March 13, 2020
Massachusetts

Planned offshore wind turbines will have connection to shore substation

By Brad Cole | www.capenews.net

At least one offshore wind turbine project will make landfall in Falmouth.

Representatives from Mayflower Wind Energy met with the Falmouth Board of Selectmen on Monday, March 9, to discuss its offshore wind project. Mayflower Wind is one of several energy providers leasing space in the Atlantic Coast Outer Continental Shelf, approximately 50 to 70 miles south of Cape Cod and 20 miles south of Nantucket.

“We will have 80 to 100 wind turbines placed within a one-by-one-nautical-mile grid,” said John Hartnett, president of Mayflower Wind Energy.

The project has the potential to supply 1.2 gigawatts of renewable wind energy for use by electricity customers within New England. Once constructed, the wind turbines will be connected to an offshore substation, which will connect to an onshore substation in Falmouth. The location of this substation has not been determined. This onshore substation will feed into a transmission station at Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne.

When asked if the other energy providers are making landfall in Falmouth, Mr. Hartnett said no. Other providers have either not decided where their projects will make landfall or will be connecting to substations in Fall River or Barnstable.

Construction work is several years away.

“The construction period is anticipated for 24, 25 and 26,” Mr. Hartnett said. “It will be at the end of 25 or early 26 before we generate power, assuming the permitting process goes as planned.”

He said this project requires federal, state and local approvals, including approvals from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, US Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, both the US and Massachusetts Environmental Protection agencies, and the Energy Facilities Siting Board.

He said the offshore wind energy project will provide low-cost energy, improve infrastructure and create 250 jobs. He also touted its green benefits.

“Our project is vitally important to the climate crisis we are experiencing,” Mr. Hartnett said.

He noted the group played a role in launching the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance, which will research and monitor fisheries and offshore wind interactions in federal and state waters.

“We look forward to being a partner with the Town of Falmouth for the next 43 years,” Mr. Hartnett said.

Selectman Susan L. Moran asked if information regarding the project was available online for the public to view. Mr. Hartnett referred people to Mayflower Wind’s website, www.mayflowerwind.com, for additional information.

Mayflower Wind is a joint venture between Shell and EDP Renewables.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/03/13/planned-offshore-wind-turbines-will-have-connection-to-shore-substation/