Three wind turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I, the USA’s first offshore wind farm (Photo: AP)

Avangrid foresees a reduced-scale project, with fewer than the initially proposed 129 turbines and an output closer to 1,900 megawatts rather than the maximum 2,600. This capacity could potentially power up to 1 million homes and businesses in southern New England. Another significant project, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, boasting a 2,600-megawatt capacity, is slated for construction east of Virginia Beach.

The closure of Massachusetts' last coal-fired power plant, Brayton Point, in 2017, has underscored a shift towards cleaner energy sources. The site will now be repurposed to support offshore wind initiatives. The approval reflects a significant milestone in efforts to transition towards cleaner energy sources. 

According to Reuters, the greenlight for the New England Wind Project means the U.S. has reached one-third of President Joe Biden's goal to allow 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, a significant part of his climate change strategy.

New England Wind, planned south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, will be constructed in two phases. Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners are concurrently developing another wind farm off the Massachusetts coast. Vineyard Wind, currently operational, is set to provide electricity for 400,000 Massachusetts homes and businesses upon completion. 

The approval by the U.S. Department of the Interior of more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind projects in less than three years signifies a substantial advancement toward renewable energy objectives. The recent endorsement of Sunrise Wind, the nation's seventh major offshore wind project, reinforces this trajectory, located off the coast of Montauk, New York./.

Thu Huyen