September 22, 2022 (East Hartford, Connecticut) –
Today the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) announced the milestone of establishing Connecticut’s first Offshore Wind Supply Chain Directory for business connections and engagement, built in collaboration with AVANGRID’s Park City Wind, the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), and AdvanceCT.
The directory can be accessed by interested businesses at offshorewind.ccat.us for self-registration and already provides connections for more than 4,000 suppliers, 1,600 of which are Connecticut companies.
According to Dr. Joel Rinebold, CCAT’s director of energy, “The Offshore Wind Supply Chain Directory is one of the most complete supply chain directories for offshore wind in the U.S. All businesses, especially women-owned and minority-owned businesses, are encouraged to participate in this opportunity to expand the supply chain for renewable energy.”
“This supply chain program will be coordinated with the procurement of local supplies for the development and construction of the 804-MW Park City Wind offshore wind project, with offices to be located in Bridgeport, Connecticut,” said Marcus Brown, Park City Wind’s workforce development coordinator. “Projects like these bring important economic benefits to local communities, and we’re proud to work with the state in strengthening the local supply chain.”
“Connecticut has opened its doors for the renewable energy industry to establish itself in Connecticut,” said DECD deputy commissioner Alexandra Daum. “As offshore wind developers and suppliers consider doing business in Connecticut, this directory will make it much easier for them to understand the ecosystem and capabilities we already have here.”
“As Connecticut works to decarbonize its electric grid to achieve a 100% zero carbon electric sector by 2040, resources like the Offshore Wind Supply Chain Directory will be critical to connect local suppliers with project developers and capture economic development benefits for the state in addition to the greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with offshore wind development,” said Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.
“The establishment of the Offshore Wind Supply Chain Directory offers Connecticut businesses a clear path to participating in this burgeoning industry. AdvanceCT looks forward to partnering with CCAT and Park City Wind to ensure strong participation in the Directory from existing Connecticut businesses,” said AdvanceCT CEO Peter Denious. “AdvanceCT is pleased to be at the forefront of this emerging clean energy industry in Connecticut.”
“The development of this comprehensive Offshore Wind Supply Chain Directory now enables businesses of all sizes and capabilities throughout the global renewable energy industry to engage and highlight Connecticut’s world-renowned technical capabilities and highly skilled workforce,” said Ron Angelo, CCAT president and CEO. “Connecticut will be a leader in the offshore wind industry as this sector continues to grow in the coming years.”
AVANGRID has committed to making Bridgeport home to Park City Wind’s operations and maintenance hub for the 25-plus years of the project. The project will bring many long-term jobs to Bridgeport and generate direct expenditures worth several hundreds of millions of dollars to the state of Connecticut.
Companies and industries that seek to participate in this business opportunity are encouraged to register with the Offshore Supply Chain Directory and to engage in supply chain events to be scheduled later this year.
##
About CCAT
The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT), a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in East Hartford, Connecticut, is a dynamic and innovative applied technology organization that leads regional and national partnerships that assist global industrial companies and the manufacturing supply chain across industry sectors in driving advancements, efficiencies, and the adoption of leading-edge technologies.
Our vision is transformative solutions for a connected world, and our mission is to lead the advancement of applied technologies, power the workforce of the future, and inspire change.
Contacts:
Denise Gordon, Marketing & Comm. Lead, CCAT, 860-282-4224, dgordon@ccat.us
Joel Rinebold, Director of Energy, CCAT, jrinebold@ccat.us
Marcus Brown, Workforce Development and Local Supply Chain Coordinator, Avangrid Renewables, marcus.brown@avangrid.com
Shirar O’Connor, VP Marketing, AdvanceCT, soconnor@advancect.org
Alexandra Daum, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Investment Officer of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Alexandra.daum@ct.gov
Will Healey, Director of Communications at Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Will.Healey@ct.gov
Download a PDF here
