Eversource Energy has announced its Huntsbrook Offshore Wind (OSW) Hub project proposal was recently awarded US$89 million in federal grant funding through the second round of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Innovation Programme.
The Huntsbrook OSW Hub proposal was included in the Power Up New England project portfolio that was selected to receive US$389 million in total funding through the DOE programme and will support New England’s clean energy transition while improving grid reliability across the region.
The Huntsbrook OSW Hub project consists of constructing a new 345 kV switching station in southeastern Connecticut at Huntsbrook Junction in Montville, Connecticut, which will establish a new point of interconnection for future offshore wind developers to reliably deliver 2400 MW of offshore wind via high-voltage transmission lines from the offshore wind farm to the Hub. It will utilise existing utility property and rights of way to avoid unnecessary environmental impacts and significant disruptions to local communities while providing benefits of energy cost savings and enhanced workforce development programmes.
“The US Department of Energy recognised the significance of the Power Up New England portfolio — including our Huntsbrook project — and awarded a transformational investment in clean energy transmission and storage infrastructure that will improve grid reliability, accelerate renewable energy integration, and reduce energy burdens across New England,” said Eversource President of Transmission and Offshore Wind Projects Bill Quinlan. “We appreciate the collaboration shown by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and our other Power Up partners and are looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to advance our project, which will deliver resounding local economic and community benefits to Connecticut as we work to achieve the state’s clean energy goals and reduce carbon emissions in the coming years.”
The University of Connecticut has conducted independent analysis of the estimated economic impacts over the lifetime of the project that include the creation of thousands of high-quality jobs, including utilisation of organised labour, and projected savings for Connecticut ratepayers through lower wholesale electric costs. The project has also committed US$4 million to establish the Connecticut Institute for Clean Energy at UConn, which will help to expand the sustainable energy workforce in the state and region through scholarships, real-world engagement on offshore wind projects, and certificate programmes relating to offshore wind, with a particular focus on engagement with individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. A further US$1 million will be allocated for direct community benefits to the host communities — focusing on the key principles of community and labour engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), and the Justice40 Initiative.
The Huntsbrook OSW Hub builds upon Eversource’s successful track record of building the infrastructure necessary to enable offshore wind projects to safely and reliably connect to the electric grid in the Northeast. Eversource led the transmission construction for South Fork Wind in Long Island, New York, the first operational commercial-scale offshore wind project in the nation. The company is also currently leading the transmission construction for Revolution Wind, which will provide power to Connecticut and Rhode Island, Sunrise Wind in New York, and Eversource’s Cape Cod Solution – a co-optimised, multi-phase transmission program, the first phase of which is already in service– will efficiently and cost-effectively strengthen Cape Cod’s electric grid while facilitating the integration of offshore wind energy.
Eversource expects to develop and submit requests for necessary permits for the Huntsbrook Offshore Wind Hub starting in late 2024 with review processes that could last through 2027. Pending receipt of all necessary permits per phase of work, the company anticipates construction to commence in 2028 and continue through 2031.
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/20082024/eversource-secures-funding-for-connecticut-wind-hub/