This week was big for developers building offshore wind farms near Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE – Monday was a big day for offshore wind developers Ørsted and Eversource.
The companies announced the installation of the first turbine at their inaugural offshore wind farm near the coast of Rhode Island, and then came word that final approval had been given for construction of an even larger project that they’re planning nearby.
The positive news for the developers comes amid uncertainty for the offshore wind industry as a whole, which has made huge strides this year but has also run into enormous difficulties as escalating costs have torpedoed some projects and delayed others.
South Fork Wind Farm hits milestone
Completion of the first of a dozen turbines at the South Fork Wind Farm, southeast of Block Island, comes several weeks after the same milestone was achieved at Vineyard Wind, a 62-turbine project being built not far away in the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard.
They are the first two utility-scale offshore wind farms under construction in America – projects big enough to supply power to many tens of thousands of homes – and they come after the nation’s very first offshore wind farm, a five-turbine test project, was completed in Rhode Island state waters near Block Island seven years ago.
Onshore construction for Revolution Wind begins
Even though the South Fork project is located off the Rhode Island coast, it will deliver all of its power to Long Island. Rhode Island must wait to get more offshore wind power until the construction of Revolution Wind, the proposal that got final clearance on Monday with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s approval of its construction and operations plan.
Ørsted and Eversource have been working onshore in the Quonset Business Park along the route of the wind farm’s transmission cable since the summer after a key permit for the 65-turbine project was issued. Offshore construction is scheduled to begin next year, and the project would go into operation in 2025.
“This is a significant win for Rhode Island, marking an important milestone in our efforts to advance the state’s clean energy future and grow our already thriving blue economy,” Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: First offshore wind farms in US make significant progress this week
