Bay State Wind Receives First Offshore Wind Site Assessment Plan Approval in the United States
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has approved the plan for Bay State Wind, a proposed utility-scale
offshore wind farm south of Massachusetts
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued its first approval of an offshore wind Site Assessment Plan (SAP) to Bay
State Wind, a utility-scale offshore wind project in Massachusetts located 15 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard in the
Atlantic Ocean.
Bay State Wind is a joint venture between DONG Energy – the global leader in offshore wind with 22 commercial-scale offshore
wind projects around the world – and Eversource – the premier transmission builder in New England. The combined experience of both
entities ensures the most economically beneficial plan for offshore wind development in Massachusetts.
“We are thrilled to be the first in the country to receive this approval from BOEM, and to be a part of this huge step forward
for the offshore wind industry in the U.S.,” said Thomas Brostrøm, North America president of DONG Energy. “Bay State Wind will
produce reliable clean energy for Massachusetts with scale that maximizes job creation, cost effectiveness and economic benefits
for Massachusetts and local communities. We look forward to continued collaboration with BOEM as we work to make Massachusetts and
the U.S. a hub for offshore wind.”
"This is a significant milestone for the project and an important step forward in helping Massachusetts meet its climate change
goals," said Mike Ausere, vice president of Business Strategy at Eversource. "We're proud to partner with the global leader in
offshore wind energy and appreciate the support of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in getting this important industry off the
ground in the United States."
In August 2016, Massachusetts formally adopted a comprehensive energy bill that includes a first-of-its-kind mandate that state
utilities purchase 1600 megawatts of offshore wind power. In June, Massachusetts utilities took their first step toward fulfilling
the mandate with a request for proposals to build the state’s first project.
Bay State Wind will submit a proposal for the Massachusetts contracts, which will be awarded in 2018. DONG Energy will use its
expertise in the offshore wind sector to continue to lead the development and construction of the project’s offshore generation and
transmission assets, while Eversource will leverage its strong transmission expertise in New England to develop and construct the
onshore transmission asset. The project could generate enough electricity to power one million Massachusetts homes and create
hundreds of jobs throughout the life of the wind farm.
The BOEM approval paved the way for Bay State Wind’s next crucial step – deployment of the FLiDAR WindSentinel system off the
coast of Martha’s Vineyard to measure wave and wind speeds in the project’s lease area. The system is currently deployed for two
years, and includes a camera to broadcast images from the system as it collects data – viewable online 24 hours per day at:
https://portal.axys-aps.com/platforms/P2012P/.
About DONG Energy
DONG Energy (NASDAQ OMX: DENERG) is one of Northern Europe's leading energy groups and is headquartered in Denmark. Around
6,200 ambitious employees develop, construct and operate offshore wind farms, generate heat and power from our power stations as
well as supply and trade in energy to wholesale, business and residential customers. In addition, we produce oil and gas, and a
process has been initiated to divest this business unit. The continuing part of the Group has approx 5,800 employees and generated
revenue in 2016 of DKK 61 billion (EUR 8.2 billion). Read more on www.dongenergy.com . For further information, see www.dongenergy.com and follow us on twitter (@DONGEnergyUS) and (@BayStateWind.)
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to more than 3.6 million electric and natural gas
customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by
the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of its approximately 8,000 employees across
three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and superior customer
service. For more information, please visit our website ( www.eversource.com ) and follow us on Twitter ( @EversourceCorp ) and Facebook ( facebook.com/EversourceEnergy ).
DONG Energy
Wind Power U.S. Inc.
Lauren Burm, 617-309-8730
laubu@dongenergy.com
or
Eversource
Caroline Pretyman, 617-424-2460
Caroline.Pretyman@eversource.com
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170719005218/en/