Leading Energy Companies Propose Connecticut’s First Offshore Wind Farm

(WK-intern) – Constitution Wind will pair the global leader in offshore wind with New England’s largest energy provider

Ørsted and Eversource today announced that their joint venture has submitted a bid to build Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm, in response to the state’s request for proposals for offshore wind energy generation.

The approximately 200-megawatt project – Constitution Wind – would be the first of its kind to serve the state of Connecticut.

Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, has pioneered and refined the approach to developing and constructing offshore wind farms since it launched the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991. And Eversource, New England’s largest energy provider, has led the region in the development of its electrical transmission network.

Together, the two companies are proposing Constitution Wind, a state-of-the-art utility-scale offshore wind farm that will bring clean, reliable offshore energy to Connecticut’s electric distribution customers. The project will provide offshore wind power to customers at the lowest possible cost, and maximize long-term economic and environmental benefits for New England. Ørsted will develop and construct the offshore generation and transmission assets, and Eversource will develop and construct the project’s onshore transmission system.

As included in its proposal, the Constitution Wind project will:

• Provide 100,000 Connecticut homes with clean, reliable and stable-priced power
• Deliver $80 million in savings per year in lower winter power costs
• Commit $4 million to support the state’s cornerstone programs for low income families
• Invest $600,000 in scholarships for energy-focused educational programs
• Commit $500,000 to local environmental partnerships
• Provide $2 million to a newly created Connecticut Economic Development Fund to spur growth in the local economy
• Generate $16.1 million in state, local and federal taxes that will support local government functions over the operational lifespan
• Make $93 million in direct value add to the Connecticut economy

The project will be located 65 miles off the coast of New London in federal waters – a significant distance from coastal and residential communities. The proposal includes an approximately 200 MW installation, which will provide 825,000 megawatt-hours of offshore wind energy per year.

„Constitution Wind will bring the most experienced, dependable partners together to help New England lead the way in North America’s renewable energy industry,“ said Ørsted President of North America Thomas Brostrøm. „At Ørsted we are the global leader with 23 successful offshore wind farms developed across the world, representing 27 percent of worldwide offshore wind capacity. We are excited to combine that experience with Eversource’s longstanding local experience. And together we have unbeatable financial strength.“

„We are confident that Constitution Wind represents Connecticut’s strongest opportunity to meet its clean energy goals and become a national leader in offshore wind,“ said Eversource Vice President of Business Development Mike Auseré. „Our sophisticated understanding of New England’s electrical grid will pair with Ørsted’s extensive offshore experience to bring clean energy to Connecticut consumers effectively and efficiently.“

Constitution Wind is a proposal from Bay State Wind LLC, which launched a partnership in December 2016 to jointly develop, construct and operate a utility-scale offshore wind project in Massachusetts. Since 2017, Bay State Wind has added talented staff and expertise from both Ørsted and Eversource in order to develop the strongest possible bid for the proposed state-of-the-art offshore wind project.

About Ørsted

The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore wind farms, bioenergy plants and innovative waste-to-energy solutions and provides smart energy products to its customers. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 5,600 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2017, the group’s revenue was DKK 59.5 billion (EUR 8.0 billion). For more information on Ørsted, visit https://orsted.com/ or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

About Eversource

Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of its more than 8,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@EversourceCorp) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceEnergy). For more information on our water services, visit www.aquarionwater.com.

 PR: Ørsted North America Media Relations

Pressebild: Oerstedt-DongEnergy