First power from offshore wind project in Massachusetts

January 2024 – Avangrid, Inc. a leading renewable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in greenfield renewable energy investments, announced in early January 2024 that power from the Vineyard Wind project was delivered to the New England grid for the first time.

One of the first completed turbines of the Vineyard Wind project, an 800 megawatt wind farm near Martha's Vineyard. (Courtesy of Vineyard Wind)

As part of the initial commissioning process, one turbine delivered about five megawatts of power on Jan. 2, 2024. More tests, both on and offshore, are expected to be conducted in the coming weeks. The project expects five turbines to be running at full capacity by early 2024.

This is a historic moment for the U.S. offshore wind industry, said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.

Soon, Vineyard Wind will produce power equivalent to more than 400,000 Massachusetts homes. This is clean, affordable energy made possible by the many advocates, public officials, union workers and business leaders who have worked for decades to achieve this feat. Looking ahead, we see that Massachusetts is on the path to energy independence thanks to our leading work to keep the offshore wind industry afloat.

"This is truly a milestone for offshore wind and the entire renewable industry in North America. For the first time, power is flowing from a commercial-scale wind project to American consumers, ushering in a new era for American renewables and the green transition," said Tim Evans of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

"As the first project in the country, we wanted to meet a standard of care. There was testing. There were issues that needed to be resolved," said Ken Kimmell, chief development officer for Avangrid. Kimmell said it didn't matter if the power started in calendar year 2023 or a few days later, "The important thing is that it happened and we are now on our way to getting this facility up and running."

The Vineyard Wind 1 project, as it is officially called, is still under construction. When completed sometime in 2024, it will consist of 62 turbines spaced about a mile apart and rising more than 800 feet out of the water. The project will generate up to 800 megawatts of power, or enough power for 400,000 homes in Massachusetts.

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