Vineyard Wind reveals New York offshore wind bid details

Vineyard Wind has submitted bids to develop its Liberty Wind offshore wind project in New York in response to the state’s second offshore wind solicitation.

Iberdrola, parent company of Avangrid Renewables which is the 50% owner of Vineyard Wind, announced its participation in New York’s second offshore wind solicitation on 20 October.

The proposals include six options for up to 1,300 MW of offshore wind power, including one that would represent the single largest direct economic benefit commitment of any offshore wind project in the U.S so far, the company said.

Liberty Wind, located 84 miles east of Montauk Point, will utilize the 1 x 1 nautical mile spacing that was recently endorsed by the U.S. Coast Guard for safety of navigation and transit.  

“We’re pleased to bring Liberty Wind to New York policymakers and look forward to building upon the extensive community engagement that is a hallmark of our U.S offshore wind business,” said Lars T. Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind. 

“As a ‘first mover’ in offshore wind power in the US, we believe that setting positive precedents for development will lead to newer and better standards across the industry, standards that ensure local communities received the greatest possible benefits with minimal impacts.”

Back in July, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) launched the state’s second offshore wind solicitation seeking proposals for up to 2.5 GW of capacity.

This offshore wind call also gathered bids from Norway’s Equinor for its Empire Wind Phase 2 and Beacon Wind projects, as well as a joint bid from Ørsted and Eversource for their Sunrise Wind 2 project.

New York has set a goal of achieving 9 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035, which is so far the most ambitious target set by a U.S. state.