NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) The developers of a proposed wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod have signed a lease agreement with the state to use New Bedford for staging and construction of the 130 turbine project.

Gov. Deval Patrick joined Cape Wind officials in making the official announcement on Sept. 12 at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Wind Technology Testing Center in Boston.

Officials said the work will begin in January at the South Coast Marine Commerce Terminal on the New Bedford waterfront. The two-year lease is for $4.5 million.

Patrick said the project will create hundreds of jobs.

Cape Wind had previously signed lease options with both South Terminal, now formally called the Massachusetts Marine Commerce Terminal, and Rhode Island’s Quonset Point.

When built, it will be the nation’s first offshore wind farm.

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