Ørsted U.S., the company behind Rhode Island’s first offshore wind project, is growing its presence in the state. The Danish firm announced plans to open a new engineering, procurement, and construction hub in the Blue Cross Blue Shield building in downtown Providence. This new location will be near their current office in the city.
The company also plans to increase its workforce in Rhode Island, aiming to more than double its current 100 employees over the next few years, although a specific timeline wasn’t given.
Rhode Island has been central to our U.S. operations, and we’re proud to have played a role in establishing the state as a leader in clean energy, said David Hardy, CEO of Ørsted Americas. We’re excited to expand our space in downtown Providence as we continue to develop Revolution Wind and strengthen our Northeast hub.
The new 17,500-square-foot office is expected to open this winter, though the lease details were not shared.
Ørsted, which operates the Block Island Wind Farm, is also working on the 65-turbine Revolution Wind farm, which will supply power to Rhode Island and Connecticut. However, due to delays in onshore construction, the project’s completion has been postponed to 2026.
The company has also submitted a proposal to bring an additional 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind power to Rhode Island as part of a regional energy initiative. The state is expected to announce a tentative selection from the proposals on September 6.
So far, Ørsted has invested over $1.5 billion in Rhode Island, upgrading infrastructure at Providence and Quonset ports, establishing an innovation hub in CIC Providence, and maintaining operations at Quonset Business Park.
Laurie White, President of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, praised Ørsted’s continued commitment to Rhode Island. “By choosing Providence for their new U.S. hub, Ørsted is ensuring that our state remains at the forefront of America’s clean energy industry and the jobs that come with it, she said.
As Ørsted expands into its new downtown office, they may give up some of their existing spaces in the city. Meaghan Wims, a company spokesperson, mentioned that the new office will accommodate their growing workforce, and some teams will relocate there later this year.
Information on the current number of employees at their existing Providence offices was not provided.