Avangrid Celebrates Cape Cod Grid Upgrades Supported by New England Wind 1 Project

Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today joined local officials to participate in a ribbon cutting for Eversource’s Cape Cod Solution Phase 1 grid upgrade in Bourne, Massachusetts. As part of its New England Wind 1 project, Avangrid provided more than $13.7 million in critical funding for grid upgrades as part of the Transmission Support Agreement and Large Generator Interconnection Agreement with Eversource, supporting enhanced reliability and resiliency on Cape Cod while providing the necessary infrastructure for the project to deliver clean, reliable power across the region.

“As the most advanced offshore wind opportunity in the region, New England Wind 1 is already delivering significant benefits by supporting critical grid upgrades on Cape Cod that will not only provide a transmission backbone for the project, but deliver a more reliable and resilient electric system,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “Our experience constructing Vineyard Wind 1 makes clear how important it is to have the onshore infrastructure in place to deliver the clean power from offshore wind. The completion of these Cape Cod Solution Phase 1 upgrades, along with future investments through our Transmission Support Agreement, moves New England Wind 1 even closer to delivering power before the end of the decade.”

The New England Wind 1 System Impact Study identified the uprate to 345kV of a 115kV transmission line connecting the Bourne Switching Station and the West Barnstable Substation as a necessary grid upgrade. With more than $13.7 million in funding from Avangrid, the line was converted into a 345 kV line, running from the Bourne Substation to the West Barnstable Substation. The new line will be initially operated at 115kV until the 345kV GIS substations at Bourne and West Barnstable are built as part of Phase II of New England Wind 1’s grid upgrades. With increased capacity and additional planned upgrades, the Cape Cod electric grid will realize significantly enhanced reliability and resiliency from investments supported by New England Wind 1.

Avangrid signed a Transmission Support Agreement (TSA) for New England Wind 1 with Eversource, and received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA), executed with Eversource and ISO-NE, details the terms and conditions for interconnection service administered by the regional grid operator, and positions New England Wind 1 to deliver this critical power to the regional grid. Additionally, Avangrid has also entered into a Host Community Agreement with the Town of Barnstable for the New England Wind 1 project to make landfall at Craigville Beach and connect the power to the Eversource substation in West Barnstable.