PROVIDENCE, R.I. – AUGUST 21, 2024 – Rhode Island’s offshore wind leader Ørsted today announced a new $4 million fund to provide capacity-building grants to environmental justice organizations across Rhode Island supporting the clean energy transition. This fund is included as part of Ørsted’s proposed
Starboard Wind project. If Starboard Wind is selected to move forward, Ørsted will provide a $4 million grant to the Rhode Island Foundation to launch and manage this new fund.
“Clean energy and environmental justice go hand-in-hand, and we are committed to ensuring that Rhode Island’s clean energy transformation is complemented by efforts to protect our most vulnerable communities from the worsening effects of climate change,” said David Ortiz, Ørsted’s Director of External Affairs, Northeast. “Over our decade of partnership with Rhode Island, we are proud to have worked with so many talented community partners dedicated to the cause of environmental justice. As we plan for the next chapter in the state’s clean energy story with Starboard Wind, we look forward to continuing to support this important work, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Foundation, to build a cleaner and safer Rhode Island.”
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of commitments by Ørsted totaling over $10 million to nearly a dozen
higher education institutions and
workforce development organizations in support of the proposed Starboard Wind project.
Ørsted’s proposed 1,184-megawatt (MW) Starboard Wind project would deliver clean and reliable offshore wind energy at stable and affordable pricing for Rhode Island homeowners and businesses for decades. If selected, Starboard Wind would result in more than $1.1 billion of direct, private investment and expenditure in Rhode Island, which would come on top of Ørsted’s existing investments and commitments in the state.
Starboard Wind would create at least 3,800 full-time equivalent positions, nearly all of which would be based in Rhode Island. This includes more than 640 new direct jobs in the state, including 100 new local union construction jobs at ProvPort, where Ørsted has established an industry hub, to support the expanded construction of advanced foundation components as Rhode Island strengthens its position in the U.S. offshore wind supply chain.
Ørsted and Eversource are currently constructing Revolution Wind, Rhode Island’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm. Together with Starboard Wind, Ørsted’s projects would satisfy as much as three-quarters of Rhode Island’s electric demand, propelling the state toward its target of 100 percent clean energy by 2033.
Additional information about Ørsted and Starboard Wind can be found at
us.orsted.com/starboard-wind.
About Ørsted
A global clean energy leader, Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted was the first energy company in the world to have its science-based net-zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and is recognized as the world’s most sustainable energy developer in the Corporate Knights Global 100 index.
In the United States, the company has approximately 700 employees and a portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, battery storage and e-fuels. Ørsted is a U.S. leader in offshore wind energy with approximately 3 gigawatts in development and operates both America’s first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island, and the country’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm, South Fork Wind. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the Ørsted U.S. business, visit
us.orsted.com or follow the company on
X (@OrstedUS),
Instagram, and
Facebook.
Media Contact
Meaghan Wims
401-261-1641
mwims@duffyshanley.com
