FALMOUTH – The Department of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center held a public informational meeting on Tuesday night on Cape Cod.
Cape Cod residents packed a conference room at the Holiday Inn in Falmouth to hear updates on the offshore wind industry and the development process of federal offshore wind planning areas off Massachusetts.
Federal officials from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted presentations and held a question and answer session with residents, to discuss wind data collection, environmental surveys and supply chain efforts.
“Typically on the East Coast, some of the best wind resources in the world are located just off our coast,” said MassCEC Senior Director of Offshore Wind Sector Development Bill White.
The state passed legislation last year that requires utility companies to purchase off shore wind and the first solicitation comes out this summer.
The winner of the solicitation will begin to develop the site and construction could begin within two years.
Vineyard Power, DONG Energy and Bay State Wind are competing for the project.
The representatives from all three companies attended the event to pitch their proposals to the public.
The meeting was the first that the state Task Force on Offshore Renewable Energy has held since 2015.
“It’s one of those meetings that doesn’t come around too often, so if the public’s here, we want to be able to answer any questions they may have,” said Vineyard Power General Manager Erik Peckar.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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