Bridgeport native Juliemar Ortiz, most recently press secretary to Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, has been tapped by Vineyard Winds to serve as Connecticut community and government relations liaison as the company advances its state selection to provide 804 megawatts of offshore wind through its Park City Wind project. Bridgeport is the host city.
Massachusetts-based Vineyard Wind has partnered with McAllister Towing and Transportation Company, operators of the city’s ferry service, to redevelop Barnum Landing, an underutilized 18.3-acre waterfront industrial property on Seaview Avenue in the East End.
The offshore wind proposal selected by the state in response to its clean-energy solicitation could generate close to $1 billion in direct economic benefits and create as many as 12,000 direct and indirect job across Connecticut. The project also proposes to save Connecticut ratepayers up to $1.1 billion in energy costs, while delivering a reliable source of fixed-price, low-cost renewable energy.
For more on the project see here.
News release:
Vineyard Wind today announced the hiring of Juliemar Ortiz as the company’s Connecticut-based community and government liaison. Ms. Ortiz joins Vineyard Wind after a stint in Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz office, where she served as Press Secretary. Her first day with Vineyard Wind will be June 5th.
“We are excited to bring Juliemar onto the Vineyard Wind team because her experience and expertise will be an invaluable asset as we look to bring the jobs, economic impact and environmental benefits of the Park City Wind project to Connecticut,” said CEO Lars Thaaning Pedersen. “We know there are many stakeholders in Bridgeport, the region and beyond who have a vested interest in our project, and with Juliemar’s help we can make sure that all voices are heard throughout every step of the process.”
As a native of Bridgeport and graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Ortiz’s strong Connecticut roots and passion for her community brought her to a career in state government.
Prior to working in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Ms. Ortiz served two years as a press aide to the Connecticut Senate Democratic Caucus.
Ms. Ortiz was also a staff reporter for the New Haven Register covering public safety, politics, education, and breaking news in Greater New Haven. Ortiz attended Bridgeport Public Schools and grew up in the city’s East End and West Side communities. She graduated from SCSU with a degree in journalism and communications and was the recipient of the university’s President Award and a Robin Marshall Glassman Outstanding Journalism Graduate Award.
“As the Park City Wind project continues to develop, informing and engaging the Bridgeport community will be a key component of its success. I look forward to working collaboratively with elected leaders, community advocates, local residents, and other stakeholders to advance Vineyard Wind’s vision of responsibly enhancing clean energy in Connecticut through the development of this game changing offshore wind project.”
About Vineyard Wind
Vineyard Wind LLC is an offshore wind development company seeking to build the first large-scale offshore wind energy project in the US, to be located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Vineyard Wind, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, is 50 percent owned by funds of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and 50 percent by Avangrid Renewables. For more information, visit www.vineyardwind.com.
Just a lot of wind…..
I know those Wind Mills can give you Cancer (Trump) but now you want to spread the Coronavirus up our nose?
Well at least they’ve finally hired a Bridgeport educated, a Bridgeport resident at heart to fill this position. Next try working on the Bridgeport Fire and Police Department’s where 90% live outside the city and who are taking millions of dollars out of the city to uplift our suburban communities. How about Department Heads like David Dunn and Police Chief Perez who are taking hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the city to uplift their suburban communities. Mayor Ganim, where you living?
The Vinyard Wind project is an “ill wind” and will do nothing positive for Bridgeport (or consumers):
i) Our harbor will be rendered unavailable for the myriad higher uses associated with real economic (JOBS RICH) redevelopment (e.g., Bridgeport-based-manufacturing-related shipping).
ii) Huge wind turbines will present very serious problems for air- and sea-based navigation and communication, as well as environmental problems for various forms of avian and marine wild-life, not to mention aesthetic incongruities…
iii) Consumers will be saddled — whacked! over decades — with the out-sized, extreme costs of the building of mammoth generation structures and difficult/dangerous maintenance of such remotely-located, behemoth generation equipment and transmission infrastructure… The tremendous costs for this project, which will be passed-on fully to consumers, will never be redeemed as energy savings. Such energy “savings” are impossible for such a hugely-expensive endeavor, which will require extremely-costly maintenance and which will be obsolete long before its costs can be recovered…
This project must never see the light of day. It is a consumer rip-off/boondoggle, without a “plus” side…
The way to go for green-energy independence is grid-free, scale-size/point of usage, where the equipment is consumer-owned and can eventually result in becoming a source of wealth/income for the owner…