Feds grant approval to 84-turbine Vineyard Wind project off coast of Massachusetts Share Updated: 1:25 PM EDT May 11, 2021 AP/Michael Dwyer In this Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, file photo, three of Deepwater Wind s turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I. SOURCE: AP/Michael Dwyer Share Updated: 1:25 PM EDT May 11, 2021 Federal approval granted Tuesday will allow the nation s first major offshore wind project to be built off the coast of Massachusetts.The Biden-Harris administration approved the $2 billion Vineyard Wind energy project to begin construction about 12 nautical miles from the coasts of Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket in a northern portion of the leased area. Up to 84 wind turbines are approved, with a goal of producing enough energy to power up to 400,000 homes.Massachusetts selected the Vineyard Wind project back in 2018. The project will be the first major offshore wind project in U.S. wa
The project would consist of 84 wind turbines located 12 nautical miles off Martha s Vineyard. The 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.
Vineyard Wind follows the scrapped Cape Wind project, which failed after opposition from some high-profile liberals and conservatives alike. Supporters of Vineyard Wind have said the newer project is better sited than Cape Wind, which would ve been closer to shore, and that it s more in tune with today s political climate.
But Vineyard Wind also faces opposition. Commercial fishing businesses have said the growth of offshore wind projects off the East Coast would make it difficult for them to harvest valuable seafood species such as scallops and lobsters.
Nation s first large-scale offshore wind project seen as key to clean energy gets OK newsday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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.