Ørsted is offering community agencies $2 million in support if they win the wind farm tender

Ørsted has pledged $2 million to two Connecticut community nonprofits, the Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA) and the Community Renewal Team (CRT), if their offshore wind proposal, Starboard Wind, is selected by the state.

Ørsted says if the Danish wind energy company is selected, each agency will receive $1 million to help provide services and resources in eastern Connecticut.

CRT would use the money to support electricity rate relief for low-income residents, workforce development and other services. TVCCA funding would support low-income residents through an energy assistance fund, energy efficiency improvements and electrification, as well as child care programs.

“Our mission at Ørsted is not only to build clean energy infrastructure that delivers jobs and economic development, but also to ensure that our projects deliver tangible benefits in other ways to the communities in which we operate,” said David Ortiz, director of government affairs and for Market Strategy for the North East. “Collaborating with TVCCA and CRT allows us to deepen the impact we have on Connecticut communities. We are committed to supporting Connecticut’s transition toward a sustainable future and improving the quality of life for its residents.”

TVCCA CEO Joshua Kelly welcomed the news, as did CRT President and CEO Lena Rodriguez.

“The collaboration with Ørsted is a significant step forward in our mission to fight poverty and help our community thrive,” Kelly said. “With Ørsted’s support, we can enhance our workforce development programs and other essential comprehensive services and continue to offer essential services that make a real difference to the lives of many individuals and families across Connecticut.”

Rodriguez said: “The Ørsted Starboard Wind proposal will enable us to expand our efforts to provide critical services such as weatherization, directly addressing the needs of our community and paving the way for a more resilient future.”

Ørsted is active in the offshore wind industry in the Northeast, having already installed a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork Wind that powers homes on Long Island.

The company recently reached another milestone by putting steel in the ground for its next project, Revolution Wind, which will be a 65-turbine wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, providing electricity to both Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Ørsted also partnered with Eversource and the state of Connecticut to redevelop State Pier in New London over the past few years as a staging area for offshore wind energy.

State Pier is where wind turbine parts are assembled before being shipped for assembly in the Atlantic.

The Starboard Wind project would be Ørsted’s largest project to date and was one of several projects submitted in March as part of a three-state request for proposals from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

This was the only project using the State Pier.

Ørsted has previously donated to other projects and organizations in Connecticut as part of their efforts to build community relationships.

Groton-based Connecticut Wind Collaborative has received $577,500 in seed capital from Ørsted and Eversource as part of supply chain and workforce development commitments related to Revolution Wind.

Marine Science, a nonprofit ocean science education project, received $950,000 to support STEM programs for local schools.

The University of Connecticut and Mystic Aquarium each received more than $1 million for research into the effects of offshore wind farms on marine life.

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