DONG Energy is teaming up with Eversource Energy, a transmission builder from New England who has acquired a 50% ownership interest in Bay State Wind, to jointly develop the project planned off Massachusetts, the United States.
The proposed offshore wind farm would be located approximately 15-25 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard in an area that has the potential to develop at least 2,000 megawatts of electricity – enough to power one million Massachusetts homes, DONG Energy said.
The two companies said they will seek to jointly develop, construct and operate the utility-scale offshore wind project in a 50-50 partnership.
DONG Energy will lead the development and construction of the project’s offshore generation and transmission assets and Eversource will develop and construct the onshore transmission system.
In April of 2015, DONG Energy secured newly assigned project development rights to an ocean area 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard that was made available for lease by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in a competitive solicitation.
In August 2016, Massachusetts formally adopted a comprehensive energy bill that includes a first-of-its-kind mandate that state utilities purchase 1,600MW of offshore wind power by 2027. The first state-led procurement process will begin in June 2017.
The companies expect that first Bay State Wind power can be delivered in the early 2020s.