Fisheries Research Collaboration Announced with UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology and Offshore Wind Developer

March 19, 2018

Offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind recently announced an agreement with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology to conduct pre- and post-construction assessments of fisheries and associated ecological conditions near a proposed project off the Massachusetts coast. The assessments could help further public understanding of offshore wind development impacts and inform future permitting and public policy decisions regarding wind energy facility siting. In December, Vineyard Wind submitted applications for federal and state permits, and construction on Vineyard Wind’s project is expected to begin in 2019.

In related news, the Public Policy Center at UMass Dartmouth recently conducted analyses to determine the economic contributions that the proposed 400- and 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Energy Projects can be expected to have on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the economy of southeastern Massachusetts. Learn more about DOE’s offshore wind research and development efforts, including offshore wind project interactions with aquatic life.