The Mayflower Model: Economic and Community Development Supporting an Offshore Wind Project

Economic and Community development initiatives are increasingly valued in procurement processes, particularly the procurements organized by governments to meet policy goals. This phenomena has been particularly notable in the area of offshore wind projects.
While Massachusetts has made "low cost energy" it's primary value in the procurement process it has moved increasingly towards valuing investments in host communities that bring benefits to historically underserved and underrepresented groups and increase job training and supply chain development related to offshore wind. Initiatives that serve both these values are particularly interesting - especially those that serve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion needs.
The successful 2021 procurement bid by Mayflower Wind provides an example of how to meet these values in a manner that is focused on building capacity in host communities and augmenting local institutions. The Mayflower package provided keystone funding for a pertinent local educational institutional institution, and the innovative use of a donor-advised fund housed at a local foundation.