DNV is assessing collectively represent 13 GW of clean energy capacity, which would increase the U.S.’s total wind power capacity by nearly 9% if they become operational.
The technical due diligence DNV is providing to the financial stakeholders for these offshore wind projects is grounded in sound engineering judgement which is very important for developers, lenders and investors. This methodology is an evolution of the company’s proven approach that has enabled on-time financing for thousands of onshore wind, solar, transmission and battery energy storage projects in the U.S. and Canada.
DNV has also established local, in-house expertise around the intricacies of U.S. project finance and the structures that have emerged since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), such as transferability. Many stakeholders in the U.S. offshore wind industry are headquartered in Europe and rely upon DNV for its on-the-ground knowledge of the U.S. financing landscape. For these eight offshore wind projects, DNV is providing pre-commitment and construction monitoring due diligence to ensure all stakeholders understand the risks of the project prior to final investment decision and further capitalize on tax credit monetization opportunities from the IRA. These services are delivered within established financing mechanisms and processes to ensure on-time closing.
“So far, three of the eight offshore wind projects we’re involved with have reached a final investment decision and the balance is making rapid progress towards this milestone. Our customers are now getting steel in the water and creating benefits for local communities,” said Richard S. Barnes, region president for Energy Systems North America. “We’ve learned that the offshore wind projects getting financed and moving into the development and construction stages are the ones where developers can hit narrow installation windows because they’ve identified and mitigated risks around vessel availability, supply chain, and evolving regulatory requirements.
” DNV’s U.S.-based offshore wind team enabled clients to succeed in California’s 2022 offshore auction, providing in-depth assessments of the technical, societal, and environmental risks around offshore wind development in Oregon and Maine, and are addressing barriers on behalf of the industry to accelerate the deployment of high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology. This regional team is backed up by a global network of experts that has assessed 50 GW of offshore wind energy.
“DNV uses our advisory expertise to help offshore wind projects increase performance and minimize risks. Success relies on understanding the dependencies between different parts of the offshore wind value chain – this is why we take a full lifecycle approach to managing risks and reducing costs,” concluded Barnes.
Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the execution of the nation’s first floating offshore wind energy research lease. The lease area covers a little under 15,000 acres located 28 nautical miles offshore Maine on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and could allow for the deployment of up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy.
The research array will allow the State, the fishing community, wildlife experts, the offshore wind industry, and others to conduct in-depth studies and thoroughly evaluate floating offshore wind as a renewable energy source in the region. Research conducted on the array will evaluate its compatibility with existing ocean uses and assess its potential effects on the environment, supply chains, and job creation.
“Floating wind opens up opportunities to produce renewable energy in deeper water farther offshore.” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Signing the Gulf of Maine research lease demonstrates the commitment by both BOEM and the State of Maine to promote a clean energy future for the nation. It is another example of a successful all-of-government effort to reach the Administration’s offshore wind energy goals and to combat the impacts of climate change.”
Information gathered from the research lease will inform responsible commercial floating offshore wind development in the future and allow BOEM and Maine to capitalize on innovative technology, while protecting local and national interests and industries.
“Clean energy from offshore wind offers an historic opportunity for Maine to create good-paying jobs, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and fight climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said Maine Governor Janet Mills. “This lease between the State and BOEM to support the nation’s first research array devoted to floating offshore wind technology is the result of extensive engagement with stakeholders and communities across our state to establish Maine as a leader in responsible offshore wind, in balance with our state’s marine economy and environment.”
Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has approved the nation’s first nine commercial scale offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of more than 13 gigawatts of clean energy — enough to power nearly 5 million homes. In that time, the Department has held five offshore wind lease auctions – including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. The Department also recently announced a schedule to hold up to 12 additional lease sales through 2028. On August 14, BOEM will hold an offshore wind lease sale for the Central Atlantic, auctioning areas offshore Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia that could generate up to 6.3 gigawatts of clean energy and power up to 2.2 million homes.
BOEM received an application from the State of Maine for a renewable energy research lease in October 2021. On March 20, 2023, BOEM issued a Determination of No Competitive Interest for the area identified in Maine’s application.
BOEM engaged with the State of Maine Governor’s Energy Office throughout the application review and lease development process to develop a lease that yields high-quality research on offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. On May 24, 2024, BOEM offered a research lease to the State of Maine after completing a Final Environmental Assessment and associated finding of no significant impacts.
As a research lease, the State of Maine or its designated operator will propose and conduct research regarding environmental and engineering aspects of the proposed project. This information will be made public and used to inform future planning, permitting, and construction of commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects in the region.
Construction activity on the research array is not likely to occur for several years. The lessee is first required to submit a Research Activities Plan to BOEM, which will undergo environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act. Additional details on the timing of construction will become clearer as the permitting process progresses.
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