ORIGINAL REPORTING: A Big Win For U.S. Ocean Wind

A 'transformational' mandate: Greens hail Massachusetts offshore wind, renewables bill; The US trails in offshore wind, but backers say this measure could 'start a new industry'

Herman K. Trabish, August 3, 2016 (Utility Dive)

Editor’s note: The value proposition and essential logic of New Energy in general and offshore wind in particular continue to improve despite the misguided and uninformed efforts of the Trump administration to deny them.

Massachusetts’ “An Act to promote energy diversity” (H. 4568) passed in a 157-to-1 House vote on July 31 that was concurred by the Senate. Backers called it “a huge step” for clean energy and “transformational” for offshore wind. The day after its passage, the biggest offshore wind energy developer in the world filed an interconnection application for an 800 MW project to be built off the Massachusetts coast. The bill calls for the state’s utilities to make two large renewable energy procurements. One is for 1,600 MW of offshore wind by 2027.

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The second procurement required by the bill is for 9.45 TWh of “clean energy generation.” It can come in three forms: hydroelectric generation, renewable resources, or renewables “firmed-up” with hydro in blended contracts. This 9.45 TWh procurement is equivalent to approximately 1,200 MW of nameplate hydropower or approximately 1,700 MW to 3,000 MW of nameplate onshore wind, depending on capacity factor assumptions. The two clean energy procurements will help Massachusetts deal with the coming closure of aging nuclear and coal facilities and diversify its fuel mix. The state has “world-class” offshore wind potential that is close to New England load centers which already pay high prices for electricity, according to a recent report from the Union of Concerned Scientists… click here for more

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