The US’s first large-scale offshore wind farm is about to come online

The first five offshore wind turbines at Vineyard Wind 1 will deliver power to the Massachusetts grid within weeks.

Vineyard Wind 1 comes online

Once online, Vineyard Wind 1’s five GE Haliade-X turbines will deliver around 65 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, enough to power 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts. Once the switch is flipped, the power from the turbines will interconnect to the New England grid in Barnstable, transmitted by underground cables that connect to a substation further inland on Cape Cod.

The 806 MW Vineyard Wind 1 will consist of 62 turbines. Each 13 MW turbine has a 220-meter (722-foot) rotor, 107-meter (351-foot) blades, and is 248 meters (814 feet) tall. Each is capable of providing power to more than 6,000 homes and businesses.

The $3.5 billion Vineyard Wind 1, a 50/50 joint venture between Avangrid and green investors Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts.

The 806 MW offshore wind farm will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts and save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation. It’s 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.

It’s expected to reach its full power potential by mid-2024.

Electrek’s Take

Can I just point out the enormity of this milestone, along with South Fork coming online earlier this week?

Despite obstacles, teething problems, and cancellations, a brand new clean energy source is delivering power to the US for the first time.

US offshore wind is happening. It’s no longer just a pipe dream. All the hard work this industry has put in is paying off.

And that is something to celebrate.

Read more: In a historic first, a US offshore wind farm delivers power to the grid

Photo: Avangrid

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