Offshore Wind Wire

Offshore wind legislation signed recently by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is focused on redeveloping a former BP oil facility in South Jersey, the Times of Trenton reported today.

“The Paulsboro Marine Terminal, a port on the Delaware River the state has struggled to revitalize, is considered an ideal site for manufacturing wind turbines,” the paper reported.

Blade Manufacturer Announces Massachusetts Factory

Blade manufacturer TPI Composites announced plans to open a 69,000-square-foot factory in Fall River, MA, the Providence Journal reported today.

The company has a research and development facility nearby in Rhode Island, and state officials there had hoped the company would open the factory at the planned offshore wind hub in Quonset, RI.

The TPI R&D facility and the factory will cooperate to build prototype blades, which will then be transported to Boston’s new blade testing facility, according to the Journal.  Mass production of blades will only take place near the site of proposed wind farms, according to TPI Vice President Ed DaSilva.

The Journal reported that the Fall River factory will open in early 2011 with 30 employees, although that could increase based on the developing offshore wind industry.