First five turbines installed by Avangrid at Vineyard Wind 1 in Mass.
Avangrid has installed the first five GE Haliade-X turbines for the Vineyard Wind 1 project off the coast of Massachusetts, the first large-scale offshore wind project in the United States.
This is a critical milestone as the company prepares to deliver the first power from the project to the electric grid in Massachusetts. Once energized in the coming weeks, Vineyard Wind 1 will deliver approximately 65 megawatts of clean energy from five GE Haliade-X turbines, enough to power 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
Overall, Vineyard Wind 1 is an 806-megawatt project with a total of 62 wind turbines. When it is completed and fully operational, it will generate enough clean electricity to power 400,000 homes and businesses in the state.
“Our team has worked tremendously hard, through nights, weekends, and holidays to put us in the position to deliver the first power from Avangrid’s nation-leading Vineyard Wind 1 project before the end of the year,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said. “Today, we have fully installed the first five turbines of this historic project, representing a new frontier for climate action and the clean energy revolution in the United States. We look forward to working through the final technical requirements and flipping the switch to deliver these first green electrons to 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, proving that with skill, expertise, and perseverance, the dream of offshore wind in America is real.”
The wind power from the first five turbines will interconnect to the New England grid in Barnstable, transmitted by underground cables that connect to a substation further inland on Cape Cod. It is on track to deliver first power before the end of the year.
“The Environmental League of Massachusetts is thrilled to see this tremendous milestone and strong momentum toward delivering the first large-scale offshore wind power to the New England grid,” Elizabeth Turnbull Henry, president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, said. “Offshore wind is the single biggest lever we can pull to address the climate crisis while strengthening our regional economy, protecting ratepayers, improving public health, and creating high-quality jobs and equitable access to economic opportunity.”
Vineyard Wind began offshore construction in late 2022, achieved steel-in-the-water in June, and completed the nation’s first offshore substation in July. Construction flows through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal.
“It’s incredibly exciting that Vineyard Wind is on the verge of generating offshore wind power for regular people. This will forever change how we think about power production in the U.S., unlocking a major source of electricity in the Northeast that can be copied by other coastal regions,” said Joe Curtatone, president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council, said.
