Both Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey came to New Bedford Wednesday to celebrate it as the hub of the offshore wind industry.
The two were in the city at the same time, but at different events.
Baker was at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, the staging area for offshore wind farm construction, to highlight Climate Week.
“The opportunity here is profound. We’re talking over time what could be hundreds of thousands, millions of households, here in the commonwealth that will powered by the power that’s generated by these projects,” Baker said.
The Vineyard Wind project, years in the making, is expected to be the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind project.
Dozens of wind turbines will be 12 nautical miles off Martha’s Vineyard.
Construction is scheduled to being next year, and to be finished in 2023.
It was approved by the Biden administration earlier this year.
“I think the Trump administration slowed up a lot of it,” New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said.
Mitchell was with Healey to show her around.
“We know that offshore wind is our future as we transition away from fossil fuels. And New Bedford is the centerpiece of the offshore wind industry,” Healey said.
Healey and Mitchell were on a boat in the harbor, while Baker had his event on shore.
Mitchell says Healey had reached out to him first.
Both Healey and Baker are facing questions on their political future.
Republican Baker on whether he’s decided to run again, said, “No, but thank you for asking.”
Democrat Healey has said she’d make a decision on running for governor sometime in the fall.
“I’m still thinking all of that through,” Healey told NBC 10.