HARTFORD -- Two nuclear power plants, an offshore wind project, and nine solar farms will help Connecticut utilities provide "zero-carbon" electricity to their retail customers.

Gov. Dannel Malloy on Friday announced the winners of a major clean energy procurement, and the selection of Millstone Power Station in Connecticut and Seabrook Nuclear Power Station in New Hampshire effectively secured the role of atomic power in the state's climate strategy.

"Make no mistake, we are facing a climate crisis with the future of the planet at stake," said Malloy in a statement. "Despite President Trump's refusal to listen to scientists on this matter, the reality is that urgent and significant action is needed to dramatically reduce our dependence on carbon-based energy sources."

The clean energy procurements, mandated by the state legislature, are equal to 45 percent of Connecticut's total electric load. More than 80 percent of the new carbon-free energy will be sourced from nuclear power.

Orsted US, which plans its 200 megawatt Revolution Wind project, won utility support Friday for another 100 megawatts. The modest offshore wind procurement, while laudable, represents "a very timid step in comparison to other states in the region," noted John Humphries, organizer with the CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs.

Emily Lewis, senior policy analyst at Acadia Center, also praised the offshore wind carveout while calling for a stronger mandate.

Massachusetts, for example, in 2016 committed to developing 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind, and in May awarded an 800-megawatt contract to Vineyard Wind, which is in the process of gaining its environmental permits.

Still, the incremental wind procurement in Connecticut will spur a $10.5 million investment in the New London Port, according to Malloy.

The Connecticut clean energy contracts will support 165 megawatts of new grid-scale solar in New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut. Two of the projects incorporate battery storage.

Some on Friday criticized the nuclear-heavy choices.

"We're glad the state will see some new solar and wind come online as a result of this procurement, but are still very concerned that as a whole, these choices don't put Connecticut on the road to a clean energy economy," Claire Coleman, attorney at Connecticut Fund for the Environment, told the Connecticut Mirror.

"The future is off-shore wind, solar, geothermal, and smart strategies for efficiency and energy storage - but the small investments in these newer resources compared to the heavy investment in nuclear largely don't reflect that. Instead the state has doubled down on the energy sources of the past," Coleman said.

Robert Klee, Connecticut's energy and environment commissioner, said the state remains committed to keeping Millstone as a "valuable zero-carbon resource" -- provided the energy is affordable -- "as we work towards long-term replacement through smart investments in offshore wind and solar paired with grid-scale storage."

"At the same time," said Klee, "we believe ratepayers deserve, and can get, a more competitive price for Millstone's output."

Connecticut's electric companies -- Eversource and United Illuminating -- were instructed to negotiate better terms than those sought by plant owner Dominion, which has claimed the 2,100-megawatt Millstone is "at risk of early retirement."

"Dominion has sought a rate of return that is not in the best interest of ratepayers," Friday's press release from Malloy and Klee acknowledged.

State lawmakers, regulators, watchdog groups, and power generators have long battled over Millstone's status as a potential "clean energy source." They have fought over whether the plant, which faces competition from low-priced natural gas plants, really needs financial supports.

The Connecticut legislature in 2017 authorized Millstone, with its 1,500 employees, to bid into clean energy procurements along with wind, solar, storage and geothermal. Utility regulators in December ruled that the plant could be at risk of closing after 2020, and the pending contracts announced Friday reflect that interim determination.

The Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire is not claiming any financial duress, and bid in with below-market wholesale power prices, according to Malloy and Klee.

New England utilities draw their electricity from a six-state wholesale power grid.