Massachusetts issues 800-MW solicitation for offshore wind

Offshore wind farm. Photo by: Enersea (www.enersea.nl)

Massachusetts has launched its next solicitation for offshore wind, targeting up to 800 MW of capacity at sea, it was announced on Friday.

Electricity distribution companies in Massachusetts and the state’s Department of Energy Resources have issued a request for proposals (RfP), confidential bids in which will be accepted by August 9. Public bids are expected by August 16.

The RfP schedule can be seen in the table below.

Event	Expected dates
Issue of RfP	May 23, 2019
Bidders conference	June 4, 2019
Due date for confidential proposals	August 9, 2019
Due date for public proposals	August 16, 2019
Selection of projects for negotiation	November 8, 2019
Contracts negotiation and execution	December 13, 2019
Submission of contracts for approval by DPU	January 10, 2020

Bidders can submit proposals ranging between 200 MW and 800 MW. The nominal levelised price of proposals must not exceed USD 84.23 (EUR 75.16) per MWh. Interested parties will be competing to sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Massachusetts power distribution companies for a period of 15-20 years. The utilities are Fitchburg Gas & Electric Light Co, known as Unitil, Massachusetts Electric Co and Nantucket Electric Co, both part of National Grid, and NSTAR Electric Co, doing business as Eversource Energy.

The selected projects need to enter commercial operation before January 1, 2027.

The tender is Massachusetts’ second solicitation for offshore wind and supports its goal to have 1.6 GW of operational offshore wind farms by mid-2027. Vineyard Wind, a 50/50 partnership between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Avangrid Renewables LLC, was selected in May 2018 as the winner in the first such solicitation, securing 800 MW.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.892)

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