Greentown Labs Deepens Partnership with Vineyard Wind; Announces Go Energize 2023, Supported by MassCEC

The partnerships-focused accelerator is accepting applications from startups with solutions for responsible offshore wind project development

SOMERVILLE, Mass. and HOUSTON, Jan. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greentown Labs, the largest climatetech incubator in North America, and Vineyard Wind, developer of the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, are now accepting applications for Greentown Go Energize 2023, a program supported by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Greentown Labs and Vineyard Wind are seeking submissions from startups that are innovating solutions for offshore turbine monitoring and ecological data collection, as well as digital solutions to improve turbine efficiency and longevity.

Vineyard Wind is developing the first utility-scale offshore wind project in the United States—which will eliminate 1.68 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually—with construction of the landmark 800MW project already underway. Given the industry's complexity, it can be uniquely challenging for startups to enter this space. Go Energize 2023 aims to reduce these barriers to entry through industry education, knowledge sharing, and relationship-building across relevant industry networks.

Startups selected for the program will gain access to mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational workshops throughout the duration of the highly structured, six-month program. Program benefits for the participating startups include:

• $70,000 in non-dilutive stipend funding
• A platform to connect with and learn from offshore wind developers, NGOs, scientists, and other key players driving the burgeoning offshore wind industry in the United States
• An opportunity to engage with developers and other organizations to build collaborative pathways for future startup-corporate partnerships in the offshore wind industry
• Mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational programming from the Greentown Labs community of climatetech startup experts
• Exclusive access to Greentown Labs, Vineyard Wind, and MassCEC network resources
• Desk space and membership within Greentown Labs for the duration of the program

Go Energize 2023 is seeking applications from startups with a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 and higher. Applicants should also be actively commercializing or looking to commercialize within the offshore wind industry. Technologies that have been demonstrated or commercialized for a different market are still eligible, as long as there is a relevant target application.

"As the first commercial scale offshore wind project, we're not only building a critical new piece of infrastructure, we're also planting the seeds for a new industry," said Klaus S. Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind. "By expanding our partnership with Greentown Labs and MassCEC, we can create an ecosystem where companies of all sizes can seize the once in a generation opportunity this new industry represents."

Technology and process innovation are vital for the offshore wind sector to grow and operate in an environmentally responsible manner while delivering clean, economical electricity to consumers. Vineyard Wind's role as the preeminent grid-scale offshore wind project in the U.S. will set the standard for responsible development of future projects. Massachusetts is a leader in offshore wind, and its long-term growth depends on accelerating promising, enabling technologies.

"Partnerships like this one with Vineyard Wind and Greentown Labs will help us realize the Commonwealth's offshore wind goals and deliver clean, reliable energy to residents," said MassCEC CEO Jennifer Daloisio. "Go Energize 2023, with its focus on ecological impacts and turbine longevity, ensures that offshore wind in Massachusetts is developed sustainably for future generations. MassCEC is excited to work with the Go Energize startups to provide valuable mentoring and education."

The U.S. offshore wind industry is poised for significant growth—with only 42MW of capacity currently operational—but building the industry to a truly transformative scale will need to be a collaborative effort. Go Energize 2023 was developed with this vision and to help achieve this goal, particularly following the success of the 2020 Offshore Wind Challenge, Greentown's previous Greentown Go program in collaboration with Vineyard Wind and MassCEC. The New England coastline is a virtually infinite resource of clean and cost-efficient energy, and the offshore wind industry represents an enormous opportunity for Massachusetts to transition away from fossil-fuel dependency. The transition toward sustainable energy will also spur job creation and economic development across the Commonwealth.

"It is a true honor to work alongside Vineyard Wind on a project that will be so impactful for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," says Kevin Taylor, Greentown's Interim Chief Executive Officer. "While all of our Greentown Go programs represent a meaningful opportunity to decarbonize the five major greenhouse-gas-emitting sectors, the local relevance of this program does have us particularly excited. Vineyard Wind and MassCEC are doing vital work in our own backyard."

Greentown Labs runs Greentown Go programs across five tracks: Go Make (manufacturing), Go Move (transportation), Go Energize (energy and electricity), Go Build (buildings), and Go Grow (food and agriculture). These startup-corporate partnerships programs challenge the status quo within each key greenhouse-gas sector as they accelerate partnerships between industry giants and innovators.

Applications for Go Energize 2023 are due by April 4, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants may apply from anywhere in the world. To learn more and apply, visit the Go Energize 2023 website.

Greentown Labs is a community of climate action pioneers working to design a more sustainable world. As the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs brings together startups, corporates, investors, policymakers, and many others with a focus on scaling climate solutions. Driven by the mission of providing startups the resources, knowledge, connections, and equipment they need to thrive, Greentown Labs offers lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, an electronics lab, software and business resources, and a large network of corporate customers, investors, and more. With incubators in Somerville, Mass. and Houston, TX, Greentown Labs is home to more than 200 startups and has supported more than 500 startups since the incubator's founding in 2011. These startups have collectively created more than 9,000 jobs and have raised more than $4 billion in funding. For more information, please visit www.greentownlabs.com or Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Greentown Media Contact:
Julia Travaglini
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications
[email protected]
603-867-3657

Vineyard Wind LLC is an offshore wind development company seeking to build the first large-scale offshore wind energy project in the U.S., to be located 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. Vineyard Wind, based in New Bedford, Mass., is 50 percent owned by funds of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and 50 percent by Avangrid Renewables. For more information, visit www.vineyardwind.com.

Vineyard Wind Media Contact:
Andrew Doba
Communications Director
[email protected]
203-850-7400

MassCEC is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. MassCEC works to increase the adoption of clean energy while driving down costs and delivering financial, environmental, and economic development benefits to energy users and utility customers across the state.

SOURCE Greentown Labs