'A huge moment': U.S. gives go-ahead for its first major offshore wind farm

[Klaralven]

The U.S. offshore wind sector took a major step forward Tuesday after authorities gave the green light for the construction and operation of the 800 megawatt (MW) Vineyard Wind 1 project.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of the Interior described the development, which will be located in waters off the coast of Massachusetts, as “the first large-scale, offshore wind project in the United States.”

The Vineyard Wind project, it said, was expected to generate 3,600 jobs and “provide enough power for 400,000 homes and businesses.”

The DOI added that a Record of Decision had granted Vineyard Wind “final federal approval to install 84 or fewer turbines off Massachusetts as part of an 800-megawatt offshore wind energy facility.”

According to the Vineyard Wind team, the facility will use GE Renewable Energy’s huge Haliade-X turbines, which will mean only 62 will actually be required.

Vineyard Wind is a 50-50 joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables. The latter is a subsidiary of Avangrid, which is part of the Iberdrola Group, a major utility headquartered in Spain.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/12/us-gives-go-ahead-for-first-major-offshore-wind-farm-.html

Haliade-X offshore wind turbine

https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/wind-energy/offshore-wind/haliade-x-offshore-turbine

[hunter]

1. "We had to trash the world in order to save it."

Sure, hybrid natural gas / wind power systems are better than coal, but that's not saying much. It's like saying that an abusive spouse has never put you in the hospital. All fossil fuels are bad.

If everybody in the world builds hybrid natural gas / wind energy systems then our civilization still ends by global warming caused by natural gas "backup power," which in nearly all wind schemes, ends up being a primary power source simply because the wind doesn't blow when the power is needed..

I will celebrate when this wind energy fantasy is over.

That Texas embraced wind energy should be a clue...

[Klaralven]

2. Resource Mix

https://www.iso-ne.com/about/key-stats/resource-mix

At only 9%, renewables are pretty minimal in New England.

[hunter]

4. The twenty years or more a wind turbine lasts represents twenty years more of natural gas use...

... just about kilowatt for kilowatt.

"Better than coal" but ultimately just as deadly.

[PCIntern]

3. We have a huge one going up

In the waters off Atlantic City and Downbeach, as we call it.