Vineyard Wind courts state with pitch to improve Bridgeport Harbor

Officials with a Massachusetts-based offshore wind power developer have reiterated their commitment to redeveloping a portion of Bridgeport Harbor, even though state officials didn’t select the company to supply renewable energy to the state in the latest round of requests for proposals.

New Bedford, Mass.based Vineyard Wind previously had announced plans to make what company officials described as “a multimillion-dollar investment” to revitalize the Bridgeport Harbor area if the company’s wind-power proposal was accepted by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Vineyard Wind wasn’t one of the companies selected by DEEP officials last month to provide renewable energy to meet the state’s future electric power needs.

But a company executive said Friday that the company is eager to be a part of future renewable energy procurement rounds the state may do. Erich Stephens, chief development officer for Vineyard Wind, said the company will continue to work to bring offshore wind to Connecticut and make Bridgeport an offshore wind hub with infrastructure improvements.

“We have put together a strong coalition with the city of Bridgeport, its representatives and its businesses to revitalize the harbor, create hundreds of jobs and bring clean, renewable power to Connecti- cut,” Stephens said.

The redevelopment Vineyard Wind is proposing would create more than 1,000 jobs, according to Stephens. It also is contingent upon Vineyard Wind being selected to provide renewable energy for Connecticut during future request for proposal rounds.

Vineyard Wind currently is developing the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind energy project in federal waters, 60 miles off the coast of Connecticut.

Stephens’ comments come as Gov. Ned Lamont has publicly expressed support for adding more wind power to Connecticut’s future energy portfolio.

“We are pleased by the governor’s announcement that he will be seeking more renewable energy opportunities in the near future, as well as his strong commitment to increasing the state’s renewable energy portfolio,” Stephens said.

Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim said Vineyward Wind’s proposal to turn the city’s waterfront into a hub to service the off-shore wind industry “is an innovative way to utilize our waterfront and attract businesses to Bridgeport that will provide employment, and tax-base growth.”

Avangrid Renewables, a division of Orange-based energy company Avangrid, holds a 50 percent ownership stake in Vineyard Wind. The other 50 percent is owned Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.