In 2016, Rhode Island became the first American state to host an offshore wind project with the successful installation of the 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm. The five-turbine, 30-megawatt project was developed by Deepwater Wind – an offshore wind energy development group acquired last year by Danish energy company Ørsted, a CIC client. It currently remains the country’s only offshore wind farm, but that is sure to change as the Department of Energy estimates offshore wind could generate more than 2,000 GW of capacity annually, nearly double the nation’s current electricity use.
Energy companies and BlueTech (ocean and water technology) investors see the vast potential in the emerging offshore wind industry and are flocking to Rhode Island to take part in this new blue rush. In only the last few months, CIC Providence welcomed more than seven such organizations that chose to locate their regional or national headquarters to our coworking space. Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten and wind turbine maintenance services provider GEV Wind Power are among the offshore wind companies that have taken up residence with us. And we’re excited for even more to join our community this year.
“We quickly realized that the services provided at the CIC in Providence suited our business needs not only now but also in the future,” said Robert Wilhoite, Vice President of Operations at Boston Energy, a leading provider of service maintenance, inspection, pre-assembly and technical training services to the renewables industry. “The geographical location, flexibility and vast variety of contemporary workspaces offer businesses of all sizes the opportunity to develop and grow.”
Burns & McDonnell, a Kansas City, Missouri-based construction engineering company with a depth of knowledge in the power industry has also established a presence at CIC Providence. “We learned about CIC through our clients and industry connections, as well as our engagement with the Rhode Island Commerce,” says Tony Appleton, Director of Offshore Wind.
“Having a location that fosters an environment of innovation, entrepreneurialism and collaboration, while bringing together a diverse group of organizations, is critical to the quickly developing offshore wind market and other critical infrastructure upgrades across the Northeast and throughout the U.S.”
CIC Providence is all-in on BlueTech. So much so that SeaAhead, a specialty community of ocean-activity companies headquartered at CIC Boston, has expanded into our Providence location. The SeaAhead ecosystem includes technologists, scientists, startups, corporations, governments and other ocean stakeholders that are collaborating on new venture development at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and the oceans.
In addition to providing a modern facility and creative environment for our clients to innovate, we offer flexible terms and offices that grow as business scales. And with the CIC Passport program, clients can access all CIC locations around the world with a simple swipe of their keycard. So whether it’s arranging a meeting with venture capitalists in Boston or grabbing coffee with new sustainability partners in Rotterdam, offshore wind CICers have a range of options where they can go and instantly feel right at home.
