Vineyard Wind Announces Partnership with Marmon Utility LLC (Kerite) to Create the First Tier 1 Offshore Wind Supplier in the United States

OCTOBER 21, 2019

(Caption - From left to right, State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria, Vineyard Wind CEO Lars Pedersen, Seymour Firstselectman Kurt Miller and President of Marmon Utility, Power Cable Angelo Santamaria.)

Agreement will supply Park City Wind project with key components, creating jobs and economic opportunity

(Seymour, CT) – Vineyard Wind today announced a partnership with Marmon Utility, a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company headquartered in Seymour, to bring jobs and economic opportunity to Connecticut. The agreement calls for Marmon Utility to establish manufacturing capabilities at its Connecticut facility producing Kerite cables to supply some or all of the inter-array cable cores that will be needed for the Park City Wind project.

The agreement will go into effect if Vineyard Wind is awarded long-term contracts from Connecticut to provide 800MW or greater of offshore wind power in response to their 2019 solicitation. Under the planned partnership, Marmon Utility will invest up to $4 million to hire personnel and make equipment upgrades in their Kerite power cable facility that will allow the company to manufacture specific offshore inter-array cables needed for the Park City Wind project. In turn, Vineyard Wind is committed to selecting Kerite cable brand as its preferred cable supplier for at least 50% of the project, which will make Kerite the first American Tier 1 Supplier in offshore wind. 

The supply contract would lead to nearly $40 million in direct expenditures in Connecticut, while the Seymour facility expansion would create an estimated 35 permanent FTE jobs. Over the next decade, the expanded facility could create up to 350 FTE jobs and almost $400 million in direct revenue in Connecticut. 

“The partnership between Vineyard Wind and Marmon Utility to establish the first American Tier 1 Offshore Wind Supplier in Connecticut is an incredible opportunity for the state to truly develop a world-class offshore wind industry,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Lars Thaaning Pedersen.  “Today’s announcement is an exciting step in the right direction but it is only the beginning.  Similar to the aerospace sector, we believe that manufacturers all over the state can be a part of this emerging industry, creating long-term jobs and economic opportunity for Connecticut residents.”  

“Marmon Utility is excited about the opportunity to partner with an innovative company like Vineyard Wind and become the first American Tier 1 Offshore Wind supplier of power cables,” said Angelo Santamaria, President of Marmon Utility, Power Cable.  “A contract of this magnitude will create Connecticut manufacturing jobs, generate economic opportunity, and establish the Marmon Utility and our Kerite brand of power cables in the emerging renewable energy sector for decades to come.”

Vineyard Wind submitted its Park City Wind proposal on September 30th, 2019 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in response to their 2019 solicitation for offshore wind facilities.

The Park City Wind proposal includes options to develop an up to 1,200 MW project, which will generate enough electricity to power 600,000 Connecticut homes. Furthermore, Park City Wind could generate upwards of $1.6 billion in direct economic benefits and create as many as 12,000 direct, indirect, and induced full‐time equivalent (FTE) jobs across Connecticut. The project will also save Connecticut ratepayers up to $1.1 billion in energy costs, while delivering a reliable source of fixed price, low cost renewable energy. 

Park City Wind has the potential to establish Bridgeport – often referred to as The Park City – into an American hub for the emerging US offshore wind industry.  The potential for real, long-term economic growth is enormous.  Over the last two years, states from Virginia to Massachusetts have announced plans to procure 22,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power, which represents $85 billion in economic and investment opportunity. Bridgeport can play an integral role in both Connecticut and other project opportunities up and down the East Coast.  

Vineyard Wind will be devoted to facilitating the creation, development, growth, and sustainability of a long‐term offshore wind industry workforce in Connecticut to serve both Park City Wind and future offshore wind projects up and down the East Coast. To that end, the company’s proposal includes up to $26.5 million worth of major workforce development initiatives, pilot programs, and research opportunities in partnership with many longstanding Connecticut institutions.

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