Feds grant approval to 84-turbine Vineyard Wind project off coast of Massachusetts Share Updated: 1:25 PM EDT May 11, 2021 AP/Michael Dwyer In this Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, file photo, three of Deepwater Wind s turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I. SOURCE: AP/Michael Dwyer Share Updated: 1:25 PM EDT May 11, 2021 Federal approval granted Tuesday will allow the nation s first major offshore wind project to be built off the coast of Massachusetts.The Biden-Harris administration approved the $2 billion Vineyard Wind energy project to begin construction about 12 nautical miles from the coasts of Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket in a northern portion of the leased area. Up to 84 wind turbines are approved, with a goal of producing enough energy to power up to 400,000 homes.Massachusetts selected the Vineyard Wind project back in 2018. The project will be the first major offshore wind project in U.S. wa
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.
Michael Dwyer / AP
Originally published on May 11, 2021 4:00 pm
The U.S. Interior Department Tuesday approved the country s first large-scale offshore wind project, a final hurdle that reverses course from the Trump administration and sets the stage for a major shift in the energy landscape.
This is a significant milestone in our efforts to build a clean and more equitable energy future while addressing the climate emergency, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said during a press briefing. She said an expansion of wind energy is critical to President Biden s ambitious climate goals to make the electricity sector carbon-neutral.
The $2.8 billion project, known as Vineyard Wind 1, will consist of 62 turbines spaced about a mile apart, each standing about 837 feet above the water s surface. Cables buried beneath the ocean floor will connect the power from these turbines with the New England grid onshore.
U.S. approves first major offshore wind farm off Massachusetts coast
Reuters | May 11, 2021 03:36 PM EDT
U.S. President Joe Biden gestures as he delivers remarks on the April jobs report from the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S (Photo : REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
The Biden administration on Tuesday said it has approved the nation s first major offshore wind farm, billing it as the launch of a new domestic energy industry that will help eliminate emissions from the power sector.
The move, however, was quickly condemned by fishing industry interests who said their concerns about the project s impact on things like fish stocks and vessel traffic had been met with silence by government officials.
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