After years of competing for a crucial position on the forefront of the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind industry, Rhode Island officials no longer seem concerned about where the state falls in the slew of utility-scale wind projects planned along the East Coast.
Developer Orsted A/S insists it’s committed to the 50-turbine Revolution Wind project planned for federal waters near Block Island, but it has no updated completion date after announcing a delay to the original 2023 deadline. The U.S Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which oversees the federal permitting process, also did not have a timeline for the next steps in its review of the project, according to a BOEM spokesman.
Meanwhile, the Vineyard Wind project near Martha’s Vineyard is slated to finish in 2023, while recent announcements by the Biden administration advancing the Ocean Wind and South Fork Wind farms planned near New Jersey and Long Island, N.Y., respectively, put those projects next in line.
Asked if the Revolution Wind project had fallen lower on its priority list, Meaghan Wims, a spokesperson for Orsted, which is also developing the South Fork and Ocean Wind farms, declined to comment except to say in an emailed message that "the premise of your question is false."
State officials were reluctant to weigh in. The R.I. Office of Energy Resources referred comments to the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, which referred questions about the economic impact of offshore wind to R.I. Commerce Corp.
While the 400 megawatts of power that Revolution Wind is expected to deliver to the state is a key part of Rhode Island’s ambitious renewable energy goals, it’s not just decarbonization on the line. The design, construction and maintenance of these utility-scale wind farms offer a crucial opportunity for the state economy, made even more critical by the devastating economic blow dealt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2020 state economic report written before the coronavirus crisis stated that Rhode Island is “in a strong position to play a significant role” in the estimated 20,000 to 35,000 full-time industry jobs on the East Coast created by 2028.
Industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, maintenance, research and development – many in which Rhode Island already has an advantage – offer job opportunities regardless of where the wind farms are built, said report author Bruce Katz.
In an emailed statement, Gov. Daniel J. McKee also said the state’s ports and local companies are well-positioned for the opportunities that various wind projects present, citing its “geographic advantage, port capacity and local experience.”
The state’s ports are within “striking distance” of the other East Coast wind farms, making them well-suited to serve whichever projects finish first, said Michael Donegan, the attorney representing developer RI Waterfront Enterprises LLC. The $103 million proposal to transform a portion of the South Quay Marine Terminal along the East Providence waterfront into an offshore wind port has been approved for $15 million in state tax credits but requires additional approvals or updates to its existing permits.
“The administration doesn’t have to try to land Microsoft headquarters to grow our economy,” Donegan said. “We have so much [for offshore wind] already.”
R.I. Commerce is also working to help local companies prepare for the onslaught of work these wind farms will bring while connecting to developers to identify existing holes in its expertise, said William Cotta, the newly hired director of offshore wind supply chain for R.I. Commerce.
“The important metric I’m following in terms of Rhode Island being a leader is in the economic benefit and jobs created, not which project happens first,” Cotta said.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
