Last week's federal approval of Vineyard Wind's first-in-the-nation project was hailed as the start of the offshore wind era — and the project that moves up in the state's queue is introducing itself to more residents as it prepares for its own turn under the microscope.
Mayflower Wind, the Shell and Ocean Winds North America joint venture, selected unanimously by Massachusetts utility executives in 2019 to build and operate an 804-megawatt wind farm about 20 miles south of Nantucket, held the first in a series of virtual open houses Tuesday night to explain its project and answer questions from residents.
The second offshore wind farm to secure a contract with Bay State utilities, Mayflower Wind expects to get the state and federal permitting ball rolling in 2022, with the wind farm scheduled to be in operation by mid-December 2025.