Bristol CC Receives Money For Offshore Wind Project

Bristol Community College has received $198,000 to fund an offshore wind research project.

The award was announced on Monday by Kevin Spirlet, the school's Media Specialist, and is part of $700,000 provided by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Renewable Energy Trust and is part of a broader initiative to advance studies relating to offshore wind development.

Spirlet says the funds will be used to study industry workforce training and safety requirements, establish a multi-university partnership focused on innovation and driving down costs, and develop a new technique to monitor the structural health of wind blades.

Nine academic and research institutions across Massachusetts across the state will be involved in the project including the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

According to Spirlet Bristol Community College, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy will collectively receive $248,000.

State officials say the overall goal of the the project is to expand local offshore wind expertise while making projects more affordable for developers and ratepayers.