Deepwater Wind Names Three Sites for Possible Turbine Fabrication

NEW BEDFORD - One of the three bidders to develop an offshore wind farm south of Martha's Vineyard has narrowed down where they would manufacture turbines if they were awarded the bid.

Deepwater Wind announced Tuesday it has identified New Bedford, Fall River, and Somerset as potential locations for fabrication of their turbines.

Deepwater Wind's project, Revolution Wind, would generate 400 megawatts of electricity and create an estimated 2,300 regional jobs with nearly $300 million in regional economic impact.

In a written release, Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski says "No company is more committed to building a local offshore wind workforce than us."

Deepwater Wind has already pledged to utilize the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal for construction and staging operations related to Revolution Wind, with an annual payment of $500,000 to the New Bedford Port Authority.

Deepwater Wind is competing against Vineyard Sound and Bay State Wind for the bid to build an offshore wind farm in Massachusetts. The bid falls under a 2016 law that requires energy distribution companies to purchase 1,600 megawatts of electricity derived from offshore wind over the next ten years.

The state is set to announce the winner(s) of the bid on April 23.