The present and future of offshore wind is happening right here in New England, and Connecticut is poised to play a key role. New England has already been leading the way on offshore wind policy and infrastructure. With construction of the nation’s first commercial scale offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind 1, underway and the announcement of a historic multi-state procurement for offshore wind from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, a new era of offshore wind power begins for our region and the nation. As a local, homegrown company, Vineyard Offshore knows that the future of offshore wind is bright. Our team is grateful for the opportunity to help the region achieve its ambitious climate goals, working with visionary leaders who share a top-to-bottom, regional commitment to going big on offshore wind as an essential part of our clean energy future. Credit: Courtesy of Vineyard Offshore We know that a true regional commitment means that local communities must see and feel the benefits of this new industry, and that’s why Vineyard Offshore takes a community-first approach. As a trusted local partner with the support of more than 200 partners across the region — from Tribal leaders, local public officials, union leaders, and environmental organizations — we understand the importance of working together to lead a clean energy transformation that meets our region’s climate goals and provides economic impact for everyone. Connecticut would experience significant economic and environmental benefits from this next phase of offshore wind development. Our newest proposed project, Vineyard Wind 2, located 29 miles south of Nantucket, will deliver 1,200 MW of clean electricity to New England, enough to power 650,000 homes. Development of Vineyard Wind 2 will generate $682 million in direct economic benefits for Connecticut and nearly 400 job-years of employment, the bulk of them associated with construction of onshore cable and transmission equipment to interconnect with the New England power grid. The project will also deliver many benefits to the environment and marine ecosystem, with Vineyard Offshore providing over $20 million in directly funded initiatives to support wildlife, fisheries, and ecological resources, as well as the commercial fishing industry. This builds on an already growing local offshore wind industry. With Vineyard Wind 1, over a thousand union members are being put to work through the nation’s first Project Labor Agreement for an offshore wind project. We partnered with the fishing industry to protect their vital industry and minimize impacts to their livelihood — we even hired fishing vessels to support our work on the water. True to our commitment to the communities in which we work, we set up training programs so that island residents could become wind turbine technicians. Credit: Courtesy of Vineyard Offshore We’re deeply respectful of Tribal sovereignty and have engaged local Tribal leaders to ensure that all constituencies have a voice in the process and are proud of the outcome. That work continues. Vineyard Offshore is proud to push the industry forward, to invest in our communities, including supporting local businesses and tech startups that will help make New England a hub of climate tech and innovation, so that together we can deliver clean energy and economic benefits to even more homes. With Vineyard Wind 2, we’ll proudly partner with Connecticut companies – ThayerMahan and Survival System – to grow the local workforce and expand their involvement in the offshore wind industry. Groton-based ThayerMahan will support development of SeaPicket acoustic monitoring system and Big Bubble Curtain technology, mitigating underwater construction noise that could disturb whales and other marine life. Survival Systems, also based in Groton, will support the buildout of training facility infrastructure, equipment procurement, certifications, workforce training, and capacity. Credit: Courtesy of Vineyard Offshore When complete, Vineyard Wind 2 will reduce carbon pollution in New England by 2.1 million tons per year, equivalent to taking 414,000 cars off the road, while improving public health by reducing air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter. With electricity delivered to the regional grid in Montville, CT, manufacturing in Providence, RI, operations and maintenance in New Bedford, MA, and construction based in Salem, MA, Vineyard Wind 2 is regionally collaborative and cements New England as the national leader in offshore wind, bringing 100% clean, renewable energy to our communities. Today, we’re just at the beginning of what will ultimately be an economic and clean energy success story for our entire country, and Connecticut has an opportunity to play a vital role. We’re making history, building the next great American energy industry right here in New England. To learn more visit vineyardoffshore.com/vineyardwind2