PROVIDENCE – Deepwater Wind, the wind-energy company picked by the Carcieri administration to build the state’s first offshore wind farm, today named Paul M. Rich as chief development officer for the firm’s Rhode Island subsidiary group.
Rich will oversee the two wind farm projects that Hoboken, N.J.-based Deepwater is proposing to build in the Atlantic waters off Rhode Island: a five- to eight-turbine wind farm off Block Island and a utility-scale farm with 100 turbines in federal waters.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
Rich, who has been working for Deepwater for a number of weeks, is based out of Providence, where he also oversees the company’s staff on Block Island.
“Paul Rich is a great hire for Deepwater Wind,” Deepwater managing director Chris Wissemann, who until recently was the company’s acting CEO, said in a statement.
“Having an experienced professional like Paul strengthens our ability to develop the two Rhode Island projects that we are currently studying,” Wissemann said. “The hiring of Paul and the plans to open a Providence office demonstrate our deep focus to the Rhode Island projects and our commitment to positioning Rhode Island as the leader in the offshore wind power industry.”
Rich, who grew up in Maine, has spent years in the energy industry, most recently as chief development officer of CCH Holdings Group, where he oversaw the development of a new transmission line under the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York, according to a biography provided by Deepwater.
Prior to that, Rich worked on electricity projects for two companies based out of Maine, OSET Associates and Atlantic Energy Partners. He also served on the staff of former U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, and as a consultant to The Library Foundation, a nonprofit in Portland, Maine.
Rich spent 11 years in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander, and earned two Navy Commendation Medals, according to his biography. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Maine Maritime Academy, where he serves as a trustee. He is also a member of Maine Gov. John Baldacci’s Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Partnership.
Deepwater is in the process of overhauling its management structure. A spokeswoman for the company said further details on the changes were still being finalized and would be announced at a later date.
For more information on Deepwater Wind, visit DWWind.com.
