The Massachusetts project is one of 46 proposals received on July 27 by state-based utilities for renewable generation to help the state meet a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 25% as of 2020 and 80% by 2050. The offshore-wind bid will compete with onshore wind, solar and hydroelectric projects to meet the state’s request for 9.45 million MWh annually of renewable energy.

The Deepwater project would be built 30 miles offshore, adjacent to a 90-MW wind project it will build for Long Island Power Authority.

Construction would begin in 2022, with the project on line in 2023. The firm built the first U.S. offshore wind farm, now operating commercially off Rhode Island.

Massachusetts work would be based in New Bedford, including final turbine assembly, staging and long-term O&M. The proposal includes the Tesla storage system, but Deepwater says it is also in discussions with Current, a GE company, and Fluence, a Siemens-AES joint venture. Adding a battery storage system will make its wind-farm output more consistent over peak-demand periods, Deepwater said in its proposal.

Deepwater also submitted bids for a 288-MW project and a 96-MW project. The latter will have larger turbines and engineered foundations to demonstrate cost-effectiveness, the firm said. “We can build a larger project if other New England states want to participate now or we can start smaller to fit into the region’s near-term energy gaps,” said Grybowski. It also plans to submit a proposal under the state’s separate offshore-wind RFP, issued in late June, for up to 800 MW. Those projects must be a minimum of 200 MW.