America's First Offshore Wind Farm Powers Up

The Block Island Wind Farm is now operational, the first offshore wind farm to deliver energy to the American power grid.

News ID: 70842

Date: 13 December 2016 - 10:59

Developer Deepwater Wind said commissioning is now complete and commercial operations have begun to deliver electricity into the New England region’s grid on a regular basis. The energy produced from the Block Island Wind Farm is linked to the New England grid by National Grid’s new sea2shore submarine transmission cable system, MANA correspondent reported.

The 30MW installation is capable of providing power to about 17,000 homes.

“Rhode Island is proud to be home to the nation’s first offshore wind farm, and I’m proud to be the only governor in America who can say we have steel in the water and blades spinning over the ocean,” said Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo.

The project cost $451 million, according to Forbes. This includes $225 million for equipment, construction and installation, $118 million for design, legal and permitting and $108 million for the undersea cable needed to connect the facility to the established mainland grid.