THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION revised the guidance on a section of its upcoming offshore wind procurement that was out of whack with what Connecticut and Rhode Island are doing and regarded as discriminatory by at least one potential bidder.

The quick edit came one day after CommonWealth Beacon reported  that Massachusetts was assessing a much higher security deposit on offshore wind developers who had reneged on projects in Massachusetts but not in other states.

In a statement released on Friday, the Department of Energy Resources said it was changing its guidance to make clear that all offshore wind developers who have reneged on previous contracts would pay a much higher security deposit than those who have not. For a 1,200 megawatt project, the difference is $48 million.

The issue has gained attention because offshore wind contract terminations may have started in Massachusetts but have now spread up and down the Atlantic Coast and across the world. The developers say they were forced to terminate their contracts when rising interest rates and inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine made their projects unable to be financed.

“The goal of Massachusetts’ current offshore wind procurement is to seek proposals in an open, fair, and non-discriminatory way that results in long-term contracts that will be financed and constructed,” said Lauren Diggin, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Energy Resources. “This updated guidance continues these priorities by confirming that any participating bidder who terminated an offshore wind contract will be subject to increased security requirements.”

The initial Massachusetts approach was at odds with what the other states participating with Massachusetts in a joint procurement are doing. Connecticut is assessing a higher security deposit on any developer who has reneged on a previous contract and Rhode Island is assessing no penalty at all. The new Massachusetts approach adopts the approach of Connecticut.