Developer launches wind-power initiative

The companies behind the offshore Revolution Wind project in the waters south of Rhode Island on Monday announced $4.5 million in funding for education and workforce development in Rhode Island.

The funding from Ørsted US Offshore Wind and the utility Eversource will buttress the future of an industry that could bring thousands of high-paying jobs to Rhode Island, which is at the forefront of offshore wind power development, Gov. Gina Raimondo said at a news conference in the Rhode Island State Library.

“We are going to receive massive economic development and job-creation benefits because of that first-mover advantage,” Raimondo said.

Of the $4.5 million in private funding announced Monday, $3 million will go toward higher education around offshore wind power. The initiative will be led by the University of Rhode Island, which will work with other universities.

URI president David M. Dooley said the funds aren’t targeted to one specific program, but rather will support everything from research to curriculum development to outright education, including internships for high schoolers.

“It’ll be an ongoing collaboration between Ørsted and URI — what are the needs and the best ways we can prepare the workforce? What expertise and new knowledge and new research can develop this new resource?” Dooley said.

Asked whether the funding from Ørsted could affect the objectivity of research in a field fraught with conflicts among the interests of offshore wind power, wildlife and the fishing industry, Dooley said URI would continue to balance those various needs as offshore wind power grows.

“I can assure you our researchers have the highest regard for doing things objectively,” Dooley said.

Another $1.5 million will be designated for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, the companies said.

“We stand ready to make major investments in our home state to make sure Rhode Island students, and the state’s supply chain, are ready for this new clean-jobs sector," said Ørsted US Offshore Wind co-CEO Jeffrey Grybowski.

Ørsted US Offshore Wind, part of a Danish conglomerate, and Eversource, a utility headquartered in Boston, are working together on the Revolution Wind project, in the waters more than 15 miles south of Rhode Island.

When the project is complete — complementing the already-operational Block Island wind project — about 50 turbines will spin out enough electricity to power a quarter of the homes in Rhode Island, according to Ørsted.

The project still has to go through a state Public Utilities Commission review. The PUC needs to sign off on the contract between Ørsted and National Grid to buy the power. Ørsted will also need federal and state permits, including environmental reviews.