Offshore wind is an important step toward sustainability

Connecticut is on the brink of a much-needed clean energy transformation.

Offshore wind opportunities abound out in the ocean all along the eastern seaboard. This year, Connecticut has already played a critical role in clean energy development, reaping the benefits of good, green jobs and — soon — lower emissions, cleaner power, and reduced energy bills.

Here and across the Northeast, 2024 has been offshore wind’s biggest year yet. In March, our neighbors in New York powered on the country’s first utility-scale offshore project, South Fork Wind Farm . The site’s 12 wind turbines were staged and assembled by local union workers here in New London. Later in March, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island held a successful tri-state auction , receiving bids for 5.5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind projects. State offices are expected to announce selected projects this month.

Next year promises to be even more monumental for the region, with the completion of Revolution Wind , Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm. All of this marks significant progress toward achieving Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island’s collective goal of developing 9 GW offshore wind by 2030 . The promising offshore wind industry is especially welcome given our state and neighbors’ continued reliance on fracked methane gas for power.

Imported gas, crisscrossed across the state through pipelines and more gas infrastructure, puts our communities at risk of poor air quality, gas leaks, and other safety concerns. Notably, gas pollution worsens and increases the chances of contracting respiratory conditions like asthma, leaving our elderly neighbors, children, and Black, Indigenous, and communities of color especially vulnerable.

Fracked gas is also expensive and cost-inefficient. When extreme weather and geopolitical events increase gas costs globally, electricity costs in New England increase too. Gas reliance for power generation alone has resulted in an average of $3 billion flowing out of New England’s economy annually, with costs exceeding $5 billion in some years. According to a new Sierra Club and Synapse Energy report , achieving the tri-state 9 GW offshore wind goal would see New England retain approximately $1.57 billion that would have otherwise flowed out for gas fuel.

Offshore wind’s growing presence across the Eastern Seaboard has put fossil fuel interests on the defense. Research by Brown University has uncovered dark ties between seemingly local wind opposition and seasoned fossil fuel interest groups and climate-denying think tanks. The connections between New England groups and major donors like the Charles Koch Foundation and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association point to a coordinated effort to obstruct clean energy region-wide.

Still, recent polling indicates that the majority of residents in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island support offshore wind development across the coast. In June, 1,200 voters across the three states were surveyed, including 400 in Connecticut. Of the Connecticut participants, 75 percent supported the states’ collaborative effort to build more offshore wind for electricity. The majority of Connecticut voters anticipated offshore wind would have a positive impact on Connecticut’s energy independence, state economy, local jobs, climate, water and air quality, and even energy costs.

Research proves the poll respondents right. According to the Synapse study, 9 GW of offshore wind would reduce the average residential electricity bill in New England by approximately $2.79/month to $4.61/month, depending on future gas prices. Offshore wind is also a win for workers. Projects are often procured and constructed with project labor agreements or other commitments that ensure good, local jobs for the surrounding communities.

On the climate and health side, 9 GW of offshore wind in 2030 would cut 42% of annual CO 2 emissions from the New England power sector. In total, 9 GW of offshore wind would provide $362 million in annual public health benefits by avoiding tons of other health-harming NOx and other emissions each year, meaning fewer asthma attacks and poor air quality days.

A recent analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists has also shown offshore wind strengthens our grid’s reliability. According to the report, if Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts and the soon-to-be-complete Revolution Wind in Connecticut had operated over the past two decades the number of days with elevated blackout risk would drop 42%. Offshore wind is dependable during cold snaps and bitter winter days, when the risk of blackouts is especially high and fossil fuel sources are especially vulnerable.

Offshore wind’s suitability for Connecticut is undeniable. Offshore wind projects can set Connecticut on a path towards lower energy costs, cleaner air, healthier communities, and a more reliable grid. There is no time to delay. Every action taken today to promote offshore wind is a step toward a more sustainable, affordable future for all New England.