House Committee Files Bill Promoting Offshore Wind and Hydropower
The Massachusetts House Energy Committee is sending a bill to the full House that would jumpstart the renewable energies industries in the state. The bill calls for utilities to solicit longterm contracts of 15-20 years with providers of hydropower and offshore wind, allocating 1,200 megawatts of energy production to each resource.
Matthew Morrissey, Executive Director of Offshore Wind Massachusetts tells WBSM News the bill was years in the making, and he's glad to see it come to fruition. "What we're witnessing today is the beginning of this industry," says Morrissey. "It will take some time, but really this is a very important milestone for the emergence of the offshore wind industry in the United States, and of course right here in Massachusetts."
Morrissey adds he and many others are anticipating passage of the bill. "Right off our coast, we have 8,000 megawatts of capacity in areas that have already been pre-qualified by the federal government. We have three major development companies now that are all world-class and deeply financially backed holding competitive leases in those areas."
Morrissey says the bill would translate into offshore wind projects over three times the size of the now-defunct Cape Wind venture.
The House and Senate will vote on their versions of the bill ahead of the end of the session in July before it heads to Governor Charlie Baker for approval.