Massachusetts Postpones Offshore Wind Solicitation Due to Federal Government Stance

The US state of Massachusetts has decided to postpone launching its fifth offshore wind solicitation until at least 2026 over the federal government’s negative stance towards the offshore wind sector.

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources said in a memo that it does not expect to submit a draft request for proposals for the fifth offshore wind procurement with “a proposed timetable and method of solicitation for Department review” until next year at the earliest.

It announced bidding results from the fourth solicitation in September 2024, with bids from Avangrid Renewables, SouthCoast Wind, and Vineyard Offshore selected as the winners.

The Department further stated that, apart from issues with the attitude of the Trump administration towards offshore wind, Avangrid and SouthCoast Wind have not yet completed contract negotiations for the fourth tender with the state electric distribution companies.

The negotiations with utilities were set to be completed by August 14, 2024, but the deadline has been pushed back several times, with the latest deadline set for December 31, 2025.

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is required to launch a new solicitation within 24 months of the previous one. However, last week it informed the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities that a draft Request for Proposals for Round V is not expected to be submitted for the department’s review until at least 2026.

The Trump administration has worked hard on making life as difficult as possible for offshore wind developers by halting federal permitting of wind projects, along with tax credit and tariff uncertainty. In the most recent anti-offshore wind move, Trump rescinded all designated wind energy areas on the US outer continental shelf.