Raimondo Announces $4.5 Million Revolution Wind Investment

Governor Gina Raimondo announced Monday that the companies behind the Revolution Wind project, Ørsted US Offshore Wind and Eversource, have pledged $4.5 million in support of offshore wind farms in Rhode Island. $3 million will go towards higher education programs led by the University of Rhode Island, while the remainnig $1.5 million will be given to the Department of Labor and Training and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to develop the industry's supply chain and labor force.

"Ørsted and Eversource’s commitments, as part of their Revolution Wind offshore wind farm, will expand our efforts already underway to build our talent pool and provide opportunities for college students in Rhode Island to study for a career in offshore wind," Gov. Raimondo said. "When they are ready to work, we will have plenty of jobs for them in our growing offshore wind supply chain, right here in Rhode Island."

National Grid filed for approval of the Revolution Wind project with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission in February. The commission's decision is expected to be released by June 1.

If approved, the offshore wind farm is projected to generate around 25 percent of the electricity used by the state annually, helping the state reach its goal of increasing its clean energy portfolio by ten times before the end of 2020. Revolution Wind is set to be located approximately 15 miles off the coast of New England in federal waters, with the projected scheduled to be operation by 2023.

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"As the home of the country’s first offshore wind farm, Rhode Island is a pioneer in this important field," said Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor. "It is imperative that we continue to invest in the educational and workforce initiatives that will strengthen Rhode Island’s position as the epicenter of the off-shore wind industry, and this funding contributes in exactly this way. We thank Ørsted and Eversource for their partnership in this effort and we look forward to advancing together."