US Approves First Offshore Wind Farm, What It Means For The Future Of Clean Energy

Renewable energy advocates scored a monumental victory this week with the federal approval of a $3 billion offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts that will power roughly 400,000 homes.

Construction of the Vineyard Wind Project, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S., will begin in the summer. It is located about 15 miles off the coast, just south of Martha’s Vineyard and near Cape Cod.

The Department of Interior approved the installation of 84 turbines, which could generate about 800 megawatts of electricity. The project will reduce carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year.

The move comes after President Biden in January signed an executive order to explore doubling offshore wind production by 2030.

The offshore wind project, which was conceived in 2003, had suffered numerous setbacks before the Biden administration revived it in March. The Vineyard Wind Project is expected to produce around 3,600 jobs.

“A clean energy future is within our grasp in the United States,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said Tuesday in a written statement. “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. Today is one of many actions we are determined to take to open the doors of economic opportunity to more Americans.”

Vineyard Wind could go into service as early as 2023, according to Spain-based electricity company Iberdrola, which is involved in the project's development.

“Now is the time to push forward on offshore wind, catch up to global competitors, and decarbonize our electric grid, so that the U.S. can deliver economic and environmental benefits to our citizens and combat climate change,” said Heather Zichal, CEO of the nonprofit trade group American Clean Power Association.

The Vineyard Wind project could help boost opportunities for similar projects. The Biden administration has targeted offshore wind turbines to power 10 million homes by 2030. States like New York, New Jersey and Virginia have aimed to ramp up offshore wind capacity.

Europe continues to have a strong edge over the U.S. in offshore wind power capacity, with numerous projects planned for in the coming years.