DONG Energy has filed an Interconnection Request Application with ISO-New England to use 800MW of interconnection capacity of Brayton Point power station in Somerset, Massachusetts, for bringing offshore wind energy generated by the Bay State Wind farm onto the grid.
Given upcoming retirement of the existing coal plant at the facility, scheduled for 2017, roughly 1,000 MW of interconnection capability is expected to become available at Brayton Point, without significant system upgrade costs, DONG said.
The application is seen as a key step in the development process for the company’s Bay State Wind project. It was filed the day after the Massachusetts State Legislature adopted a landmark energy bill that includes a requirement that utilities contract for 1,600 MW of offshore wind power. This is the first legislation of its kind that includes a specific commitment for offshore wind at a scale necessary to create a viable market in the United States, DONG said.
“While we are still several years and several steps from construction, the filing of this application is an important milestone in our efforts to bring offshore wind to Massachusetts households and businesses,” said Thomas Brostrøm, General Manager of North America, DONG Energy Wind Power.
“The energy bill has paved the way for the creation of a viable offshore wind energy industry here in Massachusetts, delivering cost effective clean energy and helping the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the heels of this historic legislation, we are taking an important step forward for our Bay State Wind project. We are particularly pleased that our power will be coming ashore on the South Coast, given the support for offshore wind power from local communities and elected officials, especially Rep. Patricia Haddad.”
DONG Energy made its first foray into North America last year by securing a lease area located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard that was designated and approved by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). DONG Energy is committed to delivery of a utility-scale wind farm with an installed capacity of up to 1,000 MW.
The company expects a project of this dimension to create an estimated 1,000 new jobs in Massachusetts during construction and approximately 100 new jobs in the state to support the operational life of the offshore wind farm.