State energy auction’s winning bids announced

State officials on Friday announced the selection of 12 bids from power producers that will provide electricity from zero carbon sources to become part of Connecticut’s future energy mix.

The winning bids selected by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were chosen from a field of over 100 renewable energy projects. The 12 bids selected by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection include:

⏩ Two from nuclear sourced, the Millstone power plant in Waterford and the Seabrook plant in New Hampshire.

⏩ Nine from solar sources, six of which are out-of-state and three in Connecticut.

⏩ One wind project bid from Orsted US Offshore Wind.

Friday’s announcement of the winning bids is the culmination of a process that began this summer. State officials announced the winners of a first round of bidding in June.

Orsted was one of the winning bidders in the June auction, with DEEP selecting a a 200-megawatt bid from the company’s Revolution Wind project. This time around, DEEP selected a bid from Orsted calls for an additional 100 megawatts of power at a price lower than the previous procurement.

The additional 100 megawatts of wind power is enough to power 50,000 Connecticut homes.

“Offshore wind is fast becoming a centerpiece of Connecticut’s renewable energy future,” said Jeffrey Grybowski, who is co-chief executive of Orsted.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee touted the environmental impact the latest bid winners will have in fighting climate change.

“Make no mistake, we are facing a climate crisis with the future of the planet is at stake,” Malloy said in a statement. “Should we fail to do so, we will fail to prevent the catastrophic outcomes that will result from climate change.”

Klee said the selection of the zero-carbon “ensures that Connecticut is doing its part to address climate change.” He said including the two nuclear plants in the procurement mix buys the state time to develop a more robust portfolio of traditional renewable resources like wind and solar power.