Eversource Energy’s Huntsbrook Offshore Wind (OSW) Hub project proposal has been awarded $89 million in federal grant funding through the second round of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Innovation Program.
The proposal was included in the Power Up New England project portfolio, which was selected to receive $389 million in total funding through the DOE program, and will support New England’s clean energy transition while improving grid reliability across the region.
The project consists of constructing a 345 kV switching station in southeastern Connecticut at Huntsbrook Junction in Montville, Connecticut, which will establish a new point of interconnection for future offshore wind developers to reliably deliver 2,400 MW of offshore wind through high-voltage transmission lines from the offshore wind farm to the Hub. It will use existing utility property and rights of way to avoid unnecessary environmental impacts and disruptions to local communities while providing benefits of energy cost savings and enhanced workforce development programs.
The project has committed $4 million to establish the Connecticut Institute for Clean Energy at the University of Connecticut, which will help expand the sustainable energy workforce in the state and region through scholarships, real-world engagement on offshore wind projects, and certificate programs relating to offshore wind, with a focus on engagement with individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. A further $1 million will for direct community benefits to the host communities, focusing on the key principles of community and labor engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), and the Justice40 Initiative.
Eversource expects to develop and submit requests for necessary permits for the project from late 2024 with review processes to last through 2027. The company predicts the construction to begin in 2028 and continue through 2031, pending receipt of all necessary permits per phase of work.
