A host of clean energy bills will be before a Legislative Committee on Tuesday and some of those bills will deal with the offshore wind industry.

Of interest to Southcoast political and community leaders is a bill filed by Rep. Patricia Haddad of Somerset requiring utility companies to purchase electricity generated by offshore wind farms.

Observers say that bill, if it becomes law, could help create thousands of jobs on the Southcoast and in Southern New England.  The federal government has already leased about 700,000 acres of ocean area off the Mass. coast to wind farm developers.

The hearing gets underway at 1pm at the State House.

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