Massachusetts officials have postponed the state’s fifth round of offshore wind procurement until at least 2026, citing developer concerns over unresolved federal policy issues and ongoing contract negotiations from the previous solicitation round.
In a memo issued in early August, the state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) said feedback from stakeholders strongly supported delaying the issuance of the next request for proposals (RFP). Developers raised concerns over “federal policy uncertainty such as the Presidential Memorandum halting federal permitting of wind projects, ensuing litigation challenging that Memorandum, availability of the investment tax credit, and tariff uncertainty,” DOER attorneys wrote.
Massachusetts had previously aimed to release a new RFP this year. However, according to the DOER, potential bidders advised the state to first conclude negotiations from the fourth round of offshore wind solicitations before moving forward.
Contracts from that round, awarded in September 2024, include Iberdrola’s 791-megawatt New England Wind 1 and Ocean Winds’ 1,287-megawatt SouthCoast Wind proposals. Negotiations over those offtake agreements have faced delays due to the same federal uncertainties.
SouthCoast Wind’s contract involves a power-sharing arrangement, with 1,087 MW allocated to Massachusetts and 200 MW to neighboring Rhode Island.
The state now aims to finalize those fourth-round contracts by the end of 2025. “Multiple stakeholders emphasized the importance of concluding the fourth round of solicitations before launching another,” DOER wrote in its memo.
Massachusetts remains a key player in the U.S. offshore wind sector, but recent challenges at both state and federal levels have slowed project timelines and increased industry caution.
