Ørsted and Eversource, developers of Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm, Revolution Wind, and UConn Avery Point are establishing a multi-year fisheries research program to study the relationship between offshore wind farms and marine life.
Ørsted and Eversource have awarded a $1.25 million grant to UConn Avery Point to fund the program, which kicked off this semester and will wrap up in 2025.
Offshore wind will play an essential role in meeting Connecticut and the country’s clean energy goals and in curbing the effects of climate change that are changing ocean environments and threatening marine habitats. Across its project portfolio, Ørsted and Eversource support research partnerships to better understand how to build offshore wind responsibly, sustainably, and in concert with nature while minimizing its influence on marine life.
“UConn is pleased to partner with Ørsted and Eversource at the intersection of advanced research and environmental protection,” says Pamir Alpay, UConn’s vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship. “It is critical that we balance our research and advancement into new wind energy with our commitment to stewardship of the environment. UConn researchers, including our superb students, have a unique opportunity to help advance sustainable and renewable technologies and study potential impact directly from Connecticut’s shoreline.”
The partnership with UConn Avery Point builds on Ørsted and Eversource’s multi-year research partnership with Mystic Aquarium, announced in November 2022, which is one of the nation’s first comprehensive studies of the potential effects of offshore wind turbines on marine mammals and sea turtles.
The 704 MW Revolution Wind project will be located 32 miles southeast of Connecticut, 15 miles south of Rhode Island, and 12 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.
