Judge dismisses lawsuit against offshore wind PPA in US - report

A US district judge has dismissed a lawsuit against utility National Grid's signing of an off-take contract for the output of Deepwater Wind’s 30-MW Block Island wind project off the coast of Rhode Island.

The judge found that the lawsuit had been filed after the statute of limitations had expired, according to a report by The Associated Press (AP).

The plaintiffs, including the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, claimed that the 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) awarded to the developer would lead to a substantial increase in electricity bills.

Deepwater Wind is currently building the five-turbine park about 4.8 km (3 miles) southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island. The company aims to have the wind farm operational in the fourth quarter of 2016. Earlier this month, National Grid said installation had been completed of the undersea cable that will connect the 30-MW park to the Rhode Island mainland.

The facility will serve as a demonstration for a larger project.

Last week, the CEO of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) told the AP that the state-owned utility planned to award to Deepwater Wind a 90-MW offshore wind project east of Montauk, New York.

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