Avangrid, a leading sustainable energy company, has received a contract for a 791 megawatts (MW) project from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as part of a multi-state regional offshore wind solicitation. The project, known as New England Wind 1, will be located 30 miles south of Barnstable, Massachusetts, in federal lease area OCS-A-0534.
New England Wind 1 will generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 400,000 homes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 300,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road annually.
The project is expected to create more than 4,400 full-time equivalent jobs and attract $3 billion in local investment. Key developments include the construction of a new marshalling port in Salem, MA, and an offshore wind manufacturing facility in New Bedford, MA. Financial details were not disclosed.
Construction of New England Wind 1 could begin in 2025, with full commercial operations slated for 2029.
This project will neighbor VW1, the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm currently under construction 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. VW1 will generate electricity for over 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts and is expected to save customers $1.4 billion over its first 20 years of operation. The project will also create 3,600 full-time equivalent job years.
Avangrid, part of the Iberdrola Group, will join the global network of offshore wind farms in France, Germany, and the UK. Iberdrola currently operates 2.3 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity globally, aiming to nearly double that to 5 GW by 2026. Earlier this week, Iberdrola secured a contract for the 963 MW East Anglia Two offshore wind farm in the UK.
Avangrid’s renewable portfolio now spans 75 projects across 22 states, with over 9 GW of installed wind and solar capacity, further solidifying its leadership in the transition to renewable energy.