Vineyard Wind offshore project changes hands

Danish fund management company Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has acquired Offshore MW LLC, the holder of an offshore wind energy lease issued by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management over an area south of Massachusetts.

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners describes itself as a fund management company founded in 2012. On August 25, 2016, CIP announced that on behalf of its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure II it had acquired 100% of Offshore MW LLC.

Acquired company Offshore MW LLC is developing the Vineyard Wind project over the Outer Continental Shelf south of Massachusetts.  The site is part of the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area originally designated by BOEM for leasing in 2012.  Offshore MW won the lease rights through a competitive lease auction held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on January 29, 2015, in which it submitted the winning bid for Lease Area OCS-A 0501.  That lease area covers 166,886 acres, or roughly 260 square miles of sea space in federal waters off Massachusetts. 

According to CIP, it will continue with the Massachusetts project's development.  The Vineyard Wind project could receive a boost from recently enacted Massachusetts legislation that will require utilities to purchase about 1,600 megawatts worth of offshore wind energy by 2027.  That law, known as H. 4568, "An Act to promote energy diversity," requires electric distribution companies to issue an initial joint competitive solicitation for offshore wind proposals by June 30, 2017.