Ørsted CEO Thomas Brostrøm, Connecticut Post Authority chairman Scott Bates, State Senator Paul Formica, Governor Ned Lamont and State Senator Norm Needleman stand together in New London after the announcement of the $93 million State Pier revitalization project.
NEW LONDON, CT – State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate Chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, today joined Governor Ned Lamont and a number of state officials and energy leaders today at State Pier in New London to announce an agreement for a harbor development plan there. A combined public-private investment of $93 million in the area is expected to revitalize New London’s coast and establish Connecticut’s shoreline as a central New England hub for the offshore wind industry.
The Connecticut Port Authority, terminal operator Gateway, and Bay State Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, will team up to invest and redevelop State Pier into a port facility through upgrading infrastructure and improving heavy-lift capability. That will allow State Pier to meet the offshore wind industry’s facility requirements, additionally increasing the port’s capability to accommodate heavy-lift cargo in the future. After a three-year development project to upgrade facility infrastructure, Ørsted and Eversource will enter a ten-year lease to utilize State Pier for assembly and staging of wind turbine generators.
“This agreement pushes Connecticut forward, not only by revitalizing State Pier but by making important investments in energy-efficient, renewable energy,” said Sen. Needleman. “Every part of this deal benefits Connecticut, from making New London a central point for wind technology to the expansion of carbon-free energy sources used in our state. I’m excited to see work get underway and am thrilled to see Connecticut support clean energy sources. I’d like to thank everyone involved for bringing this project to life.”
“Connecticut’s maritime economy has significant potential to drive economic growth and create jobs across the state, and redeveloping State Pier is a central component to that growth,” Governor Lamont said. “This new public-private partnership reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the state to increase procurement of offshore wind and make the economic expansion of our maritime economy a reality. We look forward to working with our new partners to position Connecticut as a leader in the offshore wind industry and expand economic opportunity throughout the region.”
“The Connecticut Port Authority was established to grow the state’s economy and create jobs by investing in the maritime industry,” Scott Bates, chairman of the Connecticut Port Authority, said. “For over a year, we have been working towards a vision where increased port activity drives economic growth and creates jobs throughout the state. This Harbor Development Plan brings that vision to life. In the short-term, our local workforce will upgrade State Pier into a world-class port facility, and our regional manufacturing workforce will build components for our new partners in the offshore wind industry. Longer-term, the increased capacity of State Pier will continue to expand the flow of cargo into New London, which will extend our state’s economic reach even farther, benefiting workers throughout Connecticut.”
Construction of the project is slated to begin in January 2020 and complete in March 2022, after which the companies will enter the ten-year lease agreement with an option to extend for seven years. Ørsted/Eversource commits $35 million in new capital expenditures, with the state contributing $25.5 million from the Connecticut Port Authority and $10 million in new funding from the Department of Economic and Community Development through the Manufacturing Assistance Act. Another $22.5 million previously committed for State Pier infrastructure improvements will complete project funding.