Avangrid Renewables will give $2.5 million to the University of Connecticut to study the effect the construction and operation of the Park City Wind project will have on nearby fisheries.
Atma Khalsa, the company’s offshore environmental manager, said these research commitments are important to understand the environmental impact of offshore wind projects.
“So really again, [we're] trying to think about, before, during and after we install these wind farms, what effects does it have on the really base layer of the fisheries,” Khalsa said.
The Park City Wind farm is planned to be located off the coast of Massachusetts, but is projected to generate almost $900 million in economic benefits and create thousands of jobs in Connecticut. The on-land operations and maintenance will be based in Bridgeport.
Marcus Brown, the workforce development and local content coordinator with Park City Wind, said collaboration with the state could help drive future clean energy projects to Connecticut.
“Avangrid Renewables, through our partners with [the state Department of Economic and Community Development], worked very hard over several months to comb together various partners and project opportunities to develop the industry here in Connecticut, and not just benefit the one single project, but how we elevate the industry for all the projects to come,” Brown said.
Brown said they are on-track with the permitting process.
Copyright 2022 WSHU. To see more, visit WSHU. 9(MDExNDI3NjUzMDEzNjkzMTgzNTExNDFlYQ004))