Large wind farm off coast of Martha’s Vineyard delivering more power to grid, Healey says

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, Mass. — A large wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard that began sending electricity to the grid in January is now producing more megawatts to power 30,000 Massachusetts homes, the governor said Thursday.

Massachusetts’ first offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind 1, delivered power for the project’s first phase to the New England electric grid, Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.

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Vineyard Wind 1 (Avangrid)

The project, which is the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the nation to begin initial operations, now has five turbines of the 62 planned operating at full capacity and is currently generating 68 megawatts of power, enough to power 30,000 homes in Massachusetts, Healey said. Comparatively, on Jan. 2, Vineyard Wind delivered approximately 5 megawatts of power from one turbine to the grid.

“This marks a turning point in the clean energy transition. After many decades of advocacy, research, policymaking, and finally construction, America’s offshore wind industry has gone from a dream to reality,” Healey said. “Across Massachusetts, in 30,000 homes and businesses, when you turn on the light, you will now be using clean, affordable energy. This will make the air we breathe safer and healthier, save customers money, and bring us one step closer to achieving net-zero emissions. I’m grateful to the Legislature for their leadership in developing our offshore wind industry, state and local officials for their efforts, and the union workers who built this industry from the ground up.”

Officials said Vineyard Wind, an 806-megawatt project located 14 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, will eventually generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.

The project is expected to save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year ---the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually, Healey said in her statement. The project has created nearly 2,000 skilled jobs since 2017, including close to 1,000 union jobs.

Construction of the entire Vineyard Wind 1 project runs through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, the first port facility in the nation specifically designed for offshore wind, Healey said.

Currently, the project has successfully installed nine turbines and is in the process of installing the tenth, with preparations underway to transport the eleventh turbine to the offshore project site, Healey said.

Building on the 68 megawatts currently in operation, additional power will be delivered to the grid sequentially, with each turbine starting production once it completes the commissioning process, officials said.

Vineyard Wind 1 is a joint venture of Avangrid Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, through its affiliate Vineyard Offshore.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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