the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Madison CT, What was supposed to be New England’s most ambitious offshore wind project—a groundbreaking collaboration between Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island—has hit a snag. The initiative aimed to harness the power of offshore wind to help the region transition to clean, carbon-free energy and combat climate change. But when Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced their selections after the March solicitation, Connecticut was notably absent.
While both states moved forward, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) issued a brief statement: “The evaluation of project bids remains underway in Connecticut and we will announce a final decision in our solicitation at a future date.”
Connecticut’s Delay Sparks Speculation
The delay in Connecticut’s decision has sparked speculation about the potential political motivations behind the state’s pause. With high electricity rates serving as a hot-button issue in the upcoming election, some wonder if Governor Ned Lamont’s hesitation is linked to concerns over ratepayer backlash. However, Lamont insists that his decision is driven by economics, not politics.
“We’re the ones who are subsidizing nuclear, the biggest source of carbon-free power,” Lamont said, referring to Connecticut’s support of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station. At 2,100 megawatts, Millstone provides significant carbon-free energy to the region. The governor emphasized his focus on affordability: “I care deeply about affordability, especially now.”
Offshore Wind vs. High Costs
Connecticut’s hesitation comes as offshore wind projects face rising costs. Inflation, fractured supply chains, and geopolitical tensions have caused some developers to renegotiate or even pull out of their contracts. Among them is Avangrid, which withdrew from an 804-megawatt contract for Connecticut’s Park City Wind project, putting the state’s wind energy plans back at square one.
For now, Lamont appears wary of committing to costly new wind projects, especially as electric rates remain a contentious issue. However, some worry the governor’s caution may echo his decision to pull Connecticut out of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) in 2021, a move that similarly faced political pressure.
Advocates Hold Out Hope
Despite the uncertainty, advocates for offshore wind remain hopeful. Many point to Connecticut’s goal of a zero-carbon grid by 2040 and the critical role wind energy will play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Senator Ryan Fazio, a Republican from Greenwich, expressed concern over the high costs but acknowledged the importance of getting the best deal for ratepayers.
“Developing our offshore wind resources is absolutely critical to reaching our energy and climate goals,” said Charles Rothenberger, a climate and energy attorney at Save the Sound. “These projects need to start being built.”
Regional Pressure Mounts
Massachusetts and Rhode Island have already moved forward with their selections, choosing projects that will supply hundreds of megawatts of wind power to the region. Massachusetts even selected the former Park City Wind project, now renamed New England Wind 1, leaving Connecticut behind in its own initial plans.
If Connecticut continues to delay, it risks damaging the regional cooperation that has been key to advancing offshore wind development. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey was expected to have Connecticut as a partner, and the absence of Connecticut’s commitment could threaten the viability of certain projects, like the remaining portion of the Vineyard Wind 2 development.
What’s Next for Connecticut?
While some are frustrated by Connecticut’s delay, many believe the state still has time to make a decision. Offshore wind projects take years to complete, and with the possibility of lower interest rates in the near future, there may be an opportunity to secure a better deal.
In the meantime, Governor Lamont remains cautious, telling reporters, “Not for a while” when asked about a decision timeline. For now, Connecticut’s role in the region’s offshore wind future remains uncertain, but the stakes couldn’t be higher as the state weighs affordability against the urgent need for clean energy.
Will Connecticut make the leap into offshore wind, or will it remain on the sidelines while its neighbors power ahead? Only time will tell.
Follow the Ridgewood blog has a brand-new new X account, we tweet good sh$t
https://twitter.com/TRBNJNews
https://truthsocial.com/@theridgewoodblog
https://mewe.com/jamesfoytlin.74/posts
#follow #media #trending #viral #newsupdate #currentaffairs #BergenCountyNews #NJBreakingNews #NJHeadlines #NJTopStories,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews,
What “urgent need for clean energy”? What is so urgent? Plenty of fossil fuel capacity exists, and they only need to move forward with nuclear energy for future needs. That is the answer. Windmills simply do not provide for our energy needs. No wind, no lights. Duh!
I live in Atlantic City NJ on the ocean the politicians in this state Murphy and his criminal gang are planning to destroy the East Coast with offshore winds toxic turbines Atlantic Shores Wind company they signed executive orders behind our back in 2020 and are going against the mammal protection act of 1972 for the endangered species of the right whale they will build toxic turbines in the migration route of the marine life along the east coast that’ll wipe out the fishing community that feeds us the ecosystem of the ocean lobster beds scallop beds Murphy gave 1 billion of taxpayer money to a foreign company orsted and they pulled out the inflation creation act was signed in by Biden and Harris to take billions of our money and give it to foreign companies to build toxic turbines that will fail
That was a run-on sentence if I ever saw one…
CT is the land of “smart” liberals…. they give lip service to all of the destructive wacky woke green ideas but are smart enough to not implement them in their own backyards.
NJ is the laughingstock of America, because they are TOO STUPID to follow suit and actually implement these idiotic unproven, destructive ideas.
The only advocates for offshore wind are those that stand to profit from building these inefficient, toxic monstrosities. A couple hours worth of research would inform you of the negative impacts these things would have for decades and maybe forever. Good for Connecticut to stop this highly flawed thinking.