The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is calling on electric distribution companies to proceed with an additional 1,600MW of offshore wind solicitations in the state. The call follows the outcome of an offshore wind study, which investigated the necessity, benefits and costs of requiring the electric distribution companies to conduct additional solicitations of up to 1,6GW.
Specifically, the study proposes that the new solicitations will take place in 2022 and 2024, in order to find the balance between capturing cost effectiveness offered by later procurements while providing a pipeline of solicitations to prompt and maintain economic development opportunities.
According to the DOER, in the possibility that the offshore wind pricing stays similar to first solicitation or continues to decline, the extra solicitation will provide many advantages for Massachusetts ratepayers.
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Moreover, the Massachusetts House and Senate signed into law the Act to Advance Clean Energy in August in 2018, which required DOER to conduct the study and directed it to evaluate and assess the previous 1,600MW solicitation.
Concluding, the bill is added to the existent 1.6GW by 2027 target set in 2016.
