Officials: Offshore wind choice serves as milestone for Connecticut
Environmental advocates are wondering what’s next for Connecticut after state officials this week secured 804 megawatts in offshore wind development.
The historymaking investment will position Connecticut as one of the largest users of wind power in New England, second only to Rhode Island.
But for some environmentalists, the amount was not enough to change the state’s dependence on fossil fuels.
“We were a little surprised to see that just one project was selected and that it came down so far below the 2,000 (megawatt) mark,” said Amanda Schoen, Deputy Director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, which supported Connecticut's 2019 clean energy legislation calling for the state to procure up to 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy.
Gov. Ned Lamont signed the legislation June 7.
The state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Thursday that it approved Vineyard Wind’s Bridgeportbased plan to advance to contract negotiations with the state’s electric distribution companies. Vineyard Wind’s plan offers less than half the maximum megawatt amount.
The project was one of roughly 30 concepts proposed by three development groups vying for the same contract from the state.
Vineyard Wind, along with its fellow bidders, initially proposed plans for projects that could produce between 400 and 1,200 megawatts of offshore energy.
While the selection has continued to get widespread applause from state officials and environmental groups, a Friday press release from the CTLCV stated that the group was “disappointed” that DEEP didn’t try to purchase the full amount of wind power.
“Certainly, one of the reasons why we pushed so hard for the authorization of 2,000 megawatts was because we were looking at some of the longterm implications,” Schoen said.
According to a DEEP spokeswoman, “The bill authorized, but did not require, DEEP to procure up to 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind power. And DEEP selected the bid that best met the goals of the request for proposals in terms of economic development, winter fuel security, environmental compatibility and in the best interest of ratepayers.”
Quality of life
The push for renewable energy includes improving quality of life for residents beyond their electric bills, environmentalists said.
According to the American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report, Connecticut has some of the worst ozone air pollution on the East Coast, with Fairfield County suffering from the highest levels in the New York Citymetro area.
“We’ve seen huge skyrocketing rates in other respiratory illness especially in our cities and these are issues that tend to affect lower income communities of big cities,” Schoen said, attributing the ozone results to continued use of fossil fuels and gaspowered facilities.
The state reportedly has more than 95,000 children with pediatric asthma, 305,000 adults with asthma and more than 164,000 adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Most of the state’s electric grid is still powered by nuclear and natural gas energy, according to the CTLCV.
About 45 percent of Connecticut households use fuel oil or other petroleum products for home heating and 35 percent rely on natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration
The Millstone Nuclear
Power Station in Waterford accounted for 43 percent of the state’s electricity net generation in 2018.
Schoen said sites like Millstone produce roughly the same amount of power that DEEP was authorized to procure in wind energy during the recent bidding process.
“The better we can improve our air then the better our health gets and the more positive outcomes we have for everybody,” Schoen said.
Step in the right direction
Purchasing 804 megawatts of offshore wind in one sitting is still a milestone that state and local officials are applauding.
“Connecticut is diversifying its offshore wind portfolio with this latest procurement selection, which sets up Connecticut as a regional leader in the creation of a thriving industry that will bring tangible benefits for our state and the entire region,” said Gov. Ned Lamont in a release announcing DEEP’s decision.
DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes added in a Thursday press conference that the selection represents a large step toward reaching the governor’s goal of creating a 100 percent zerocarbon electricity supply for Connecticut by 2040.
“It is a great start to DEEP’s utilization of this authority to continue the development of zerocarbon renewable resources,” Dykes said.
She added that the selection of the Park City Wind project is the largest renewable energy purchase in Connecticut history, expected to double the amount of new zerocarbon renewable energy procured by DEEP to date.
Vineyard Wind’s project is slated to provide roughly 14 percent of the state’s electricity supply once it’s up and running. Vineyard Wind, as the state’s third wind resource acquisition and the first specifically focused on offshore wind, adds to 304 megawatts of offshore wind from Revolution Wind developed by Ørsted and Eversource in 2018.
The new project also positions the state to surpass New York and Massachusetts in the amount of electricity under contract with wind projects. Connecticut will be at 19 percent now that Vinyard Wind is on board, while New York and Massachusetts have 5 and 13 percent, respectively, of electricity under contract through wind projects, according to DEEP. Rhode Island has 25 percent of electricity under contract through wind.
“As we address the urgent challenge of climate change, this selection demonstrates Connecticut’s leadership in advancing solutions at the scale that we need to help provide a solution to this global threat,” Dykes said.
According to Schoen, offshore wind will be a major piece of the puzzle as the state looks to make good on its 100 percent clean by 2040 emissions goals, but it’s not the only answer.
CTLCV’s Friday Release also urged the state to continue investing in offshore wind along with other renewable energy sources like solar energy and battery storage to help cut down on carbon emissions.
“There is definitely more momentum for (renewable energy) right now,” Schoen said. “Connecticut can’t afford to fall into the old bad habits of just sitting on our hands and setting lofty goals and not doing the work to actually make them a reality.”
DEEP has said that it is planning to set a schedule for future procurement of offshore wind through the Integrated Resources Plan. A draft of the schedule is expected for summer 2020, according to a department spokesperson.