Alicia Barton Joins Copenhagen Offshore Partners as US CEO 

US Industry and Policy Leader to Also Serve as CEO of Vineyard Offshore, Lead Offshore Wind Development on East and West Coasts 

December 4, 2023 – Copenhagen, Denmark & Boston, Massachusetts:

Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP), a global leader in offshore wind development and construction, today announced Alicia Barton will join as US CEO, starting in January. Barton will also serve as CEO for Vineyard Offshore, the offshore wind platform of which COP leads development activities for in the United States. Barton will take over in both roles for Lars T. Pedersen, who has led Vineyard Offshore since it was founded in 2022 and before that led the team developing Vineyard Wind, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States, now under construction.   

“Alicia brings an outstanding mix of skills and talents to the COP and Vineyard Offshore teams,” said Pedersen. “She is widely known and highly respected across the industry. I had the pleasure of working with her during the very early days of the Vineyard Wind project and I am confident she will carry forward the rapid momentum and success our team has set in motion in North America.”  

For the past three years, Barton has served as CEO of FirstLight Power, developing and operating 1.6 GW of hydroelectric, pumped storage, battery storage, and solar assets in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, she managed operations for the Global Utility Group at SunEdison, which at the time was the largest renewable energy development company in the world. Barton has also served as CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).  

“I am thrilled to be joining COP and Vineyard Offshore at this critical moment for the global offshore wind industry and the future of the global energy transition,” said Barton. “We are poised to lead the North American offshore wind market by combining the global pipeline and expertise of our team and project partners, including Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. I am excited to take on the challenge of helping the company achieve even greater success ahead on both the East and West Coasts of the United States.”   

Earlier in her career, Barton practiced law and served in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, running the state’s environmental review office, among other positions. She also sits on the boards of directors of several leading climate focused organizations and companies, including the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Advisory Board for the New England Women in Energy and Environment (NEWIEE) and formerly Chaired the Board for Greentown Labs.   

Barton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources from the Ohio State University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.  

As part of the Vineyard Offshore project company in the United States, COP is leading project development activities for a 6 GW offshore wind portfolio in the country. In addition to the newly awarded 1.3 GW Excelsior Wind project in New York, the portfolio includes the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind 1 in Massachusetts, one of the first floating offshore wind lease areas off the northern coast of California, and development of an additional lease area on the East Coast, south of the current Vineyard Wind site, and a newly acquired lease area off the Northern California coast, which will require floating wind turbines. Vineyard Offshore is the exclusive US developer of offshore wind projects in lease areas owned by funds administered by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in renewable energy investment. 

 

About Copenhagen Offshore Partners  

Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) is a world leader in offshore wind project origination, development, and construction. COP is accelerating the energy transition through development of a 50+ GW project portfolio, one third of which represents floating offshore wind. An industry pioneer, the group is leading project development in new markets, including four projects currently under construction – Changfang Xidao and Zhong Neng in Taiwan, Vineyard Wind 1 in the United States and Jeonnam 1 in Korea. COP also specializes in system integration capabilities, including power-to-x. The group’s expert team is advancing projects across 17 offices in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. COP is a proudly independent company owned by its management. Learn more at www.cop.dk. 

 

About Vineyard Offshore 

Vineyard Offshore is leading the development of two lease areas in the Northeast, in addition to a recently acquired lease in Northern California, OCS-P 0562. Lease area OCS-A 522, known as Vineyard Northeast, is located off the coast of Massachusetts. OCS-A 544, known as Vineyard Mid-Atlantic and home to the Excelsior Wind Project, is located in the New York Bight. Combined with its joint venture development of the first-in-the-nation offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind, now under construction, Vineyard Offshore has the potential to develop more than 6 gigawatts of clean, renewable and affordable energy on the East and West Coasts of the United States.  To learn more, visit: www.vineyardoffshore.com.