Vineyard Wind proposes Connecticut offshore wind farm

Vineyard Wind has proposed a new offshore wind energy project for Connecticut.

The Park City Wind offshore wind project would develop up to 1,200 MW of wind energy, enough electricity to power 600,000 Connecticut homes. Further, it could generate upwards of $1.6 billion in direct economic benefits and create as many as 12,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across Connecticut. Vineyard Wind officials say the project could also save Connecticut ratepayers up to $1.1 billion in energy costs.

“Park City Wind is a tremendous opportunity to revitalize Bridgeport by creating thousands of good-paying jobs with good benefits in both the wind industry and throughout the local supply chain,” Vineyard Wind CEO Lars Thaaning Pedersen said. “By selecting our project, the state will help make offshore wind a statewide industry, similar to aerospace, and tap into the innovative roots that have defined Connecticut for generations.”

Park City Wind includes projects that would be constructed in one of Vineyard Wind’s two federally designated lease areas, both of which are located south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on the east coast and would not be visible from any shoreline in Connecticut, the company said.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is currently reviewing the proposal.

“Our commitment to Connecticut is significant,” Pedersen said. “We see a future with thriving ports in both New London and Bridgeport and manufacturers in every corner of the state working to literally lift this industry off the ground in the U.S. If Park City Wind is selected, the jobs and economic opportunities created by this project will be available in the region for decades to come.”

Along with the wind farm, Vineyard Wind is making several investments in Bridgeport. It will partner with McAllister Towing and Transportation Co. to redevelop the 18.3-acre Barnum Landing waterfront industrial property that is currently underutilized. Vineyard Wind would also construct an operations and maintenance facility in Bridgeport that would serve as the hub for the Park City project.

“McAllister Towing and The Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company have been a part of Bridgeport’s maritime community for many, many years,” Buckley McAllister, president of the companies, said. “We believe that the addition of a thriving offshore wind industry, with its beating heart at the center of Bridgeport Harbor, will lead to jobs and economic benefits for generations to come. We wholeheartedly support the Park City Wind project and look forward to many years of partnership with Vineyard Wind.”