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New Bedford wants bigger operational role in future wind farms, mayor says

Workers help transport an offshore wind turbine blade before it is stacked on top of another at Vineyard Wind on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in New Bedford, Mass. (Raquel C. Zaldívar/New England News Collaborative)
Raquel C. Zaldívar
/
New England News Collaborative
Workers help transport an offshore wind turbine blade before it is stacked on top of another at Vineyard Wind on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in New Bedford, Mass. (Raquel C. Zaldívar/New England News Collaborative)

Now that Vineyard Wind has delivered its first power to the grid, local communities are looking ahead to what comes next.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell tells CAI he hopes to position the city as a hub for wind farm operation, long beyond the construction phase.

“There are aspects of the industry that are continual — the operation and maintenance in particular,” he said. “We see ourselves as an operations and maintenance port. Our geographic proximity lends itself to that, as does our infrastructure.”

For Vineyard Wind, most operation and maintenance work will be based on Martha’s Vineyard. But project officials have signed an agreement to dock some of their crew-transport vessels at Pope’s Island in New Bedford.

Vineyard Wind has staged its construction from the New Bedford waterfront, but that will come to a close once all 62 turbines are installed.

Mitchell said the city has talked with wind developers about playing a larger operations role in the future. Bids for the next set of offshore wind contracts in Massachusetts are due Jan. 31.

“We have had considerable discussions with all the developers about the need to have operations and maintenance here,” he said.

But he said New Bedford should be ready for a time when new technologies supplant some of the need for workers to go to the wind farm.

“We’ll also want to be a place where those new technologies are developed,” he said. “So we’re pushing very hard now to become a center of marine technology, especially in the climate space, because I think that's where the industry in general is going.”

Jennette Barnes is a reporter and producer. Named a Master Reporter by the New England Society of News Editors, she brings more than 20 years of news experience to CAI.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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