An analysis of job and expenditure data from the Vineyard Wind project collected from 2017 through September 2022 shows that Vineyard Wind’s reported numbers are twice the initial projections in terms of both jobs created and economic output.
“We’re pleased to submit this first annual report and proud of the progress we’re making not only for our project, but for the growth of this new industry,” says Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus S. Moeller. “For years, we’ve talked about the tremendous potential for positive job growth and economic impact that the offshore wind industry will have in Massachusetts. This report is proof that we are turning that potential into reality.”
The report, which was compiled by UMass Dartmouth and Springline Research Group, has been submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) for review in accordance with an agreement that was signed between the agency and Vineyard Wind in 2017. It suggests that the big numbers are at least partly attributable to a longer than expected development period and changes to the overall project parameters.
The report finds that “more than three-quarters (75.8%) of Vineyard Wind employees and 65.2% of Grade 1 contractors are Massachusetts residents. Among Vineyard Wind’s Massachusetts-based employees, 38% are residents of southeastern Massachusetts.
On the construction phase that began last year, the reports states that “a total of 199 workers have been employed in 2022 thus far (January 2022 through September 2022), with 105 of those workers being union employees,” fulfilling a key competent of the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that was signed in July 2021.
Vineyard Wind is an 800 MW project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. It will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts starting later this year.
The full report, “Vineyard Wind 1 Impact on Jobs and Economic Output,” can be accessed here.
