Avangrid Faces Opposition to Power Cables in Barnstable

Barnstable, Massachusetts
Environment The Americas Corporate News Offshore
By
Updated Published

Avangrid, the U.S. subsidiary of Iberdrola, is encountering strong resistance to its proposal for landing power cables from the New England Wind 2 offshore wind project on Dowses Beach in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The 1.8 GW offshore wind initiative is facing pushback from local authorities and residents due to environmental concerns.

The Barnstable town council recently voted to oppose Avangrid's proposal, citing the fragility of the surrounding wetlands as a key issue. Opponents argue that the ecosystem is too delicate to support such a large-scale infrastructure project, and the council's vote reflects the town's firm stance against the plan. However, the decision is not legally binding and could be reversed by a future council.

Residents have raised concerns that if the project goes ahead, it could lead to infrastructure development, such as high-voltage duct banks in residential areas and a large substation built over the sole source aquifer. Should the town successfully persuade the federal government to deny the landing request, these potential impacts could be avoided.

Barnstable’s stance aligns with a growing trend of communities and states resisting offshore wind projects due to concerns over their local impact. 

In a further development, Representative Kip Diggs of Barnstable has introduced an amendment to the Climate Bill that poses another challenge to the proposal. The amendment mandates the Department of Energy Resources to conduct a comprehensive study of all potential landing sites on Cape Cod, effectively delaying any development at Dowses Beach and opening the door for alternative locations.

Avangrid received federal approval in July for the construction and operation of both the New England Wind 1 and 2 projects. Combined, these two phases will provide up to 2.6 GW of capacity, enough to power over 900,000 homes annually, and will contribute $8 billion in direct investment to the area. 

The projects are planned to be located about 37 km south of Martha’s Vineyard, near the site of the Vineyard Wind farm, which was the first major offshore wind farm in the United States.