‍(BOSTON) – Vineyard Offshore, America’s leading offshore wind development company, today highlighted local benefits of its proposed 1,200 megawatt (MW) Vineyard Wind 2 project for Rhode Island. Should the project be selected in solicitations now pending in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, Vineyard Wind 2 will mean $80 million in direct economic expenditures in Rhode Island.  

“Vineyard Wind 2 is a truly multi-state project that will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits for the region,” said Alicia Barton, CEO of Vineyard Offshore. “For Rhode Island, Vineyard Wind 2 will create meaningful manufacturing and assembly jobs that build on the Ocean State’s established presence in the offshore wind industry, sustaining and furthering job creation from past projects, along with local partnerships that create new opportunities for Rhode Island residents and businesses.”  

Vineyard Offshore has entered into an agreement with Riggs Distler & Company (Riggs Distler). to localize fabrication and assembly of secondary steel components for foundations – internal and external working platforms, boat landings, etc. – at the Port of Providence (ProvPort). These activities – similar to those for the Advanced Foundation Components now being produced for Orsted’s Revolution Wind project by Riggs Distler at ProvPort – will utilize union labor and regional subcontractors, resulting in an estimated 150 personnel working onsite during the construction phase of the project, for a total of 300 job-years of employment. 

“Our Rhode Island operation has become a vital part of the growing offshore wind industry,” said Chris Johnson, Vice President Offshore Wind, Riggs Distler. “We look forward to building on our work to date by partnering with Vineyard Offshore on Vineyard Wind 2.”

Should the ProvPort site be unavailable when needed for Vineyard Wind 2, this work would shift to the new Waterson Terminal Site being developed in East Providence (East ProvPort, or South Quay), for which Vineyard Offshore has signed a letter of intent. 

“Offshore wind development is a growth market for our company and we consider Vineyard Offshore a valued partner,” said Chris Waterson, President & CEO, Waterson Terminal Services. “We are pleased to have signed a letter of intent and we will accommodate their needs at ProvPort or East ProvPort should they prevail in this bid process.”

Additional supply chain and workforce opportunities will be accessible to Rhode Island, with the Vineyard Wind 2 Operations & Maintenance base in New Bedford and onshore construction in Montville, Conn., within commuting distance for many Rhode Islanders. 

In addition, Vineyard Offshore will provide up to $26.5 million in directly funded initiatives for local workforce and business development, technology innovation, fisheries and ecological resources, including the commercial fishing industry, and low-income ratepayers, in the event of an award for Vineyard Wind 2 from Rhode Island. These initiatives, many of them delivered through local partnerships, include:

• Job Training and Supply Chain ($16 million): Vineyard Offshore has recently become an anchor partner for Rhode Island Commerce Commission’s SupplyRI initiative, committing to procuring Rhode Island-sourced goods and services for its local offshore wind energy projects. Additional local partners will be identified after a project award.  

• Technology Innovation ($3 million): Vineyard Offshore has executed a letter of intent with CIC Providence to explore funding opportunities to support startup technologies that advance innovation in offshore wind.

• Low-Income Ratepayers ($2.5 million): Vineyard Offshore would allocate funds to address energy burdens in low-income households in Rhode Island.  ‍
• Marine Environment ($5 million): To protect the marine environment and support those who depend on it for their livelihood, Vineyard Offshore will commit funds to regional offshore wind-related research and monitoring as well as resiliency initiatives for commercial fishermen.  

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“We are excited about the partners we have to work with in Rhode Island,” said Barton. “I look forward to engaging with them on Vineyard Wind 2.”

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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 1, now under construction, Vineyard Offshore has the potential to develop more than 6 gigawatts of clean, renewable, and affordable energy on the East and West Coasts of the United States.  To learn more, visit: www.vineyardoffshore.com.  

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