Hello friends and followers,
It has been a busy year! The SouthCoast Wind team has been working hard to meet our commitment to help create a clean energy future in New England.
Read on for our latest community, partner, and project news!
In this edition
Community and Partner News
Our team at the SCCF’s Summer’s Last Blast fundraiser for local nonprofit organizations
The SouthCoast Community Foundation – $500,000 in grants for area nonprofits, apply by October 13, 2023.
The SouthCoast Wind Fund’s first round of grantmaking has launched and funds will go to support offshore wind workforce development, diversity in employment and expanding community awareness and education. Nonprofits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are welcome to apply. Applications can be found on the SCCF grants page. Grantees will be announced in December.
Partner Highlight: The Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA)
We are proud to support the Rhode Island Environmental Education Association, a non-profit that promotes environmental education through collaboration with educators, students, and advocates and by seeking inclusive and creative solutions to environmental problems.
Each year, RIEEA recognizes educators, youth, organizations, and schools across Rhode Island who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and dedication to help their communities engage in environmental education and outdoor learning and recreation.
Project Updates
Community Outreach
We continue to host events and meetings throughout the region for residents and businesses to meet with members of our team and learn more about our projects and offshore wind energy. We have two new events planned:
- Portsmouth, RI Drop-in Event: Topics to be discussed include cable installation in Portsmouth & the Sakonnet River. Residents are encouraged to join us in Portsmouth, October 12th, 5-8 pm. For more information visit the Portsmouth Community Drop-In Session web page.
- Upcoming Drop-in Event: For the communities of Somerset and Swansea, MA, November 7, 2023. Details to be announced.
Power Purchase Agreements and Permitting
SouthCoast Wind, like other offshore wind developers, has pursued termination of our power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Massachusetts utilities. We look forward to submitting competitive bids in upcoming solicitations and demonstrating the value of our project and related community investments. With the capacity to power over one million homes annually, we are confident that our project is a major asset to help states meet their energy goals and offset carbon emissions.
Our permitting team is working hard to advance permitting at both the federal and state levels. The Massachusetts Energy Facility Siting Board recently concluded their informational hearings and BOEM is proceeding with the final Environmental Impact Statement, to be issued later this year.
Offshore Geotechnical Survey Concludes
The Fugro Explorer recently completed this year’s geotechnical survey of the lease area. A geotechnical sampling has now been completed at all of SouthCoast Wind’s proposed wind turbine locations.
The survey work examined seabed conditions in the wind lease area and provided details on the soil conditions for the wind turbine foundations. Previous surveys have found favorable conditions for operating safely and sustainably.
Upcoming Events
October is kicking off with American Clean Power’s Offshore Windpower conference in Boston. The SouthCoast Wind team will be out in full force and participating in a host of panels and discussions.
SouthCoast Wind Updates
Welcome to the SouthCoast Wind team: Kyle Cassidy
Please welcome Kyle Cassidy, our new Marine Science Permitting Manager. He joins us from Orsted, where he was a Fisheries and Environmental Specialist. Previously he was also a Program Manager at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology.
Kyle was also an Assistant Captain for the Buzzards Bay Coalition in New Bedford, MA where he helped to operate and maintain their research vessel, conduct water quality sampling, and deploy a long-term environmental monitoring buoy
He holds an MBA and MS in Marine Science from UMass Dartmouth, as well as a BS from UMass Amherst.
About SouthCoast Wind
SouthCoast Wind is developing an offshore lease area off the coast of Massachusetts with the potential to generate over 2,400 megawatts of clean electricity.