The U.S. offshore wind sector took a major step forward on Tuesday after President Joe Biden’s administration announced final federal approval for first of its kind offshore wind energy project.
The Department of the Interior reported the plan will be located in waters off the coast of Massachusetts after final federal approval to install 84 or fewer turbines off Massachusetts as part of an 800-megawatt offshore wind energy facility.
The 800 MW Vineyard Wind project, which is a 50-50 joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, would generate 3,600 jobs and is set to power electricity for 400,000 homes and businesses.
Jonathan Cole, who is global managing director of offshore wind at Iberdrola said, “This is the permit needed to now allow us to go ahead and build the project. This is the first of its kind in the U.S. and it’s expected to be followed by many other projects, so this is really the one which is going to kick off, in earnest, the U.S. offshore wind sector”
He adds, “So, it’s a huge moment for this project and for our companies, but it’s also a huge moment for the whole of the U.S. offshore wind sector.”
If this target is executed it would raise the significant expansion for the U.S The U.S however, still has a long way to go before it catches up with more mature markets, such as the European one.