CENTERVILLE – The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce is supporting the concept of offshore wind off Martha’s Vineyard.
In 2016, the Legislature passed An Act to Promote Energy Diversity which requires electric distribution companies to procure 1,600 megawatts of clean, offshore wind energy within 10 years.
Three projects have submitted bids to become the first commercial offshore wind operation in the country 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Wendy Northcross said wind energy shows great promise for the region.
“But you have to do it right and you have to do it well,” Northcross said.
“I think that we are at the beginning of the well-sighted, well-operated competitive industry.”
Vineyard Wind proposes to build and operate a 400 to 800 megawatt project that could power over 400,000 homes.
Bay State Wind has proposed both a 400 megawatt and an 800 megawatt wind farm with battery storage solutions to help ensure power is available during peak hours.
Deepwater Wind submitted Revolution Wind projects are the mandatory 400 megawatt capability and a 200 megawatt farm.
“All three could create a very competitive industry right here in our backyard,” Northcross said. “And we think competition is good.”
The chamber previously did not support the controversial Cape Wind project which has since fallen through.
“When Cape Wind arrived on the scene they pretty much put their stake in the ground and claimed that for themselves,” she said. “There was no process by which to say that was appropriate or not. In the decades since we have learned that community input is a really important thing.”
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