Connecticut’s Largest Offshore Wind Project Moves Closer to Approval

(Credit: Pixabay)

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to proceed with an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the Park City Wind project, an 804 megawatt (MW) offshore wind project that is being developed by Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. The NOI initiates a 30-day public comment period to define the scope of the EIS, the major permitting study required for project approval.

Park City, the City of Bridgeport’s nickname due to its extensive public parks, was selected in December of 2019 by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The project will be built in a federal lease area located over 60 miles east of Connecticut.

According to AVANGRID, The Park City Wind project will:

• represent the largest and lowest cost purchase of offshore wind energy in state history;
• provide roughly 14% of the state’s electricity supply;
• generate an estimated $890 million in direct economic development in Connecticut; and,
• support 2,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) job years.

Barnum Landing, a 15-acre parcel located at 525 Seaview Avenue, will also be used during the construction phase of the Park City Wind project which will include storage and assembly of the transition pieces, the portion of the turbine that anchors the body of the machines to the steel foundation. The project has also established a local office, located at 350 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, which will be home to more than a dozen employees focused on project development, community outreach and workforce development.