Groundbreaking ceremony: US offshore wind farm to be built

The 800 MW project, located 15 miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes, create 3,600 full-time jobs, save customers $1.4 billion in its first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1.6 million tonnes per year, the equivalent of saving 325,000 cars annually, according to developer Vineyard Wind.

A ceremony to celebrate the event was held at Covell's Beach in Barnstable, the site where two cables will land and connect to the grid at a substation further inland on Cape Cod.

“Many people have worked extremely hard to make today possible, a day where we turn forward thinking into action,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Lars T. Pedersen.  “From the environmental and community activists to our elected leadership at the local, state and federal level, it’s taken all of us, pulling in the same direction and not being deterred by setbacks both large and small.  By focusing on our ultimate goal – developing clean, cost-effective energy that will cut carbon pollution and create thousands of jobs in the process – we never lost sight of what mattered most, and we ultimately have a better project as a result.  I want to thank everyone for their commitment to and belief in this industry and look forward to celebrating many more milestones in the months ahead.”

“This is an historic moment as we begin constructing the first major offshore wind project in the nation,” said AVANGRID CEO Dennis V. Arriola. “We are proud to lead the way to a cleaner energy future by launching the offshore wind industry. The Vineyard Wind 1 project will significantly reduce carbon emissions so that we can have cleaner air and healthier communities, while also creating good paying union jobs and driving economic investment. The clean energy future is no longer a dream – it is now a reality.”