Avangrid Renewables continues to build out its fleet of renewable resources to meet growing demand for renewable energy, with nearly 1 GW of onshore wind under construction for commissioning in 2019. We also added nearly 1 GW of wind and solar long-term contracts in 2018, including 400 MW of offshore wind. With a development pipeline of 14 GW, we expect to increase installed capacity by 31%, or approximately 2 GW, to a total of 8.6 GW in 2022.
We are leading the charge to develop a new offshore wind industry in the United States. The company’s Vineyard Wind joint venture was awarded a contract for construction of an 800 MW wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. Vineyard Wind also realized opportunities for future offshore development in 2018, winning a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management offshore wind auction to secure 2 GW of additional offshore development rights in Massachusetts.
As Avangrid Renewables accelerated separate plans to develop an offshore wind farm off the coast of Kitty Hawk, N.C., other East Coast states, including Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, announced RFPs seeking to bring more offshore wind energy to their power grids. In order to ensure the market availability of a stable, low-carbon supply of energy, Avangrid Renewables took the critical step in 2018 of implementing an independent generation-only Balancing Authority. Operating in the western United States, the Balancing Authority manages generation for approximately 1,300 MW of wind and solar capacity and is expected to reduce the overall integration costs for the renewable fleet. Avangrid Renewables also upgraded more than 1,700 MW of its wind capacity with boost software, improving operational performance and generation capabilities.
