Vineyard Wind Forms Local Ties

US offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind has entered into a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the Town of Barnstable in Massachusetts.

The agreement, which has been filed with the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB), represents another milestone for the United States’ first large-scale offshore wind farm as it advances through the permitting process to the onset of construction in 2019 and operations by 2021, Vineyard Wind said.

The HCA requires Vineyard Wind to make annual payments to the Town of at least USD 1.534 million each year in combined property taxes and Host Community Payments. The pact guarantees a total Host Community Payment of USD 16 million, plus an additional USD 60,000 for each year the project is in operation beyond 25 years.

The HCA also provides an opportunity for detailed review of Vineyard Wind’s specifications for a new substation by the Town.

The agreement with Barnstable follows the award and execution of long-term contracts between Vineyard Wind and Massachusetts’ electric distribution companies (EDCs) to construct an 800MW wind farm in federal waters south of Martha’s Vineyard and approximately 34 miles south of the Cape Cod mainland.

In addition to federal and state permitting reviews, the project is actively consulting with tribal and local agencies, including the Conservation Commission and Planning Boards of the Towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth. The project will also be reviewed by the Cape Cod Commission.