NE4OSW Celebrates Start of Electricity Generation at Largest US Offshore Wind Project
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2024
Contact:
Jennifer Delony, New England for Offshore Wind
jdelony@ne4osw.org, 603.320.7043
NE4OSW Celebrates Start of Electricity Generation at Largest US Offshore Wind Project
Avangrid Says First Wind Turbine Spinning at Vineyard Wind I
BOSTON – January 3, 2024 – New England for Offshore Wind (@NE4OSW) today applauded the start of generation for the first wind turbine at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind project.
When completed in 2024, Vineyard Wind 1 will be the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project with 62, 13-MW General Electric Haliade-X wind turbines and a total generating capacity of 800 MW that can power about 400,000 homes.
Amanda Barker, Climate Policy Advocate at Green Energy Consumers Alliance and the coalition’s Rhode Island State Lead, said:
“Vineyard Wind 1’s first turbine coming online marks a turning point in our transition towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future. This will be the first project in the United States to harness the powerful winds at sea at scale, not only tapping into a vast energy resource, but replacing the need for fossil-fuel energy generation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We look forward to many more announcements of crucial projects like this one coming online.”
Amber Hewett, Program Director for Offshore Wind Energy at the National Wildlife Federation and the coalition’s Massachusetts State Lead, said:
“Offshore wind holds enormous potential to transition our country to safer, cleaner forms of energy and today marks a welcome step towards harnessing that potential,” said Amber Hewett, senior director of offshore wind at the National Wildlife Federation. “We are thrilled to see a project at the scale of Vineyard Wind come online, one that will power hundreds of thousands of homes and bring economic investments to the state while helping us transition away from fossil fuels.”
Background
The New England for Offshore Wind coalition prioritizes support for projects as they move through the development process to ensure that states, developers, and advocates work together to deliver offshore wind projects that are built efficiently and responsibly.
With the completion of Vineyard Wind 1 and through thoughtful and equitable engagement, New England has the opportunity to lead the nation and be a model for the successful deployment of offshore wind projects.
New England for Offshore Wind’s advocacy continues to focus on encouraging developers to engage in meaningful consultation with impacted communities and prioritize environmental justice populations, while also minimizing and mitigating project impacts on wildlife and the environment. Furthermore, the coalition advocates for equitable economic opportunities and high-road labor standards, as well as early and frequent tribal consultation.
About New England for Offshore Wind
New England for Offshore Wind (www.NewEnglandforOffshoreWind.org) is a broad-based coalition of businesses and associations, environmental and justice organizations, academic institutions, and labor unions committed to combatting climate change by increasing the supply of clean energy to our regional grid through more procurements of responsibly developed offshore wind. We believe that responsibly developed offshore wind is the single biggest lever we can pull to address the climate crisis while also strengthening our regional economy, protecting ratepayers, creating high quality jobs, and improving public health by reducing pollution.
###