(BOSTON) – Vineyard Offshore, America’s leading offshore wind development company, is deepening its commitment to the City of Salem and the North Shore region in connection with its proposed project, Vineyard Wind 2. With offshore construction to be based at the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, the company has formed partnerships with local institutions to boost local employment and business opportunities, should Vineyard Wind 2 be selected in the pending offshore wind solicitations from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

“Over several years, Vineyard Offshore has been deeply involved in efforts to make Salem the next home for offshore wind in America, catalyzing jobs, investment and new economic opportunities,” said Vineyard Offshore CEO Alicia Barton. “We are proud to partner with the City of Salem and multiple North Shore agencies to ensure that the benefits of our Vineyard Wind 2 project are shared broadly and equitably throughout the region.”

Among the commitments Vineyard Offshore has made, contingent on project selection, is a $500,000 pledge to the City of Salem’s Climate Adaptation Fund to support resiliency efforts within the city. Initiatives that could be supported with this funding include rehabilitation and reconstruction of Salem’s seawalls, building out resilience hubs (solar and battery storage systems) for critical municipal infrastructure, energy assistance, resiliency related capital investments, and information or policy work in support of sustainability and resilience projects.

“With Vineyard Offshore’s proposed Vineyard Wind 2 project, the City of Salem – home of the future Salem Offshore Wind Port – is ready to continue serving as an economic development hub for our region and as a key part of our shared efforts to grow a clean energy future for our Commonwealth and our country,” said Mayor Dominick Pangallo. “As a coastal community, Salem is also working to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, and we’re excited to have a partner in those resiliency efforts through Vineyard Offshore’s potential financial support for the City’s Climate Adaptation Fund, should the company earn an award in the current solicitation. In Salem, whenever we’ve looked to the future we’ve looked to the sea and what’s possible on its distant horizons. The potential of offshore wind, and working with partners like Vineyard Offshore, is a continuation of that legacy.”

“I am thrilled to see that Vineyard Offshore remains strongly committed to bringing the Vineyard Wind 2 project to fruition in Salem,” said state Representative Manny Cruz. “We have a unique opportunity in Salem to become the region’s leader in the renewable energy sector, address climate change and to providing economic mobility to our residents. I applaud Vineyard Offshore’s deep commitment to environmental justice communities and for their generous contribution of $500,00 to the Salem Adaptation Fund.”

Vineyard Offshore has signed a lease agreement with Crowley Wind Services to anchor wind turbine staging activities for Vineyard Wind 2 at the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, building on the team’s efforts in 2021 to establish a second offshore wind terminal in Massachusetts. Locating these activities in Salem will ensure uninterrupted use of the state-owned facility and ongoing employment through 2031.

“I am excited about the partnership between Vineyard Offshore, Crowley and the City of Salem,” said state Senator Joan Lovely. “This partnership positions Salem and the region as a leader in the development of renewable energy as the Commonwealth moves forward towards our carbon free goals. These partnerships will also support business and workforce development around this industry and will strengthen our local economy for years to come.”

To boost opportunities for local communities and businesses and increase access to the benefits of offshore wind in underserved communities, Vineyard Offshore has formed collaborative partnerships to support workforce, supply chain, and education initiatives, should Vineyard Wind 2 be selected for development. These partnerships include:

• ‍Salem High School Career and Technical Education Center, with up to $500,000 from Vineyard Offshore’s offshore Wind Accelerator Fund 2.0 – a follow-on from the Vineyard Wind 1 Accelerator Fund – pledged to support programs that will train students for a career in offshore wind

• ‍Center for Economic Development and Sustainability at Salem State University, which will conduct supply chain and workforce analyses specific to the North Shore to inform Vineyard Offshore’s workforce and supply chain programs in the region

• ‍Essex County Community Foundation, which will form an advisory committee to guide disbursement of North Shore-targeted monies from Vineyard Offshore’s Accelerator Fund 2.0 to local groups for initiatives related to workforce, education, and supply chain goals shared by the community, the project, and the offshore wind industry

“Salem High School’s Career and Technical Education Center is dedicated to preparing students for successful careers in high-demand fields, as well as providing training for unemployed and underemployed individuals to meet local workforce needs,” said Mario Sousa, Career and Technical Education Director. “We look forward to working with Vineyard Offshore to support training programs for our students in the growing field of offshore wind development.”

“The Center for Economic Development and Sustainability (CEDS) at Salem State University is proud to partner with Vineyard Offshore to explore the potential for local residents and businesses to participate in the work of Vineyard Wind 2 operating out of the Salem Offshore Wind Port,” said Lorri Krebs, Executive Director of CEDS. “Our analyses of the North Shore workforce and supply chain will help Vineyard Offshore maximize the benefits of offshore wind development for the region while providing opportunities for workforce expansion as well. Salem State is excited about the potential collaborations in this innovative field.”

“Essex County Community Foundation is eager to work with Vineyard Offshore to get the greatest benefit of offshore wind development for our communities in Essex County,” said Stratton Lloyd, Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President, Essex County Community Foundation. “We look forward to working collaboratively and inclusively to identify the priorities and needs of our community and ensure resources are allocated effectively to where they are most needed.”

Vineyard Offshore has also contracted with Oceantic Network to provide trainings and workshops in support of the company’s Supplier Diversity Plan, as it has done in connection with the Vineyard Wind 1 project now under construction, and with Greentree Consulting, to help support localization of the offshore wind supply chain. Oceantic Network held its first training in Salem on February 15.

In developing its Vineyard Wind 2 proposal, Vineyard Offshore also reached out to community organizations in the Salem area focused on environmental justice issues, including securing workforce opportunities for residents living near the port and reducing potential impacts on communities from port activities. As a result, the company received letters of support from North Shore groups including Salem Alliance for the Environment (SAFE), Salem Chamber of Commerce, and the Salem Partnership, which it included with its proposal, along with more than 200 others.

In March, Vineyard Offshore submitted its proposal for a 1,200 megawatt (MW) offshore wind project to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in response to the New England states’ solicitations for up to 6,800 MW of total offshore wind capacity. The Vineyard Wind 2 proposal builds on the many successes of Vineyard Wind 1 and includes more than 200 letters of support from local officials, suppliers, and stakeholders for all three states that will see positive economic impact from the proposed project. The proposal is further supported by a historic offshore wind tribal benefit agreement recently signed with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

Development of Vineyard Wind 2 will generate approximately $2.3 billion in direct expenditure and 3,800 job-years of employment across New England, with over $1.5 billion realized in Massachusetts, along with 80% of regional employment. Electricity market impacts and other benefits totaling as much as $4.8 billion over 20 years from adding 1,200 MW of offshore wind to the New England grid include $600 million from reduced wholesale electricity market rates and avoidance of winter price spikes.

In addition, Vineyard Wind 2 will provide up to $37.5 million in directly funded initiatives to promote a diverse and inclusive offshore wind workforce and supply chain, position the region as a global climate innovation lab, address energy burdens in low- and moderate-income households, and advance regional research efforts in fisheries and the environment. All commitments related to Vineyard Wind 2 are contingent on Vineyard Offshore receiving an award from the pending offshore wind solicitation and executing a power purchase agreement for the project.

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About Vineyard Offshore  

Vineyard Offshore, an affiliate of CIP, is leading the development of two lease areas in the Northeast, OCS-A 522, known as Vineyard Northeast, located off the coast of Massachusetts and OCS-A 544,known as Vineyard Mid-Atlantic and home to the Excelsior Wind Project, located in the New York Bight. Additionally, the company is working to develop a project off the coast of Humboldt County in Northern California, in lease area OCS-P 0562. Combined with its joint venture development of the first-in-the-nation offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind, now under construction, Vineyard Offshore has the potential to develop more than 6gigawatts of clean, renewable, and affordable energy on the East and West Coast of the United States.  To learn more, visit: www.vineyardoffshore.com.   

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Media Contact: press@vineyardoffshore.com