The first turbine of the Vineyard Wind 1 project, an offshore wind farm that will eventually comprise 62 turbines, was installed off the shores of Massachusetts near Martha’s Vineyard.
The installation was announced by the energy company Avangrid Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The GE Haliade-X Wind Turbine Generator is the first of the 62 turbines to be officially completed. It is the largest in the Western world, with a capacity of 13 Megawatts, according to a press release.
Over 806 Megawatts of energy are expected to be produced once all 62 wind turbines are completed, allegedly enough energy to power more than 400,000 homes in Massachusetts. The landmark project will purportedly generate 3,600 jobs and save customers an expected $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation.
A Massachusetts state senator, Julian Cyr (D-Truro), expressed his enthusiasm for the completion of the first turbine, calling it an incredible achievement, per the press release.
“This impressive feat means we are on the edge of significant clean energy production for Massachusetts residents and the new job opportunities and economic growth that it brings to our region. Islanders and Cape Codders should be immensely proud to lead the nation in stemming the climate crisis,” he claimed.
Truro stands at odds with politicos like Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who previously expressed disapproval of proposed wind farms off the Galveston coast.
Buckingham claimed the 546,645-acre project, proposed by the Biden administration, would “severely hamper navigation and disrupt shipping lanes to send and receive goods,” as reported by The Dallas Express.
In an op-ed piece published in the Daily Caller, she wrote that Texas was “not going to sacrifice our coast, our economy, and the lives and livelihoods of our people at the altar of ‘feel good’ headlines.”
Additionally, Buckingham claimed that the proposed wind farm would violate multiple federal laws if constructed off the Galveston coast.
Still, Tim Evans, partner and head of North America for CIP, praised the development of the Massachusetts wind farm, stating, “Offshore wind continues to be a cornerstone in our investment strategy, with the U.S. market playing a central role.”
“Vineyard Wind is the future of American offshore wind, and it’s a future full of clean, sustainable energy and tremendous potential for job creation and reducing carbon pollution,” Evans said in the press release.
Once fully established with all 62 turbines, the farm is allegedly expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, which would be the same as removing 325,000 cars off the road yearly.