Feds Give Final Approval to Vineyard Wind
Citing an incredible milestone for Vineyard Wind, which became the first approved commercial-scale offshore wind project in the country on Tuesday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo signaled a veritable open season for similar projects that could eventually enable President Joe Biden to reach his climate goals. This project has been a long time in coming and it s really exciting that it s a reality, Raimondo said on a press call to announce approval of Vineyard Wind s construction and operations plan.
The 800 megawatt project s approval allows up to 84 turbines with minimum spacing of one nautical mile between the turbines. However, the project features the world s most powerful wind turbine, the GE Haliade-X, according to Vineyard Wind, which has enabled designers to reduce the total number of turbines to 62.
Federal government approves Vineyard Wind offshore wind project
Updated at 1:16 p.m. on May 11, 2021.
THE VINEYARD WIND offshore wind project has received federal approval.
An offshore wind project off Massachusetts that would create enough electricity to power 400,000 homes and is touted by backers as a key piece of America’s transition to renewable energy was approved Tuesday by the federal government.
The 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha’s Vineyard near Cape Cod, would be the first utility-scale wind power development in federal waters. The nearly $3 billion project is a critical part of the Biden administration’s plan to grow renewable energy in the U.S.
Offshore wind project seen as key to clean energy gets OK
PATRICK WHITTLE, Associated Press
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1of3FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2016 file photo, three of Deepwater Wind s five turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I, the nation s first offshore wind farm. An offshore wind project off the island of Martha s Vineyard, off the Massachusetts coast, that would create 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 400,000 homes, was approved by the federal government Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha s Vineyard near Cape Cod, would be the first utility-scale wind power development in federal waters.Michael Dwyer/APShow MoreShow Less
The project would consist of 84 wind turbines located 12 nautical miles off Martha s Vineyard. The project and Ocean Wind, a proposed 1,100-megawatt offshore wind project off New Jersey, are keystones in the Biden administration s push to grow offshore wind as a way to fight climate change and create jobs.
Vineyard Wind follows the scrapped Cape Wind project, which failed after opposition from some high-profile liberals and conservatives alike. Supporters of Vineyard Wind have said the newer project is better sited than Cape Wind, which would ve been closer to shore, and that it s more in tune with today s political climate.
But Vineyard Wind also faces opposition. Commercial fishing businesses have said the growth of offshore wind projects off the East Coast would make it difficult for them to harvest valuable seafood species such as scallops and lobsters.
(Image by shannynkm from Pixabay via Courthouse News)
WASHINGTON (CN) Marking a big step in the Biden administration’s clean energy goals, federal officials on Tuesday announced the approval of a large wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo shared the news about the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind Project in a press conference, standing alongside the labor leaders whose unions will ensure the project is properly built and maintained. Haaland said in a statement the deal signifies progress toward a future with clean energy.
“The approval of this project is an important step toward advancing the administration’s goals to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation,” said Haaland.