Avangrid Advances Responsible Offshore Wind Development as Part of Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative
RWSC releases plan to identify and mitigate potentialhttps://rwsc.org/science-plan/ impacts to wildlife from offshore wind development
Boston, MA – Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today reinforced its commitment to the environmentally responsible development of offshore wind as part of the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC) through the release of the Integrated Science Plan for Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Habitat in U.S. Atlantic Waters.
“This landmark Plan, created in partnership with Avangrid’s support and expertise, will lead to greater regional data collection and scientific studies on the interaction between the development of offshore wind and the diverse ecosystems along the East Coast,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “Avangrid looks forward to continuing our historic leadership of American offshore wind through the development and implementation of best practices that will help guide the future of this entire industry.”
Avangrid is a founding member of the RWSC, a unique collaboration formed in 2021 among U.S. federal agencies, Atlantic coast states, offshore wind companies, and environmental nonprofits with a goal to coordinate offshore wind and wildlife research, data collection, and data management with the broader research community.
The Science Plan will support independent and peer-reviewed science that can help protect wildlife and inform management and conservation decisions. A primary focus of the Science Plan is to encourage the use of consistent methods and data standards across the many research projects that are planned and underway studying marine mammals, birds, bats, sea turtles, protected fish, oceanography, seafloor habitat, and new technologies.
The Science Plan is the result of intensive work over two years among scientists and representatives from government, industry, and environmental groups that make up the unique regional collaborative. The Science Plan will result in independent and peer-reviewed science that can help protect wildlife and conserve ocean habitats while enabling states and the federal government to work toward their goals of expanding offshore wind power.
“This Science Plan provides the blueprint for the region’s future work,” said RWSC Director Emily Shumchenia. “It’s also a call to action to collaborate on advancing our understanding of offshore wind and marine ecosystems.”
The full Science Plan is available here. Members of the public interested in learning more can join a public webinar on February 9, 2024 from 1-2pm ET.
Avangrid is building the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind project, the 806-megawatt Vineyard Wind 1, located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Vineyard Wind 1 will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs more than 7,600 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital for three consecutive years as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2022, AVANGRID ranked second within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.