1st large-scale, offshore wind project that could power 400K homes approved
By Patrick Whittle
WASHINGTON - An offshore wind project off Massachusetts that would create enough electricity to power 400,000 homes and is touted by backers as a key piece of America’s transition to renewable energy was approved Tuesday by the federal government. Massachusetts should be proud that this decision launches the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project on the Commonwealth’s shores, said Governor Charlie Baker. This groundbreaking project will produce affordable, renewable energy, create jobs and prove Massachusetts developed a successful model for developing offshore wind energy. We appreciate the federal government’s partnership to grant this approval and look forward to working with Vineyard Wind to create thousands of jobs and set the Commonwealth on a path to achieve Net Zero emissions.
by Miriam WasserMay, 11 2021 ()
A lift boat and wind turbines off Block Island, R.I., in 2016. Approval of the country s first large-scale wind farm off Martha s Vineyard signals a major shift in the clean energy landscape. Image: Michael Dwyer/AP
The U.S. Interior Department approved the country s first large-scale offshore wind project Tuesday, a final hurdle that reverses course from the Trump administration and sets the stage for a major shift in the energy landscape.
This is a significant milestone in our efforts to build a clean and more equitable energy future while addressing the climate emergency, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said during a press briefing. She said an expansion of wind energy is critical to President Biden s ambitious climate goals to make the electricity sector carbon-neutral.
Vineyard Wind project gets federal OK
FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2016 file photo, three of Deepwater Wind s five turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I, the nation s first offshore wind farm. An offshore wind project off the island of Martha s Vineyard, off the Massachusetts coast, that would create 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 400,000 homes, was approved by the federal government Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha s Vineyard near Cape Cod, would be the first. Michael Dwyer
FILE In this Aug. 21, 2019 photo, people walk on Covell Beach, in Centerville, Mass., on the island of Martha s Vineyard. An offshore wind project off Massachusetts that would create 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 400,000 homes, was approved by the federal government Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha s Vineyard near Cape Cod, would be the first utility-scale wind power development in federal waters. (AP Photo
Originally published on May 11, 2021 6:47 pm
The country’s first large-scale offshore wind project has cleared its final significant regulatory hurdle, bringing the long-anticipated U.S. offshore wind revolution one step closer to reality.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Interior Department announced it had approved Vineyard Wind’s plan to build an 800-megawatt wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. This so-called “Record of Decision” comes two months after the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) completed a final environmental review of the project.
This “is a significant milestone in our efforts to build a clean and more equitable energy future while addressing the climate emergency,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said during a press briefing Tuesday. “Offshore wind is a critical component of the president’s priorities, and it’s an important opportunity for growth in the United States.”
Federal government approves huge wind project off Massachusetts coast
This project and Ocean Wind, a proposed 1,100-megawatt offshore wind project off New Jersey, are keystones in the Biden administration s push to grow offshore wind as a way to fight climate change and create jobs.
By PATRICK WHITTLEAssociated Press
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Three wind turbines from the Deepwater Wind project stand off Block Island, R.I., in 2016. The federal government on Tuesday approved an offshore wind project off Martha s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
An offshore wind project off Massachusetts that would create enough electricity to power 400,000 homes and is touted by backers as a key piece of America’s transition to renewable energy was approved Tuesday by the federal government.