Offshore Wind’s Big U.S. Shot

The stakes couldn't be higher for America's first major offshore wind farm

Matt Egan, May 16, 2021 (CNN Business)

“…The federal government this week gave the green light to Vineyard Wind, the nation's first commercial scale offshore wind farm. Although onshore wind is a growing part of the nation's power grid, offshore wind is just getting off the ground…Located 15 miles off the southern coast of Martha's Vineyard, the massive [Vineyard Wind] project aims to power more than 400,000 Massachusetts homes and businesses, slash carbon emissions and create thousands of jobs…America's power system needs a serious makeover in order to meet President Biden's emissions goals. Dirty coal must be replaced by much more solar and wind…[But] if the 84-turbine project flops, it will give ammunition to critics who argue offshore wind is too expensive, too unreliable and too complicated…

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Vineyard Wind plans to begin construction this year and start providing power to Massachusetts in 2023. But this is no small task. Offshore wind farms must contend with rough seas, bad weather and the inherent challenges of installing gigantic wind turbines at sea — and then connecting them to land miles away…Vineyard Wind will be powered by the Haliade-X, the world's largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine. The 13-megawatt turbine, manufactured by General Electric, (GE) stands 853 feet tall, nearly as high as the Eiffel Tower, and its blades are 350 feet long…” click here for more

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