Eversource signs agreement to use Dominion Energy vessel being built for wind farm projects

Luther Turmelle

Eversource Energy and its partner in developing wind farm projects, Ørsted, have signed an agreement with Virginia-based Dominion Energy to use a wind turbine installation vessel that is now under development.

Eversource and Ørsted have agreed to charter Dominion Energy’s Charybdis, which is expected to be put to sea in late 2023, for use in building a pair of wind farm projects. The vessel, which will cost $500 million when completed, will be used to support both the Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind projects that are being jointly developed by Ørsted and Eversource.

Joe Nolan, president and chief executive officer of Eversource, said Charybdis is “the largest vessel of its kind and the right tool for the job.”

“This boat will be much more efficient and far safer.” than having to use smaller foreign vessels that are already operational, Nolan said.

Charybdis will be deployed out of a staging area being put into place in New London Harbor for both projects, according to Nolan.

“Nobody else is working out of a port that could accommodate a vessel of this magnitude,” he said of the 472-foot ship.

The 924-megawatt Sunrise Wind project, which will be located 30 miles east of Montauk Point on Long Island, N.Y., was originally expected to be operational by 2024. The 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project, which will be constructed 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast and 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut shoreline, was expected to be running in 2023.

Now, those dates have slipped “by months, not years,” according to Nolan. But because of a variety of factors, he was unable to provide firm dates when the project would be completed.

“All wind developers had some struggles in Washington with the previous administration,” Nolan said. “But now there has been a real shift in moving wind projects forward. Folks that were working on (natural) gas leases in Washington have been redeployed to work on wind projects.”

The more than 1.6 gigawatts the two wind farms will produce enough energy to power nearly 1 million homes and businesses in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island.

The two projects are expected to create roughly 460 construction jobs as New London’s State Pier is developed into a staging area for the project. Another 100 permanent jobs will be created as result of the two projects.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the state “is proud to play a central role in the growth of the offshore wind industry and the fight against climate change.”

“All of this activity assists in advancing our state’s clean energy economy and helps position New London as a hub for the industry, delivering jobs and economic development to the city and Connecticut overall,” Lamont said in a statement,

Once Charybdis has completed its work for the two Eversource and Ørsted projects, it will be put into service to support construction of Dominion Energy’s 2.6 gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project off the coast of Virginia Beach. That wind farm is expected to be completed in 2026.

Charybdis, which will be a 472-foot vessel when completed, is being built in Brownsville, Texas and will be based out of Hampton Roads, Va., once it is finished.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), said a vessel built by Americans “to spur renewable energy for American consumers is a true win-win.”

“It represents a generational commitment to the American shipbuilding industry, the domestic infrastructure required to meet the monumental challenges posed by climate change, and American workers,” Blumenthal said in a statement.

The redevelopment of the State Pier is estimated to add millions of dollars in value to New London’s economy. In addition to that, New London officials and the Ørsted-Eversource partnership have executed a 10-year host community agreement that brings a guaranteed $5.25 million in new revenue to the city.

New London Mayor Michael Passero said the project is a “major green energy milestone (that) means local jobs and community investment in our maritime economy, as New London redevelops its port facility and emerges as a premier offshore wind hub for the Northeast.

Farmington High School referendum vote is Thursday: What’s at stake?

Don Stacom

Following weeks of back-and-forth between supporters and opponents, the $135 million Farmington High School proposal goes to a decision on Thursday.

The town’s 20,050 eligible voters have an all-day referendum on the town’s proposal to tear down the existing school and construct a modern replacement.

The town council and school board have both endorsed the plan, and residents have formed two advocacy groups to promote it. But at least one opposition group is campaigning for a “no” vote.

Educators say the facilities are outdated and cramped, and badly inadequate for handicapped access and modern security standards. The library is so small that Farmington has been warned the school’s national accreditation could be jeopardized, and the cafeteria is so undersized that serving all 1,300 students requires lunch waves starting as early as 10 a.m. Numerous additions have been built over the past 70 years, and now classrooms are spread out so far that some students walk nearly a quarter mile between classes.

How much does the new plan cost?

The construction price including contingencies is $135,600,000. The state is expected to cover $26.3 million, with local taxpayers funding the rest.

What will happen with the historic 1928 section of the high school?

The current proposal doesn’t address that. The town could either renovate it separately for another use, mothball it or demolish it, but this referendum doesn’t address that question.

When would the new school be built?

The building committee projects that contractors would start in 2022 to construct a three-story building and complete it by the time classes begin in August 2024. It would be close to the current school, but far enough apart that classes could continue throughout construction, according to the committee. Afterward, most of the old building would be demolished.

What’s the case for voting “yes”?

Resolving the long-standing inadequacies of the school will help Farmington retain its reputation for strong schools, proponents say, ultimately protecting the value of local homes. Two bipartisan citizens groups contend that the existing building is decaying, poorly designed for education in this era, and that delaying the replacement will only add costs through inflation while hindering the education of students for the next several years. “As a town, we can afford to build a new high school. But we can’t afford not to,” says Comprehensive FHS, one of the residents’ advocacy groups supporting the plan.

What’s the case for voting “no”?

Four years ago, a plan for replacing the high school was shot down at referendum after a campaign complaining the $135 million cost was too high. Some of those opponents are renewing the fight this year, arguing that designers shouldn’t have come back with a proposal that didn’t slash the price tag. The organization, Smart Farmington, contends that the town is disguising the real cost of the project, since the $135.6 million figure doesn’t include interest expense on the long-term bonds. “The town’s plan for FHS is a debt trap that will leave Farmington unable to address its other infrastructure needs without massive tax hikes in the near future,” the group claims.

When and where is the vote?

Eligible Farmington residents and property owners can vote Thursday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at their regular polling places: The Irving Robbins Middle School, the town hall campus, the community center in Unionville or the West Woods Upper Elementary School. Questions can be answered by the registrars of voters at 860 675-2367.

Newington OKs plan to build apartments, brew pub and retail space on Berlin Turnpike

Steven Goode

NEWINGTON — If state permitting approvals go as planned, the redevelopment of the former Eversource property at 3333 Berlin Turnpike could begin construction as soon as next spring, according to Newington Town Planner Renata Bertotti.

“It’s a significant project,” Bertotti said Tuesday. “It’s beneficial on many levels.

The project includes plans for 269 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and 40,000 square-feet of retail featuring restaurants, a brewpub, a boutique fitness center, 14,000 square-foot supermarket and bank, as well as a pool, walking trails and a dog park.

Bertotti said the project, to be built on 29 acres, checks several boxes that are attractive to the town, neighbors and potential renters.

The investment will reflect positively on the neighbors and there’s a lot of interest in apartments,” she said. “This is an under or unutilized property.”

According to Goman & York, a planning and design consultant hired by the town, the project would also be a plus for revenue and jobs.

Donald J. Poland, managing director of urban planning and strategy, said in a report to the town that the project would result in annual revenues of about $1.3 million from property and motor vehicle taxes and that the town could expect about $545,000 in expenditures related to schools and town services.

Overall, the town would see a surplus of about $774,000 in revenues, Poland said.

The project is also compatible with the town’s plan of conservation and development because it promotes economic development on the Berlin Turnpike, is located within a quarter-mile of mass transit and also provides housing opportunities to younger age groups starting out, people with college debt and older persons seeking to downsize.

Bertotti said that there is no timeline for the completion of the project.

More than 240 permanent jobs would also be created, Poland said.