An offshore wind project off Massachusetts that would create 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 400,000 homes, was approved Tuesday by the federal government.<\/p>\n
The Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha\u2019s Vineyard near Cape Cod, would be the first utility-scale wind power development in federal waters. The nearly $3 billion project is a critical piece of the Biden administration\u2019s plan to grow renewable energy in the U.S.<\/p>\n
The approval of the project, which could be completed in about two years, came after decades of debate about the sustainability of U.S. offshore wind. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said the approval will create thousands of jobs and is a step toward President Joe Biden’s plan for 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will create jobs that will support families, boost local economies and address climate injustice,\u201d Haaland said. \u201cMore importantly, it will create a new generation of clean energy jobs and leave a livable planet for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project would consist of 84 wind turbines located 12 nautical miles off Martha’s Vineyard. The project and Ocean Wind, a proposed 1,100-megawatt offshore wind project off New Jersey, are keystones in the Biden administration’s push to grow offshore wind as a way to fight climate change and create jobs.<\/p>\n
Vineyard Wind follows the scrapped Cape Wind project, which failed after opposition from some high-profile liberals and conservatives alike. Supporters of Vineyard Wind have said the newer project is better sited than Cape Wind, which would’ve been closer to shore, and that it’s more in tune with today’s political climate.<\/p>\n
But Vineyard Wind also faces opposition. Commercial fishing businesses have said the growth of offshore wind projects off the East Coast would make it difficult for them to harvest valuable seafood species such as scallops and lobsters.<\/p>\n
The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, a coalition of fishing groups and businesses, characterized the approval of the project as a sellout to multinational corporations that hope to profit on offshore wind in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the past decade, fishermen have participated in offshore wind meetings whenever they were asked and produced reasonable requests only to be met with silence,\u201d said Anne Hawkins, executive director of the group. \u201cFrom this silence now emerges unilateral action and a clear indication that those in authority care more about multinational businesses and energy politics than our environment, domestic food sources, or U.S. citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project is a $2.8 billion joint venture of Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. A message seeking comment about Tuesday’s approval was left with the developers of the project.<\/p>\n
Environmental groups and clean power advocates trumpeted Tuesday’s approval. Heather Zichal, chief executive officer of the American Clean Power Association, called it a \u201chistoric day for clean energy and for our country\u201d and a sign that renewable energy is on the rise in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow is the time to push forward on offshore wind, catch up to global competitors, and decarbonize our electric grid, so that the U.S. can deliver economic and environmental benefits to our citizens and combat climate change,\u201d Zichal said.<\/p>\n