Rhode Island voters have approved a state bond measure that will equip a port for offshore wind development, according to the Associated Press.
Voters approved a $53 million state bond that includes $15 million for improvements to the Port of Davisville to ensure it can serve as a long-term operations and maintenance hub for offshore wind projects off New England.
The $15 million would be used to upgrade the port’s berthing space, and its access roads and cargo areas.
“The people of Rhode Island have spoken, and they are ready to invest in our ports and our clean energy future,” Gavin Black, president of Rhode Island Ports Coalition, told the Rhode Island Current.
“Funding from the green bond will prepare Quonset’s Port of Davisville – and Rhode Island – to serve as a key offshore wind hub for years to come, serving the rapidly growing offshore wind industry in the North Atlantic.”
New England has emerged as the epicentre for offshore wind development in the US. The country’s first offshore wind farm, the 30MW Block Island project, is off Rhode Island. In September, Rhode Island and neighbouring Massachusetts announced the selection of 2.8GW of offshore wind projects in a coordinated procurement.
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