After three years of planning, it looks like the US is on the verge of constructing its first utility-scale offshore wind farm. The project, called Vineyard Wind, completed its last environmental impact report this week and has received approval from the White House. Once officially approved by the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, construction will begin on the massive renewable energy initiative.
The wind farm will be located 14 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and will generate 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 400,000 homes and businesses. In addition to energy generation, the project is expected to create 3,600 full-time jobs and reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million tons each year.
Construction is slated to begin on the 57 wind turbines this summer and is predicted to be up and running by 2023. The state of Massachusetts has set a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, and wind farms off its blustery coastline play a key role in this plan.
Vineyard Wind has strong backing within the state from the American Clean Power Association, the Conservation Law Foundation, and Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and the Environment Kathleen Theoharides. Vineyard Wind will be the country’s first example of truly scalable wind energy production and the rigorous environmental impact research backing the initiative demonstrates how we can build renewable energy systems that live as cohesively as possible with the natural environment.
