New England is at the beginning of an economic and clean energy success story for our entire country – and Connecticut has an opportunity to play a vital role, building on an already growing local offshore wind industry. The proposed Vineyard Wind 2 will be the first offshore wind project to bring clean, reliable power to land on Connecticut soil, with the jobs that come with it. People think of offshore wind jobs in terms of activity in ports and on the water, but onshore transmission work is one of the most labor-intensive aspects of offshore wind development. With a commitment to organized labor, that means a lot of jobs for union members in Connecticut. “I appreciate Vineyard Offshore’s commitment to using union labor on this project,” said Keith Brothers, President, Connecticut State Building and Construction Trades Council. “I look forward to working with Vineyard Offshore once the project is approved to ensure that the onshore work is performed by skilled, reliable, well paid union workers.”  Credit: Courtesy of Vineyard Offshore The 1,200-megawatt (MW) project, submitted in response to offshore wind solicitations pending with the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, would also support partnerships with Connecticut companies to deepen their involvement in the offshore wind industry. Building on Vineyard Offshore’s pioneering partnership with Groton-based ThayerMahan to localize its bubble curtain business in New Bedford in support of Vineyard Wind 1, ThayerMahan would support continued development of the company’s advanced SeaPicket acoustic monitoring system and its Big Bubble Curtain technology, which mitigates underwater construction noise that could disturb whales and other marine life.  “Vineyard Wind 1 gave us a chance to enter the offshore wind industry and establish our Big Bubble Curtain business in New England,” said Richard Hine, President, Offshore Energy, ThayerMahan. “We are excited about continuing our partnership with Vineyard Offshore on Vineyard Wind 2.” To meet the workforce training needs of Vineyard Wind 2, Vineyard Offshore will continue its partnership with Survival Systems, also based in Groton, which currently provides offshore wind training to Vineyard Wind 1 workers. The company would support the buildout of training facility infrastructure, equipment procurement, certifications, workforce training, and capacity. “Offshore wind has become an important part of our business and Vineyard Offshore has become a great partner,” said Maria Hanna, President and CEO, Survival Systems. “We look forward to continuing our work with Vineyard Offshore on this new project.” Credit: Courtesy of Vineyard Offshore 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. It would bring 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. When complete, it 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. Learn more about Vineyard Wind 2’s impact in Connecticut.