A project described as the first large-scale offshore wind project has delivered power to the New England grid for the first time.
Energy company Avangrid, along with renewables investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, announced on Wednesday that power from the Vineyard Wind project had delivered approximately 5 megawatts around noon on Tuesday. Additional testing is expected to happen in the coming weeks, according to the developers, with five turbines expected to operate at full capacity early in 2024.
DISNEY’S EARLY VERSION OF MICKEY MOUSE ENTERS PUBLIC DOMAIN
Tim Evans, a partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, called the move a “milestone for offshore wind and the entire renewable industry in North America.”
“For the first time we have power flowing to the American consumers from a commercial-scale wind project, which marks the dawn of a new era for American renewables and the green transition,” Evans said in a written statement. “By delivering first power, we have broken new ground and shown a viable path forward with power that is renewable, locally produced, and affordable.”
Power from the project is transmitted by underground cables that connect to a substation further inland in Cape Cod and is interconnected to the New England grid in Barnstable. Once the project is completed, it will consist of 62 wind turbines generating 806 MW, estimated to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
According to developers, the project is also estimated to save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Approval for the project was delayed under the Trump administration over concerns about its effects on fishing and safety. However, support was expedited once President Joe Biden took office, with final approval granted in May 2021.
There are two other offshore wind farms that are in operation, Block Island and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. However, these projects have a lower capacity than the Vineyard Wind project, operating at 30 MW and 12 MW, respectively.
