5 Vineyard Wind turbines now providing enough power for 30,000 Massachusetts homes
BOSTON - Vineyard Wind, the first major offshore wind farm to be built in the United States, is ramping up. Gov. Maura Healey's administration said Thursday that five wind turbines about 14 miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard are now generating 68 megawatts of energy, which is the equivalent of powering 30,000 homes.
President Joe Biden's administration gave final approval in 2021 for the project that plans to eventually operate 62 wind turbines, each with blades longer than a football field. Vineyard Wind began providing electricity to New England at the start of 2024.
"This marks a turning point in the clean energy transition," Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. "After many decades of advocacy, research, policymaking, and finally construction, America's offshore wind industry has gone from a dream to reality."
"The Saudi Arabia of offshore wind"
Back in 2021, former Vineyard Wind CEO told WBZ-TV that the region is "the Saudi Arabia of offshore wind" because of how consistent the wind is in the area. The shallow waters made it easier to build in the area when construction started in 2022. Having a large population nearby to deliver electricity to also made it an attractive spot.
The project aims to have all 62 turbines operating in total. Crews are currently working to install a 10th turbine and bring an 11th to the project site.
At full power, Vineyard Wind is expected to generate 806 megawatts of electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts. The state says the wind power can save electricity customers $1.4 billion over the first two decades of operation, and is the environmental equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road a year.
