▁commit ment ▁towards ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Massachusetts ▁D art mouth ' s ▁School ▁for ▁Marine ▁Science ▁and ▁Technology ▁( S MA ST ) ▁and ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Marine ▁Fish eries ▁Institute ▁( M FI ). ▁The ▁fund ing ▁went ▁towards ▁Blue ▁Econom y ▁In iti ative , ▁a ▁project ▁led ▁by ▁S MA ST ▁and ▁the ▁M FI ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁conduct ▁thorough ▁research ▁on ▁the ▁relations ▁between ▁wild ▁fish eries ▁and ▁off sh ore ▁wind ▁development , ▁with ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁commercial ▁fish ing ▁activities , ▁over ▁a ▁five - year ▁period . ▁ ▁Block ▁Island ▁Wind ▁Farm ▁The ▁concept ▁was ▁set ▁forth ▁in ▁a ▁plan ▁offered ▁by ▁then ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁Governor ▁Donald ▁L . ▁Car cier i ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁aim ▁of ▁the ▁Car cier i ▁plan ▁was ▁to ▁develop ▁large - scale ▁off sh ore ▁wind ▁projects ▁in ▁the ▁south - e astern ▁New ▁England ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Rh ode ▁Island , ▁in ▁a ▁bid ▁to ▁divers ify ▁Rh ode ▁Island ' s ▁power ▁supply ▁with ▁renew able ▁energy ▁sources . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁Office ▁of ▁Energy ▁Resources ▁determined ▁ten ▁sites ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁ocean ▁within ▁the ▁boundaries ▁of ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁and ▁Prov idence ▁Plant ations . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Governor ▁Car cier i ▁announced ▁that ▁Deep water ▁Wind ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁the ▁successful ▁developer ▁to