Connecticut launches offshore RFP

UNITED STATES: Connecticut has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for offshore wind projects off the New England coast capable of producing up to 825,000MWh/year.

by Craig Richard 5 February 2018

A view of the coastline from Fort Trumbull Beach in Milford, Connecticut

This would indicate a site or sites with a total capacity of about 200MW.

Successful projects must start delivering power to the grid between 1 July 2019 and 31 December 2025, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) wrote in .

Bidders are required to provide wind resource data for their proposed project as well as predicted production levels, and environmental assessments.

The RFP also calls for fuel cell, fuel cell with combined heat and power (CHP), and anaerobic digestion projects, with a combined production of no more than 899,250MWh/year.

By issuing the RFP last week, Connecticut joins other north-eastern states in eyeing up offshore wind.

Last week, governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order calling for 3.5GW of offshore wind by 2030.

Late in January, published a roadmap for how it might reach a previously stated goal of 2.4GW of procuring offshore wind capacity by 2030.

And just before Christmas, launched an auction for 800MW of offshore wind, which it will conclude next year.

The for submitting bids is Monday 2 April.