Bay State Wind to Build New Bedford Offshore Wind Training Center

Business & Finance

May 8, 2018

Mayor of New Bedford, Jon Mitchell, at Bay State Wind’s conference. Source: Bay State Wind

Bay State Wind has revealed plans to build and operate an offshore wind training center in New Bedford in Massachusetts, US.

The training center will be used to prepare the US workforce to operate and maintain offshore wind projects for the years to come, Bay State Wind said.

The developer has also established a partnership with the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers Union (Ironworkers) for the proposed Bay State Wind offshore wind project and for the construction of the training center.

“Offshore wind has tremendous potential to create and sustain quality, union jobs, and the announcement today by Bay State Wind is just another example of that,” said Kim Glas, Executive Director at the BlueGreen Alliance.

“We’re excited to see the partnership between Bay State Wind and the Utility Workers, IBEW, and the Ironworkers, which will ensure the jobs created by this project pay fair wages, have strong benefits, and ensure health and safety protections for workers on the job.”

Bay State Wind, a 50-50 partnership between Ørsted and Eversource, is proposing to build an offshore wind farm some 15 miles off Martha’s Vineyard.

The project has been designated as a covered project under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), representing the first and only offshore wind project, and one of only 38 infrastructure projects nationally, to receive the FAST-41 status.

Most recently, the developer completed eight surveys for the project, including geophysical, geotechnical, visual, benthic and avian assessments, which are necessary for the complete and sufficient Construction & Operations Plan.