Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr.
(OAK BLUFFS) – State legislators teamed up earlier this month to advocate for the Vineyard Wind project and the broader implementation of offshore wind technology.
In a letter, the lawmakers called upon the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to approve the Vineyard Wind 1 proposal and move forward in the permitting process.
Falmouth State Representative Dylan Fernandes and Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr led the efforts.
“Massachusetts has no fossil fuels and survivors of our winters know that the sun is not our strongest resource,” said Fernandes.
“We do have wind, and a lot of it, and to transition to a clean energy future and energy independence we must move forward with deep-water offshore wind, the future of our planet is at stake and it’s beyond time to move this project forward.”
“Offshore wind projects present a cutting-edge opportunity for both economic growth in our region and long-term sustainability in our energy production,” said Cyr.
“Representative Fernandes and I would like to thank the large, bipartisan coalition of legislators who lent us their support in urging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to approve the first utility-scale wind farm in our nation with the urgency that it deserves.”
The permitting process for the Vineyard Wind 1 project has taken more than six years and involved more than 35 public hearings.
The project is expected to create more than 3,600 jobs locally and generate enough clean energy to power over 400,000 homes.
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources estimates that Vineyard Wind 1 will reduce costs for ratepayers by an estimated $1.4 billion.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will issue a decision on the permitting by December of this year.
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