National Grid Seeks Approval For Revolution Wind Project

National Grid has filed for regulatory approval of the Revolution Wind project, a 400-megawatt offshore wind farm with the Public Utilities Commission. Governor Gina Raimondo calls the move a major step forward towards meeting the state's clean energy goals.

Once the project has been completed, it is projected to generate about 25 percent of the the electricity used by Rhode Islanders each year, enough to power more than 270,000 homes.

"When we built the Block Island wind farm, we positioned Rhode Island as the leader in a brand-new U.S. offshore wind industry," Gov. Raimondo said. "Other states watched us and followed our example. Today I'm pleased to announce that the proposed Revolution Wind offshore wind farm, more than 13 times the size of the Block Island project, offers electricity at prices far lower than we anticipated. This is a triple-win for our state because it provides affordable, clean energy for Rhode Islanders, adds jobs to our economy, and dramatically reduces carbon emissions."

Rhode Island and National Grid have a goal to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. In March 2017, Gov. Raimondo set another goal of increasing Rhode Island's clean energy portfolio ten-fold by the year 2020.

The wind farm will be built through a partnership between National Grid and developer Ørsted US Offshore Wind. It will be located at least 15 miles away from shore, and the project is expected to create over 800 construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs. In addition, the governor projects that hundreds of indirectly related jobs will be created to support the growing offshore wind industry. According to a release from the governor, Ørsted did not seek, nor will receive, any tax breaks for the project. The company has reportedly made a commitment to invest $250 million in the state.

"We're keeping our promise to Rhode Island to bring down the cost of offshore wind in a big way," said Jeffrey Grybowski, co-CEO of Ørsted US Offshore Wind. "Revolution Wind will save ratepayers money and help Rhode Island make major progress on its clean energy goals. This is the start of an exciting next chapter for offshore wind in the state that pioneered this new U.S. clean-tech industry."

Over the course of the 20-year contract, the wind farm is projected to save residents millions of dollars in energy costs.

"National Grid remains committed to delivering energy to our customers in Rhode Island safely, affordably, and reliably long into the future," said Tim Horan, president of Rhode Island National Grid. "Revolution Wind shows our commitment to renewable energy not only in Rhode Island, but across our footprint."

If all goes according to plan, construction on the project is expected to begin by 2020, with operations beginning as early as 2023.

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