Ace MV gets state offshore wind grant

0

ACE MV will receive a $65,000 grant for courses and training on basic safety and technical certification in offshore wind development. The grant will also enable offshore wind technician certificates. The grant money is intended to be used in partnership with Bristol Community College and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The funding stems from a $721,500 grant package announced by the Baker-Polito Administration Friday.

The funding comes just as The Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, which is responsible for evaluating energy facilities of scale, approved Vineyard Wind for its 800 megawatt offshore turbine farm.

Six regional training programs are slated to benefit from the grant money.

“The six training programs will lay the groundwork for a broad-based network for offshore wind workforce training in Massachusetts, which will enable Massachusetts workers to secure jobs in offshore wind,” a release states. “The programs will offer basic safety and technical training to internationally-recognized standards and address a diverse mix of workforce training target areas including career introduction courses, and technician and professional certificates while providing targeted support for the Vineyard Wind project and future offshore wind construction. In March 2019, the Massachusetts distribution companies jointly submitted a request for approval of the second Request for Proposals for offshore wind energy with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.”

Bristol Community College received $200,000 to foster basic safety training and basic technical training to Global Wind Organization (GWO) standards.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy received $184,000 “to establish all five modules of GWO basic safety training” and also develop a course called “introduction to offshore wind.”  A crew transfer training facility is expected to be operational at the academy this summer.

Other beneficiaries of grant money are the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Cape Cod Community College, and Pile Drivers and Divers Local 56.

“The offshore wind industry is poised to create new renewable energy jobs, and these programs represent an important development as the Commonwealth readies for the first large-scale project in the nation,” Stephen Pike, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, said in a release. “With Massachusetts’ proud maritime heritage, robust innovation economy and academic and training assets, the state is very well-positioned to grow a workforce that will contribute to this new American industry for years to come.”