Biden’s plans could blow in CT clean energy boom
WASHINGTON — More wind farms are expected to crop up off the coast of New England in the coming years after the Biden administration gave the industry a long-awaited boost this week — a move that will help Connecticut meet its clean energy goals and launch a burgeoning industry in the state.
The Biden administration announced it will prioritize an area off the coast of New York for offshore wind projects, fund new port investments, kick off more environmental reviews and take other steps to allow wind projects that have sat on idle to move ahead with a federal green light.
“This is really, really exciting,” said Katie Dykes, state Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
“Many Northeastern states, like Connecticut, have for years been laying the groundwork for this industry to come online in a meaningful way that will combat the climate crisis and spur economic growth.
“Having a federal partner on this endeavor will unlock many areas of support.”
The Biden administration set a goal to develop 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, which the administration said would be enough to power 10 million homes and cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Connecticut has its own goal set by the legislature: purchasing 2 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. But Dykes said Tuesday the state could need more than double that amount if it wants to meet its goal of sourcing all of its electricity from
zero-carbon sources by 2040.
“We projected that we could need about 5,000 megawatts of offshore wind in total by the time we get to 2040,” Dykes said.
That means Connecticut is likely to sign more offshore wind procurement contracts in the next several years.
Connecticut has already signed contracts with two offshore wind projects along the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts — Park City Wind, which will have on-shore operations in Bridgeport, and Revolution Wind, which will call New London its land base.
Offshore wind energy is expensive, so these investments are not expected to lower rates for Connecticut consumers right away.
There could be big upsides to the state’s economy in developing offshore wind, with job creation expected in particular in New London and Bridgeport.
But critics also worry about the environmental impact of the turbines on wildlife and consequences for other industries.
“It’s not often we get the opportunity to get on the ground floor of a brand new industry, especially those that have been successful in other parts of the world,” said Rep. Paul Formica, a Republican who helps lead the Connecticut legislature’s energy committee and represents part of New London.
“But we have to make sure we protect our maritime industries and our fisherman as we are looking for the next generation of energy generation.”
By designating 800,000 acres in the New York Bight — a shallow water area off the coast of Long Island and New Jersey — as a priority region for wind turbines, the U.S. Interior Department is allowing projects in those waters to advance, setting up possible lease sales for one or more projects in late 2021 or early 2022.
Avangrid Renewables LLC, based on Orange, has informed the Department of its interest leasing part of the New York Bight.