Vineyard Wind Summer Interns Gain Project Management and Business Experience in New American Offshore Wind Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Massachusetts residents and students hired to participate in clean energy sector
(New Bedford, MA; August 5, 2019) –Vineyard Wind hired six area students as interns in New Bedford and Boston offices this summer. Vineyard Wind’s paid internships emphasize a unique, rare experience in America’s emerging offshore wind sector, including project management, bid development support, and community outreach activities.
Three Vineyard Wind interns were participants in the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (Mass CEC) internship program, which connects Massachusetts residents and students who attend Massachusetts colleges with local clean energy companies that are located in the Commonwealth.
Participating Vineyard Wind summer interns are:
New Bedford
Andie Painten (Massachusetts Maritime Academy)
Martha Diezemann (University of Delaware)
Michael McGarty (Bristol Community College)
Samantha Penacho (New Bedford High School)
Boston
Michael Baker (Boston University)
Eduardo Coser (Babson College)
Summer internships are just a small part of Vineyard Wind’s commitment to support offshore wind technical training and career development programs for local residents. Vineyard Wind is at the forefront of a national effort to attract billions of dollars of private investment in emerging US offshore wind sector that will help diversify and grow the economy through modernization of local ports, new services such as transport vessels, ongoing research offshore, and skilled workforce training that is needed to construct and operate wind farm facilities.
Vineyard Wind was selected in May 2018 by Massachusetts electric utilities to provide 800-megawatts (MW) of wind generation capacity from a project located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. The project is projected to generate enough electricity to supply six percent of Massachusetts’s electricity usage.
The project continues to move ahead with public and regulatory review through more than 25 federal, state, and local approval processes. Once operational in 2021, the Vineyard Wind project will reduce Massachusetts’ carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year, the equivalent of removing 325,000 cars from state roads.
To date, Vineyard Wind has received permits or approvals from the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB), an independent state board responsible for review of proposed large energy facilities, the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office, the Cape Cod Commission, the Barnstable Conservation Commission, the Martha’s Vineyard Conservation Commission, and the Nantucket Conservation Commission. The state Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has also determined that the project will not have an adverse effect on rare, threatened, or endangered species. In April, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved long-term power purchase contracts between Vineyard Wind and Massachusetts’ electric distribution companies (EDCs) for the delivery of clean offshore wind energy.
Vineyard Wind also has entered into a Host Community Agreement with the Town of Barnstable, and a Community Benefits Agreement with the non-profit energy cooperative Vineyard Power, which serves Martha’s Vineyard. Fishing representatives for the project include the New Bedford Port Authority, the Massachusetts Lobsterman’s Association, and the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.
About Vineyard Wind
Vineyard Wind LLC is an offshore wind development company seeking to build the first large-scale offshore wind energy project in the US, to be located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Vineyard Wind, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, is 50 percent owned by funds of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and 50 percent by Avangrid Renewables. For more information, visit www.vineyardwind.com.
Vineyard Wind Press Contact: Scott Farmelant, 617-939-6582, scott@millspr.com
