Connecticut & Rhode Island’s offshore wind farm just got the construction go-ahead

Revolution Wind, Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm, can begin offshore construction in 2024.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved Revolution Wind’s construction and operations plan, and that’s the final decision the wind farm needs to start offshore construction. 

BOEM’s final approval follows its Record of Decision issuance in August that concluded the environmental review.

Energy provider Eversource and Danish renewables giant Ørsted’s Revolution Wind will be sited around 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast, 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, and 12 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard:

The 704-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm will deliver 400 MW of clean energy to Rhode Island and 304 MW to Connecticut, powering more than 350,000 households across the two states. It’s expected to create around 1,200 local jobs during the construction phase.

US Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT) said:

Today’s final federal approval from the Biden Administration clears the way for the first direct infusion of carbon-free energy via offshore wind into Connecticut and the region.

The Revolution Wind project will generate 304 MW to directly power Connecticut homes and create hundreds of good-paying jobs at the State Pier in New London.

Eversource and Ørsted invested over $100 million to redevelop the State Pier in the Port of New London into a heavy-lift marine terminal where Revolution Wind turbines will be staged and assembled. Staging and assembly for New York’s South Fork Wind is underway at the port.

Revolution Wind’s onshore construction activities have already begun, and it’s expected to come online in 2025. 

Read more: Here’s how US offshore wind could play out by 2050

Photo and map: Revolution Wind

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