CONNECTICUT, USA — New England wants to create and own its energy offshore, but as neighboring states are taking steps forward, Connecticut seems to be dragging its feet.
“The region is more than shared geography and shared resources, it truly is a family,” said Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey.
Gov. Ned Lamont joined the four other New England governors and multiple Canadian officials in Boston Tuesday for their 45th annual energy meeting.
“This is about building strong economies, creating great jobs in new businesses, carving out our energy independence and combating climate change,” explained Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
One of those strategies is offshore wind, something the coastline especially can take advantage of.
“We announced last week with the great state of Rhode Island that we were in for a significant procurement, three major projects altogether,” Healey said.
Connecticut and other states have multiple companies bidding for offshore wind projects.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island recently agreed to buy more than 2,800 megawatts of offshore wind power from three proposed offshore wind farms — the largest offshore wind selection in the history of New England. Officials said it could generate enough energy to power 1.4 million homes.
Connecticut has agreed to buy some of the energy generated by the Revolution Wind project, which is building turbines at the state pier in New London, but the state was expected to split the cost and also pick up the rest of the procurements from the other two projects.
After a heated summer of complicated and costly utility bills, state officials have gone quiet.
Now, one of the offshore wind companies is suggesting it can’t move forward without Connecticut’s buy-in.
“We look forward to Connecticut's forthcoming decision on the remainder of the procurement so that we can begin to deliver important economic and climate benefits to the region,” said Vineyard Offshore CEO Alicia Barton in a statement.
While the pushback has been to wait on expensive green investments, these wind projects, once started, take years to complete, meaning if states don’t pay now, it will take even longer for residents to see any sort of energy stability or savings.
“For families at their tables, they know that this set of leaders is thinking about those problems and tackling them on their behalf,” added Furey.
All this comes as state Republicans are still calling for a special session.
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Stephen harding said, “Connecticut is in an emergency. People cannot pay their electricity bills. Connecticut residents want this fixed. They want action, they want transparency, and they want the truth. They want the legislature to work together in a special session to provide relief… Connecticut is now on the verge of committing to offshore wind power which could cost already overburdened ratepayers three times as much as the contract with Millstone. Republicans continue to urge the administration to limit all future Power Purchase Agreements so that no contract can be for more than 150% over the wholesale electric market price. Stop the bleeding. Don’t make this unsustainable crisis even worse by making Connecticut residents and families pay a 200% to 300% premium for wind.”
Lamont's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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