Massachusetts Preps for US Offshore Wind Construction Boom

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a ratepayer-funded research organization that works to accelerate the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in the state, last week announced plans to conduct a study of potential offshore wind construction facilities in Massachusetts. The Offshore Wind Ports & Infrastructure Assessment will review underdeveloped waterfront sites in Massachusetts that could potentially be acquired and developed through private investment to support both near-term and long-term offshore wind activities. According to Bill White, Director of Offshore Wind Development for MassCEC, the study will serve the needs of the various developers who have committed to building offshore wind in federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts. DONG Energy, Deepwater Wind, and Vineyard Wind currently hold leases that could be developed into offshore wind farms. "A number of the developers in the supply chain for offshore wind have indicated that they are going to need additional locations to do various activities. Those activities include foundation staging, locations for operations and maintenance activities and even potential manufacturing sites down the road." The study will evaluate 20 locations in Massachusetts for their viability and will then provide a detailed engineering assessment – based on lessons learned from the EU – about the opportunity these sites hold and risks involved in developing them. While the study is looking at specific sites in Massachusetts, the information obtained in the study could easily be transferred to another state. “Our purpose and our intent here is that this would be a roadmap for the industry.” To learn more, please visit: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2017/03/massachusetts-preps-for-us-offshore-wind-construction-boom.html